Cities in UAE: The 7 Emirates, Main Cities and What They Mean for Property

The main cities in UAE belong to seven emirates: Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. Each emirate has its own ruler, government departments and, importantly for anyone buying or renting, its own property rules. This guide uses the UAE government portal, u.ae, to describe the seven emirates and the main cities and towns it names in each, then explains what that means for living in Dubai and for who can own property in which emirate. Figures are as published on u.ae pages read on 4 November 2026, and the page for each emirate gives its own year, so we show the year beside each figure.

What are the seven emirates of the UAE?

The UAE is a federation of seven emirates. u.ae gives these size ranks: Abu Dhabi is the largest, Dubai the second largest, Sharjah the third largest, Ras Al Khaimah the fourth largest and Ajman the smallest, with Umm Al Quwain the second smallest and Fujairah the only emirate located entirely on the eastern coast. The table below gives the key facts u.ae states for each, with the year it states them.

What are the main cities in the UAE?

u.ae treats Abu Dhabi as the federal capital, and says Abu Dhabi city hosts most ministries and foreign embassies. Dubai city is the capital of its emirate. Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah each have a city that shares the emirate's name. Beyond these, u.ae names regional towns that matter locally: Al Ain in the east of Abu Dhabi, Khorfakkan and Kalba on Sharjah's east coast, and Masafi on the border between Ras Al Khaimah and Fujairah. The page does not rank cities by size, so we do not either.

What does Abu Dhabi offer?

Abu Dhabi covers about 700 km of coastline and more than 200 natural islands, according to u.ae. It has three regions: Abu Dhabi city, Al Ain in the east (known for farms, with Jebel Hafeet, its highest peak at 1,240 metres, to the south) and Al Dhafra in the west. u.ae records 783,970 residential and non-residential units in the emirate, of which 466,700 (59.5 percent) are residential. For a buyer, the rules differ from Dubai, as the property section below explains.

What does Dubai offer?

u.ae describes Dubai as the second largest emirate, on the eastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula and bordering Abu Dhabi to the south, Sharjah to the northeast and Oman to the southeast. The historic creek divides Dubai city into Deira to the north and Bur Dubai to the south. A 2016 addressing system divided the emirate into 14 districts. u.ae names the Burj Khalifa and the Burj Al Arab among Dubai's landmarks and lists trade, services and finance as major sectors. For a home search, start with our pages for Deira, Bur Dubai, Downtown Dubai and Dubai Marina, or the wider guide to the best areas to live in Dubai.

What does Sharjah offer?

Sharjah is the only emirate with coastline on both the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. u.ae says it has three ports, several free zones and nearly a quarter of the UAE's museums, and names Heart of Sharjah, Al Qasba and the Al Majaz waterfront as tourism sites. Its population was about 1.8 million in the 2022 census. Sharjah borders Dubai to the northeast, which is why people who work in Dubai sometimes live there, and the commute is worth testing at peak hours before you decide.

What do the northern emirates offer?

Ajman is the smallest emirate, with Ajman City as the seat of the Ruler's office and the Ajman port, and u.ae lists manufacturing, wholesale and retail, and construction as its biggest contributors to GDP in 2023. Umm Al Quwain is the second smallest and least populated, with fishing, seafood and poultry as key contributors and a Sustainable Blue Economy Strategy 2031. Ras Al Khaimah has about 64 km of beaches, the Hajar mountains, Jebel Jais at 1,934 metres and the man-made Al Marjan Island, which u.ae describes as four coral-shaped islands focused on hospitality, residential and lifestyle uses. You can read our page on Al Marjan Island.

What does Fujairah offer?

Fujairah sits entirely on the east coast, on the Gulf of Oman, with about 70 km of shoreline from Fujairah city south to Dibba in the north. u.ae says it is the UAE's only access point to the Indian Ocean, that its economy rests on fishing, agriculture, the Port of Fujairah and the Fujairah Free Zone, and that its milder climate compared with Abu Dhabi and Dubai attracts visitors.

How do the emirates sit next to each other?

The u.ae pages describe the neighbours as follows. Dubai borders Abu Dhabi to the south, Sharjah to the northeast and Oman to the southeast. Ajman sits on the Arabian Gulf coast between Sharjah and Umm Al Quwain, and Umm Al Quwain lies between Sharjah to the southwest and Ras Al Khaimah to the northeast. Ras Al Khaimah borders Umm Al Quwain, Fujairah and Sharjah and shares an international border with Oman. Fujairah borders Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah to the west, with Oman to the north. This order matters for commuting: the emirates that touch Dubai are Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, and the others are further along the coast or across the mountains.

Who can buy property in each emirate?

Property ownership is set emirate by emirate, so the answer depends on where the home is. u.ae's page for expatriates buying property in the UAE covers three emirates, and the table below repeats what it states.

The u.ae page is a general guide and rules change, so confirm with the relevant land department before you commit. For Dubai, our guides explain freehold ownership and fees and buying as a foreigner.

What does this mean for living in Dubai?

Living and owning are separate questions. You can rent a home in many parts of the UAE without owning one, and you may live in one emirate and work in another. If you work in Dubai, test the daily journey from any neighbouring emirate at the hours you would travel. If you plan to buy in Dubai, remember that freehold is allowed only in designated areas, so check the area first. Our relocation guide covers the practical steps of moving.

How do you choose between the emirates?

Start with where you will work, the journey you can accept, whether you will rent or buy, and who will own the property. Then compare areas inside the emirate. Dubai is the focus of our listings, and our area pages show homes for sale and rent. If you are considering another emirate, treat the figures above as a starting point and verify rules locally.