Presence of this species is confirmed within the United Arab Emirates marine territorial waters (Soorae et al. 2006, 2010; Buzás et al. 2018). It is found in both the Arabian Gulf and in the Gulf of Oman. Breeding has been confirmed in the waters off the east coast (Géczy et al. 2017, Buzás et al. 2018). On the east coast, it is found from 2.7-9.7 km offshore (Géczy et al. 2017, Buzás et al. 2018). The depth range is not certain, but likely to be found to c.45 m depth along the east coast. Museum records are available for the UAE in the Al Mayya Sanctuary, Fujairah. Recent museum specimens include those from Muscat, Oman (Boulenger 1887), Arabian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz (Gasperetti 1988). The first museum specimens for the region were collected in Dubai and Sharjah (Arabian Gulf, UAE) by M.D. Gallagher in 1972 (Gasperetii 1988).Globally, this species is found in the Arabian Gulf eastwards to India and Sri Lanka (Culotta and Pickwell 1993, Heatwole 1999), and to the west coast of peninsular Thailand, Melanesia and Singapore (Rasmussen et al. 2010).

Presence of this species is confirmed within the United Arab Emirates marine territorial waters (Gasperetti 1988, Egan 2007, Soorae et al. 2006, Gardner 2013, Buzás et al. 2018), with confirmed records from the Arabian Gulf (from small numbers of strandings) and the Gulf of Oman, where it is primarily found up to 8.9 km offshore, but seen at 13.8, 34.5, 44 and 78 km offshore; as a pelagic species, it can be found anywhere within the EEZ (Géczy et al. 2017, Buzás et al. 2018). The depth range is not certain, but likely to be found to c.5 m depth, as this is a surface-dwelling species. Recent museum records are available for the UAE in the Al Mayya Sanctuary, Fujairah.Globally, this species is very widespread in the tropical parts of the Pacific and Indian Oceans between the 18-20'º C isotherms (Dunson and Ehlert 1971, Graham et al. 1971). It is known from the coasts of eastern Africa, north to the Arabian Gulf, east along the Asian coast of the Indian Ocean to the Pacific Ocean, northward to Japan and eastward to the western coasts of the Americas (Culotta and Pickwell 1993, Heatwole 1999). Currents occasionally carry the snakes into temperate waters, but these are almost certainly far from their breeding and feeding waters (Guinea et al. 2017). The species has been reported, from a small number of records, from Atlantic waters (Atlantic coast of Africa and the Caribbean coast of Columbia), which suggests that colonization of the Atlantic Ocean is a possibility (Lillywhite et al. 2018).

Presence of this species is confirmed within the United Arab Emirates marine territorial waters (Soorae et al. 2006, Buzás et al. 2018). It is found in both the Arabian Gulf and in the Gulf of Oman. Breeding is confirmed, as juveniles are found in the waters off the east coast (Géczy et al. 2017, Buzás et al. 2018). On the east coast, it is found up to 8 km offshore (Géczy et al. 2017, Buzás et al. 2018). The depth range is not certain, but likely to be found to c. 45 m depth along the east coast. Museum specimens from Muscat, Oman (Boulenger 1887), Arabian Gulf and Strait of Hormuz (Gasperetti 1988). Recent museum records are available for the UAE in the Al Mayya Sanctuary, Fujairah.Globally, this species is found in the Arabian Gulf, east to Indonesia, China, and Taiwan (Culotta and Pickwell 1993, Heatwole 1999), and south to New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands (Ineich and Rasmussen 1997).

This species is confirmed from United Arab Emirates waters (Soorae et al. 2006, Egan 2007, Gardner 2013, Buzás et al. 2018), where it is found in the Arabian Gulf (stranding records only, including the Dubai coast) and shallow waters in the Gulf of Oman (Buzás et al. 2018). The species appears less common than other sea snakes along the east coast, found up to 7.2 km from the shore (Géczy et al. 2017, Buzás et al. 2018). Recent museum specimens for the UAE are available in the Al Mayya Sanctuary, Fujairah). The first museum specimen in the region was collected from Das Island (Arabian Gulf, UAE) by M.B. Bailey in 1963 (Gasperetii 1988). Museum specimens from Muscat, Oman (Boulenger 1887), Arabian Gulf and Iran (Gasperetti 1988). Globally, this species is found in the Arabian Gulf east to Indonesia, the Philippines, and China, with the range extending south to northern Australia and Papua New Guinea (Culotta and Pickwell 1993); the species is also possibly present in Japan (Rasmussen et al. 2010).

Presence of this species is confirmed within the United Arab Emirates marine territorial waters (Soorae et al. 2006, Castilla et al. 2017, Buzás et al. 2018). On the east coast, this was the least common species found in surveys, only known from one specimen (collected 6.3 km offshore) out of c.250 individuals collected (Géczy et al. 2017, Buzás et al. 2018). On the Arabian Gulf, it is known from a single available stranding record from the Dubai coast (M.A.R. Khan pers. comm. 2018). Recorded from the Arabian Gulf and from the Gulf of Oman (Gasperetti 1988, Rezaie-Atagholipur et al. 2016) including breeding pair photographed (Rezaie-Atagholipur et al. 2016). It is not known from museum records from the UAE. Museum specimens include those from Muscat, Oman (Boulenger 1887), Arabian Gulf and Iran (Gasperetti 1988).Globally, this species is found from the Arabian Gulf of Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka, east to Australia and Papua New Guinea and north to Viet Nam (Culotta and Pickwell 1993, Rasmussen et al. 2010).

