Marine protected areas in United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: Marine protected areas was 12.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Marine protected areas in United Arab Emirates, 2013–2025
Source: Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM), UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring. Measured in % of territorial waters.
Analysis
United Arab Emirates recorded 12.0% for marine protected areas in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, marine protected areas in United Arab Emirates peaked at 12.4% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 4.3%, in 2016.
United Arab Emirates ranks 44th of 174 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.
Marine protected areas in United Arab Emirates, year by year
| Year | % of territorial waters | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 12.4% | — |
| 2014 | 12.4% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 12.4% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 4.3% | -65.3% |
| 2017 | 4.3% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 11.3% | +162.8% |
| 2019 | 11.3% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 11.5% | +1.8% |
| 2021 | 11.5% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 11.5% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 11.5% | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 12.0% | +4.3% |
| 2025 | 12.0% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 9.8% | 4.3% | 12.4% | 7 |
| 2020s | 11.7% | 11.5% | 12.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates
More climate change data for United Arab Emirates
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) 1,596 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 556.37 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 1,039 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 2.1 kt (2050)
- Emissions from livestock — Emissions 37.11 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) 113.03 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O 113.02 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 0.0084 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.4265 kt (2050)
- Emissions from crops — Emissions 0.0003 kt (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is marine protected areas in United Arab Emirates?
- Marine protected areas in United Arab Emirates was 12.0% in 2025, according to Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM), UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring.
- What is the highest marine protected areas recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The highest recorded value was 12.4% in 2013.
- What is the lowest marine protected areas recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.3% in 2016.
- How does United Arab Emirates rank for marine protected areas?
- United Arab Emirates ranks 44th out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
- Is marine protected areas rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Arab Emirates data come from?
- The figures come from Protected Planet: The World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) and World Database on Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (WD-OECM), UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring, published as part of Marine protected areas (% of territorial waters). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 13 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Marine protected areas are areas of intertidal or subtidal terrain--and overlying water and associated flora and fauna and historical and cultural features--that have been reserved by law or other effective means to protect part or all of the enclosed environment.