In the UAE, this species is known from Wadi Wurayah (Feulner 2016) and the southern Hajar Mountains (Jongbloed et al. 2003). Globally, the species is distributed across much of Africa, through the Arabian Peninsula, to Iran and Iraq (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Within the UAE, this species has been found to occur in Baynunah (Jongbloed et al. 2003, MEW 2010) in Abu Dhabi Emirate. It was first recorded by Böer and Chaudhary (1999). This species native range is from Iraq to the Arabian Peninsula (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018) and the Middle East (Jordan, Israel).

This species was recorded from Fujairah on the east coast of the UAE by Jongbloed et al. (2003). The identity of the species requires confirmation, as it may instead refer to S. hirtigluma (G. Brown pers. comm. 2019). The species occurs to the south in adjacent parts of Oman (G.R. Feulner, in litt, MEW 2010). M. Tsaliki (pers. comm. 2019) has a coastal record from Jazirah Al Hamra, R'as al Khaimah. UAE records are very scattered and possibly uncertain; G.R. Feulner (pers. comm. 2019) has found it to be locally common in mountain front areas of Oman close to Al Ain. Globally, this species occurs in northern and southern Africa, the Middle East and east to Central Asia (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018).

This species occurs in the northern Emirates and also on offshore islands (Jongbloed et al. 2003), although likely to be introduced to the islands (e.g., Dalm and Deenah islands; Al Meharibi et al. 2019). It is found in the Ru'us al-Jibal Mountains to 1,500 m asl (Feulner 2011) and in Wadi Wurayah National Park (Feulner 2016). It is also suspected to occur to the south of Hatta. Globally, this species occurs in South Africa, across northern Africa and southern Europe, the Middle East, Central Asia and east to India (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018).

This species has been recorded widely in the north-east of the UAE, with a distribution in the Hajar Mountains and the western foothills and gravel plains (Jongbloed et al. 2003). The species has also been recorded in the Ru'us al-Jibal (Feulner 2011). Feulner (2016) considered it likely to be present in Wadi Hiluw. Judas (2016) recorded the species from Wadi Wurayah National Park. The species has also been reported from Taweela, as well as the coastal dunes from Umm al-Quwain to Ra's al-Khaimah, which suggests this species is continuously distributed along the coastal strip from Abu Dhabi Island to Ra's al-Khaimah (Brown et al. 2007). It has also been recorded from Jebel Hafeet (Sakkir and Brown 2014).Globally, the species occurs from the Macaronesian Islands, across southern Spain, and through northern Africa to the Middle East, India and Pakistan (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018). It has been introduced to southern Africa and to Australia.

In the UAE, this species has been recorded once in the Diftah Oasis in the Hajar Mountains (Jongbloed et al. 2003). It has also been recorded from the Musandam Peninsula in Oman (Feulner 2011). Globally Rostraria cristata occurs in North Africa, Southern Europe, France, the Middle East, Central Asia and India. It has been introduced the parts of North America, South America, South Africa, Japan and Australia (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018).

This species has been recorded from a single locality in the UAE, in the northern Ru'us al-Jibal (Jebel Rahabah) at around 1,250 m elevation (Feulner 2011). Globally, the native range of this species spans across Europe and Macaronesia to Cape Province, in addition to China and the Himalayas (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019). It has been very widely introduced.

This species appears to occur in scattered localities throughout the UAE (Jongbloed et al. 2003). The species is a significant agricultural weed (CABI 2019) and is listed as an introduced landscape plant by MoCCaE, and its origin in the UAE perhaps requires confirmation. The species is not cited for the UAE by Al Mehairbi et al. (2019). Globally, the native range of this species spans from Macaronesia and the Mediterranean to the Himalayas and Eritrea (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019), and it has been very widely introduced.

The distribution of this species in the UAE is not well understood. Feulner (2016) records the species from the Wadi Wurayah National Park buffer zone in the upper parts of Wadi Siji and Feulner (2014) records the species from northeast facing cliffs along the summit ridge of Jebel Qitab, from Jebel Masafi. It is known from a single site in the Ru'us al-Jibal on a cliff-face close to a spring ('Ayn as-Sih in Oman) at 470 m elevation (Feulner 2011). The species also occurs at cultivated sites elsewhere in the UAE. Globally, the native range of this species spans across northern Africa to Caucasus and to the Indian subcontinent (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019). Although Plants of the World Online lists the UAE as a native country of occurrence, there is very little available information on this species within the country, including detailed distribution data.

This species occurs widely in the central and north-eastern UAE (Jongbloed et al. 2003), and it is also present in the Wadi Wurayah National Park (Feulner 2016), in wadi beds in the 'Olive Highlands' (Feulner 2014), and the coastal white sands at Taweela, Abu Dhabi (Brown et al. 2007). Globally, this species is distributed across North Africa, the Middle East, throughout the Arabian Peninsula, Pakistan and India (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018).