UAE Federal Government Structure Guide
Understand the five constitutional federal authorities of the UAE, how their powers interact, the role of the FNC and Federal Judiciary, and how federal authority relates to the governments of the seven emirates.
The Constitution identifies five federal authorities. The Federal Judiciary is the fifth and should not be omitted from a complete explanation of the federal structure.
The UAE's Federal System
The UAE is a federation of seven emirates. Its Constitution establishes federal authorities at Union level while also recognising governments and constitutional powers at emirate level. The official UAE Government platform identifies the Federal Supreme Council, President and Vice President, Cabinet, Federal National Council and Federal Judiciary as the five federal authorities.
Article 45 of the Constitution lists those five authorities in this order: the Federal Supreme Council; the President and Vice President; the Council of Ministers; the Federal National Council; and the Federal Judiciary.
International Money Transfer & FX Rates
Sending funds for tuition, rent, or immigration fees? Retail banks sneak 2.5%–4% into exchange rates. Check today's real mid-market rate first.
Explore the five authorities
Federal Supreme Council
The Federal Supreme Council is the highest constitutional authority of the UAE and is composed of the Rulers of the seven emirates. Each emirate has one vote in the Council.
Composition / structure
- Rulers of the seven emirates, or the authorised acting ruler where applicable
- One vote for each emirate in Council deliberations
- The Council elects the President and Vice President from among its members
Core constitutional powers
- Draws up the general policy of the Union in matters assigned to the federal level
- Approves federal laws and decrees in accordance with the Constitution
- Ratifies international agreements and conventions within the constitutional framework
- Approves the appointment of the Prime Minister and other constitutional matters assigned to it
The five federal authorities at a glance
| Federal authority | Constitutional position | Primary role | Key articles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal Supreme Council | Highest constitutional authority | General Union policy and major constitutional, legislative and federal matters | 45–50 |
| President & Vice Presidents | Second federal authority | Head of the Union and exercise of constitutional presidential functions | 45, 51–67 |
| Council of Ministers | Third federal authority | Federal executive administration and implementation of federal policy and law | 55–67 |
| Federal National Council | Fourth federal authority | Constitutional consultative and parliamentary functions | 68–93 |
| Federal Judiciary | Fifth federal authority | Federal judicial jurisdiction and Federal Supreme Court functions | 94 onwards |
Current federal leadership
President
H. H. Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi.
Vice President & Prime Minister
H. H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Vice President
H. H. Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Vice President, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Presidential Court.
Current leadership information should be rechecked when publishing a future edition because officeholders can change independently of the constitutional framework.
Federal National Council: composition and role
The FNC has 40 members. Article 68 allocates seats among the seven emirates according to the constitutional distribution below.
| Emirate | FNC seats |
|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi | 8 |
| Dubai | 8 |
| Sharjah | 6 |
| Ras Al Khaimah | 6 |
| Ajman | 4 |
| Fujairah | 4 |
| Umm Al Quwain | 4 |
| Total | 40 |
Federal laws and emirate laws
It is too simplistic to say that every UAE law is either “federal” or “emirate” without considering the constitutional allocation of powers. The Constitution assigns matters to the Union and also preserves powers for the emirates.
Article 151 provides an important hierarchy: the Constitution has supremacy over the constitutions of the member emirates, and federal laws issued in accordance with the Constitution have priority over emirate legislation, regulations and decisions when the two conflict. The conflicting lower-level rule is rendered ineffective only to the extent necessary to resolve the conflict.
Practical interpretation
The existence of a federal law does not mean that every local government department disappears or that every municipal or local matter becomes federal. The relevant question is which authority has constitutional jurisdiction over the subject and whether an applicable federal rule has priority in the event of conflict.
The Federal Judiciary
Federal Supreme Court
Article 95 establishes a Federal Supreme Court and federal first-instance courts. Article 96 provides for a Chief Justice and up to five judges appointed by Presidential Decree after ratification by the Federal Supreme Council.
Judicial independence
Article 94 states that justice is the basis of government and that judges are independent in performing their duties, subject to the law and their conscience.
Related UAE Tools & Guides
2026 VerifiedFrequently Asked Questions
The constitutional framework above is based primarily on the current UAE Constitution published through the UAE legislation portal and the current UAE Government official platform. Current officeholder information is inherently changeable and should be refreshed when a future edition is published.