Religion in the United Arab Emirates Religion in the United Arab Emirates Islam is both the official and majority religion in the United Arab Emirates followed by approximately 76% of the population. The Al Nahayan and Al Maktoum ruling families adhere to Sunni Islam of Maliki school of jurisprudence. Many followers of the Hanbali school of Sunni Islam are found in Sharjah, Umm al-Quwain, Ras al-Khaimah and Ajman. Their followers include the Al Qasimi ruling family. Other religions represented in the country including Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism and Sikhism are practiced by non-nationals. There are more Sunni than Shiite Muslims among the residents. There are also
Kayeli people there were approximately 800 people left by the early 21st century. In regards to religion, majority of the them are Sunni Muslims, with some remnants of pagan beliefs. Representative of the ethnic group have completely lost their native Kayeli language by the end of the 20th century as they began to adopt other indigenous Buru languages or Indonesian language. Ethnogenesis of Kayeli is directly associated with the colonization of the Buru island by the Dutch East India Company in the 17th century. In 1658, the first permanent Dutch settlement and a military fort were built at the southern coast of