The native population, largely of Arab descent, follows Islam, the official religion. A large number of people still live a nomadic life. Arabic is the official language, but Hindi, Urdu, and Persian are also widely spoken. A large portion of the work force consists of foreign skilled laborers. The United Arab Emirates University is the country's only institution of higher learning.
Petroleum is the chief economic resource of the region.
Proven reserves of petroleum and natural gas are among the world's largest. Production is largely concentrated in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah. Since the discovery of petroleum in the late 1950s, the country has undergone extensive modernization. Because of huge profits from petroleum exports, the United Arab Emirates has one of the world's highest per capita gross national products. Less than 0.2 percent of the land can be cultivated.