Within the UAE, this species occurs along the Arabian Gulf coastline to the northwest of the country (Brown et al. 2007) and the east coast, as well as inland at Jebel Hafeet (Jongbloed et al. 2003). However, these records need to be confirmed as the species is easily confused with other similar species, such as Astragalus hamosus and Astragalus biababensis. The native range of this species spans from Algeria to Lebanon, the Arabian Peninsula and on to Iran (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

In the UAE, this species is widespread throughout the northern Emirates (Jongbloed et al. 2003). It has also been recorded within the Ru'us al-Jibal, up to altitudes of 1000 m (Feulner 2011). Globally, this native range of this species spans across both the tropical and the subtropical Old World (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

This species is cited for the UAE by Jongbloed et al. (2003), and has been recorded from Ras al Khaimah and Rams (Jongbloed et al. 2003). S. Sakkir (pers. comm. 2019) recorded the species as being cultivated in Al Ain. The species is considered introduced/cultivated to the UAE by MoCCaE (O. Al Shamsi pers. comm. 2019), and only S. italica is considered native to the UAE by RBG Edinburgh (provisional checklist, A. Forrest pers. comm. 2018). Globally, the native range of this species spans across the Sahara and Sahel to the Indian Subcontinent (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

In the UAE, this species is known from scattered locations on sand and gravel (M. Jongbloed pers. comm. 2019). In particular, it has been recorded from Al Ain, in addition to along the Al Ain to Dubai road. The origin of the species in the UAE requires confirmation, as it may have been introduced to the country for cultivation (MEW 2010). Globally, the native range of this species spans from Northern Africa, the Arabian Peninsula (Saudi Arabia only) to India (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

This species is widespread in the eastern part of the country (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Feulner 2011). The native range is from Uganda to Egypt, through Sinai to the Arabian Peninsula (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

The species has a restricted distribution, recorded from the northern Hajar Mountains and the Ru'us al Jibal, from 400 m to at least 1,200 m (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Feulner 2011). The EOO is less than 700 km². The native range of the species is southern and central Europe, the eastern Mediterranean and the Arabian Peninsula, to Iran; introduced to large parts of eastern North America and northern Europe (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Originally thought to occur in just scattered locations (Jongbloed et al. 2003), this species is now thought to be more widespread (MEW 2010). Western (1991) recorded the species from Sir Bani Yas Island in plantations, although the origin there requires confirmation. The species occurs in Wadi Wurayah National Park (WWNP), where it is common in peri-anthropic waste ground (Feulner 2016). In the southern Hajar Mountains in the UAE, the species occurs along the ridge tops in the 'Olive Highlands' (Feulner 2014). Sharjah Seedbank & Herbarium hold specimens from inland localities (including in Sharjah, R'as al-Khaimah and in Sharjah Emirate on the east coast at Kalba. The species is considered native to North America, Africa and the Arabian Peninsula (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019). The native status of the species in the Americas has been controversial, but molecular research suggests that it is native there (Martín-Bravo et al. 2007).

Within the UAE, this species has been recorded from the Ru'us al-Jibal (Jongbloed et al. 2003). It is uncertain as to whether this species should also include records under the name of Roemeria refracta [= Papaver refractum (DC.) K.-F.Günther] within the Ru'us al-Jibal (Feulner 2011). Globally, the native range of this species extends across northern Africa, the Mediterranean, central Asia and Pakistan (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Within the UAE, this species is widespread in the Hajar Mountains and the Ru'us al-Jibal (Jongbloed et al. 2003), including Wadi Helo (El-Keblawy et al. 2016). The species also occurs on Jebel Hafeet (Stuart and Stuart 1998, Fawzi and Ksiksi 2012) and on the lower slopes of ravines in the 'Olive Highlands' (Feulner 2014). The global range of this species is from north-east Africa (Egypt to north-east tropical Africa), the eastern Mediterranean, Jordan to the Arabian Peninsula (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

The species is widespread in the Hajar Mountains, with additional records from Jebel Hafeet (e.g, Wadi Tarabat; Fawzi and Ksiksi 2012), Wadi Al Ain (Mousa and Fawzi 2009), and from several farmed areas in Wadi Ghalilah, northern Ra's al-Khaimah. The species was not found in Wadi Wurayah National Park (although no attempt was made to specifically differentiate from Sisumbrium erysimoides; Feulner 2011). The species was recorded for Wadi Helo (El-Keblawy 2011) but not recorded for that area by the later El-Keblawy et al. (2016). Sharjah Seedbank & Herbarium hold specimens from Wadi Helo (Fujairah), Al Ain (Abu Dhabi), and Wadi Al Nahw, Oman. The global range of this species is around much of the Mediterranean basin, north-east Africa, through the Arabian Peninsula to Pakistan and Central Asia (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019). The species has been very widely introduced and naturalised.