UAE Constitution Articles & Parts Guide
A structured 2026 guide to the UAE Constitution, with the official 10-Part structure, article ranges, fundamental rights, federal institutions, FNC powers, Emirate jurisdiction and the constitutional-amendment process.
The constitutional structure at a glance
The UAE Constitution was established when the federation was formed on 2 December 1971. It was initially provisional and became permanent in 1996. The current official UAE Government and UAE legislation platforms describe the Constitution as containing 152 Articles across 10 Parts.
The original version of this page incorrectly called only four groups "chapters" and assigned several articles to the wrong subjects. The structure below follows the official Constitution's actual Parts and article ranges.
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Browse All 10 Constitutional Parts
Part One — The UAE Principles and Main Objectives
Defines the UAE as an independent, sovereign federal State, identifies the seven Emirates, establishes federal sovereignty and the relationship between the Union and the Emirates, and states the official religion, language, capital and principal objectives.
Articles in this Part
UAE Constitution at a Glance
| Federation: | 2 December 1971 |
| Constitutional status: | Permanent since 1996 |
| Articles: | 152 |
| Parts: | 10 |
| Official religion: | Islam — Article 7 |
| Official language: | Arabic — Article 7 |
| Capital: | Abu Dhabi City — Article 9 |
| Constitutional amendment: | Article 144 |
Key constitutional articles frequently used in UAE legal research
| Article | Subject | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Art. 1 | Federal State | Establishes the UAE as an independent, sovereign and federal State and identifies the seven Emirates. |
| Art. 7 | Religion and language | Islam is the official religion; Sharia is a main source of legislation; Arabic is the official language. |
| Art. 9 | Capital | Establishes Abu Dhabi City as the capital of the UAE. |
| Arts. 25–44 | Rights and duties | Contains the constitutional Part on freedoms, rights and public duties. |
| Art. 45 | Federal authorities | Identifies the five federal authorities. |
| Art. 68 | FNC composition | Establishes the 40-member FNC and distributes seats among the seven Emirates. |
| Art. 89 | Federal draft laws | Defines the FNC's role in considering federal draft laws. |
| Art. 90 | Federal budget | Requires the FNC to examine the federal annual budget and final accounts. |
| Art. 91 | Treaties | Establishes the constitutional mechanism for notifying the FNC about international treaties and conventions. |
| Art. 120 | Federal jurisdiction | Lists matters over which the UAE has exclusive legislative and executive jurisdiction. |
| Art. 121 | Federal legislative jurisdiction | Lists matters subject to exclusive federal legislative jurisdiction. |
| Art. 122 | Emirate residual jurisdiction | Gives the Emirates jurisdiction over matters not exclusively assigned to the federal authorities. |
| Art. 144 | Constitutional amendment | Sets the constitutional procedure for amendment proposals and FNC approval. |
| Art. 151 | Constitutional supremacy | Provides that the Constitution prevails over the constitutions of the Emirates and valid federal laws have priority over conflicting lower-level legislation. |
Fundamental rights: what the Constitution actually says
Personal liberty and fair trial
Article 26 protects personal freedom and restricts arrest, search, detention and imprisonment except in accordance with law. It also prohibits torture or degrading treatment. Article 28 establishes personal punishment and the presumption of innocence in a legal and fair trial.
Expression and communication
Article 30 addresses freedom of opinion and expression, while Article 31 protects freedom and confidentiality of communications, subject to the applicable law.
Religion and assembly
Article 32 addresses religious worship subject to public policy and morals. Article 33 addresses freedom of assembly and establishment of associations, subject to law.
Property
Article 21 protects private property and provides that deprivation can occur only in circumstances required by the public interest, in accordance with law and for equitable consideration. Article 39 addresses public confiscation and private property confiscation by court judgment.
Federal–Emirate distribution of powers
| Article | Allocation |
|---|---|
| Article 120 | The UAE has exclusive legislative and executive jurisdiction over specified subjects such as foreign affairs, defence, federal finance and taxation, nationality, passports, immigration, education, public health and other listed matters. |
| Article 121 | The UAE has exclusive legislative jurisdiction in additional matters including labour relations, social security, property ownership/expropriation, banking, insurance, major civil/commercial/company legislation, IP, parts of aviation and free financial zones. |
| Article 122 | The Emirates have jurisdiction over matters not exclusively assigned to the federal authorities under Articles 120 and 121. |
| Articles 123–125 | Address limited Emirate-level international arrangements, consultation when federal treaties affect an Emirate, and Emirate implementation of federal laws, treaties and federal judgments. |
Constitutional amendments
Article 144 is the central constitutional provision on amendments. The process is not the same as an ordinary commercial or administrative law amendment.
Supreme Council proposal
The Federal Supreme Council determines that the high interests of the UAE require an amendment and submits a draft to the FNC.
FNC approval
Approval requires two-thirds of the votes of FNC members present.
Promulgation
The President signs and promulgates the amendment in the name of the Federal Supreme Council.
Frequently Asked Questions
Official primary sources
This guide summarizes the current official constitutional structure. For legal interpretation, always consult the official current Constitution and the legislation applicable to the specific issue.