Presence of this species is confirmed within the United Arab Emirates marine territorial waters (Egan 2007, Soorae et al. 2006, Buzás et al. 2018). It is found from both the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. On the east coast, it is found up to 3.2-6.5 km (Géczy et al. 2017, Buzás et al. 2018). The depth range is not certain; it is probably a bottom-dwelling species. There is a record from Khor Kalba on the east coast, and recent museum records are available for the UAE in the Al Mayya Sanctuary, Fujairah. Museum specimens from the region are available for Muscat (Oman; Boulenger 1887), Arabian Gulf and Iran (Gasperetti 1988).Globally, this species is found in the Arabian Gulf, east to Indonesia and the Philippines (Culotta and Pickwell 1993, Heatwole 1999). It has also been found in New Caledonia and the Loyalty Islands (Ineich and Rasmussen 1997).

This species has been reported as present within the United Arab Emirates marine territorial waters (Gasperetti 1988, Soorae et al. 2006, Egan 2007, Castilla et al. 2017), however, there are no known confirmed records from UAE waters in the Arabian Gulf. There is a single known museum specimen collected in UAE waters, from near Sir Abu Nu'ayr (Arabian Gulf, Emirate of Abu Dhabi, UAE) by the crew of the HMS Dalrymple (British Royal Navy) around 1963 (Gasperetti 1988), however, the identity of this record requires confirmation. It is possible that the species occurs only in the northern parts of the Arabian Gulf, but Rezaie-Atagholipour et al. (2016) reported no records from Iranian waters. There are no records from the east coast of the UAE (Géczy et al. 2017, Buzás et al. 2018), although the species is recorded from adjacent waters near Muscat in Oman (Rezaie-Atagholipour et al. 2016). The first museum specimen from the region was collected in Muscat, Oman by A.S.G. Jayakar and is the type specimen of the Hydrophis jayakari (Boulenger, 1887), a synonym of H. viperinus.Globally, this species is known from the Arabian Gulf of Pakistan, around India and Sri Lanka, south to Indonesia (including Borneo) and east to Bangladesh, southeast Asia and southern China (Culotta and Pickwell 1993, Heatwole 1999). There are no records from the Philippines (Rasmussen et al. 2010).

Within the United Arab Emirates, this species has been recorded from urban areas of Dubai (Gardner 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press) and Abu Dhabi, where it is considered to be introduced. It occurs from sea level to 100 m asl. This species is native to tropical Asia (possibly Sri Lanka or southern India), but is invasive in many parts of the world and is now known from approximately 84 countries worldwide (Lever 2003, Wallach 2009). This cosmopolitan distribution includes Old World tropical and subtropical regions, with encroachment into the northern Hemisphere of the New World and adjacent temperate areas (Wallach 1999, 2009). It is found at a wide range of elevations.

Within the United Arab Emirates, this species is widespread throughout the sandy deserts from sea level to 300 m asl (Gardner 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press). It is more frequently recorded north of Abu Dhabi through the sandy deserts to Ras al Khaimah.Globally, this species ranges from Egypt, south through Sudan (but apparently absent from South Sudan; Broadley and Wallach 2007), Somalia and Ethiopia to Kenya and northern Tanzania, and east from Israel, Jordan, Syria and southeastern Turkey, through Iran (Khuzestan Province) and Iraq to the Arabian Peninsula, Pakistan and northwestern India. It is not present in Lebanon.

Within the United Arab Emirates, this species is widespread throughout the sandy desert and gravel plains from sea level to 199 m asl. It is generally found in coastal areas and associated with man (Gardner 2013). Isolated records exist of the species at higher elevation from 900 to 1,000 m asl. It is also known from Dalma and Sir Bani Yas islands of the United Arab Emirates (Gardner 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press). Within the UAE, this species also appears to be associated with development and urbanisation in parts of its range.The natural range of this species is not clear since it appears to have been introduced over much of its range (S. Baha El Din pers. comm. 2009). Populations on the African coast have almost certainly been introduced (Largen and Spawls 2010) and the only report from Eritrea is that of von Heyden (1827), so there is considerable doubt about whether the species still persists there. The current global range (Sindaco and Jeremäenko 2008) of this species is from Eritrea, through Sudan (where it was reported from Port Sudan; Loveridge 1947), Egypt (Flower 1933), Israel (introduced to Eilat; Hoofien 1995, Dolev and Perevelotsky 2002, Werner 1987), southwestern and northeastern Jordan (Sindaco et al. 1995, Disi et al. 2001, Disi 2002), eastern Syria (Disi and Böhme 1996, Martens 1997), Turkey (southeast Anatolia only; Baran and Atatür 1998, Sindaco et al. 2000), most of Iraq, western and southwestern Iran (Anderson 1999), northwestern, northern and eastern Saudi Arabia (with isolated central populations), southwestern Yemen, Kuwait, Qatar, northern United Arab Emirates, eastern and southern Oman (van der Kooij 2000, Carranza et al. 2018), eastwards to Afghanistan (Leviton and Anderson 1963), Pakistan (Baig 1998, Baig et al. 2008, Masroor 2009, Rais et al. 2015) and India (Pardeshi et al. 2010, Vyas 2011). It has also been introduced to the USA (Texas) where it is currently believed to be expanding its range. This species can be found from sea level to 1,800 m asl.