Within the UAE, this species is widespread throughout the Hajar Mountains (Jongbloed et al. 2003). The species also occurs on Jebel Hafeet (<a href=""https://data.rbge.org.uk/search/herbarium/?specimen_num=416878&cfg=zoom.cfg&filename=E00375048.zip"">RBGE, coll. R. Western 1982</a>, <a href=""https://data.rbge.org.uk/search/herbarium/?specimen_num=83937&cfg=zoom.cfg&filename=E00076673.zip"">RBGE J.N.B. Brown 1983</a>, Fawzi and Ksiksi 2012) and is present within Wadi Wurayah National Park (WWNP; Feulner 2016). Additional RBGE Herbarium records for the UAE are from Wadi Assima, Dibba Plain (west of Dibba town), and the mountains near Masafi. The species occurs rarely in the Ru'us al-Jibal, known from three scattered localities from 450-1,100 m asl, however it is not known if these are within the UAE (Feulner 2011). The global range of this species is through the Arabian Peninsula to Iran and Pakistan (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

In the UAE, this species occurs in the Hajar Mountains to the Ru'us al-Jibal (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Feulner 2011). Globally, the species ranges from the Arabian Peninsula to Afghanistan and Pakistan, north to Central Asia (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

In the UAE, the species is found in scattered localities, primarily along the Arabian Gulf coast (Western 1983), including some near-shore islands, from Tarif west to Ghantoot, with further scattered records from Al Ain, Hatta, and along the east coast plain (Jongbloed et al. 2003, MEW 2010, Feulner 2016). Feulner (2011) recorded the species from Wadi al-Qaliddi in the south-west of the Ru'us al-Jibal, below 500 m asl. The global range of this species is across northern parts of Africa, through the Arabian Peninsula, and east to India (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

In the UAE, the species occurs in the Hajar Mountains and the Ru'us al-Jibal as well as on some offshore islands (Western 1994, Jongbloed et al. 2003), on Jebel Dhanna (Western 1983), and on Jebel Hafeet (Western 1994). The species is common in the Ru'us al-Jibal up to c. 1,000 m asl (Feulner 2011). It is possible that some occurrences are the result of cultivation. Globally, the species occurs around much of the Mediterranean basin, through the Arabian Peninsula (but excluding the UAE), and parts of Central Asia (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

This species is widespread in the Hajar Mountains in the eastern UAE (Jongbloed et al. 2003) and present in the Ru'us al-Jibal (Feulner 2011), and occurs along ridgetops in the 'Olive Highlands' (Feulner 2014). It is present in Wadi Wurayah National Park (Feulner 2016). Globally, this species is considered native to north-east Africa and the Arabian Peninsula (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019). However, Plants of the World Online does not list the UAE as native country of occurrence for this species.

Within the UAE, it has only been recorded from Jebel Fayyah (Jongbloed et al. 2003) and associated ridges. Globally, this species' native range spans across the tropical and subtropical Old World (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

The distribution of this species within the UAE is not well understood. Jongbloed et al. (2003) recorded it from one locality at Qarn Nazwa, and D. Aplin (pers. comm. 2019) recorded the species (i.d. S. Neale RBGE) from the upper parts of Wadi Sahm (Fujairah) at c.600 m elevation. G.R. Brown has seen the species only once, and considers the species to be restricted to limestone areas in the east of the UAE. There is possible confusion and taxonomic uncertainty between this species and other members of the group. Globally, the native range of this species spans from Tanzania to the Sahara and to Pakistan (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

The identity of records of this species in the UAE are uncertain and its distribution is not known. Jongbloed et al. (2003) refer to the species without locality data. R.A. Western (<a href=""http://data.rbge.org.uk/herb/E00558683"">RBGE Herbarium</a>) collected the species from a plantation near Al Ain and commented that the species is ""common throughout country, even on Abu Dhabi Island."" S. Ghazanfar (pers. comm. 2019) considers it to be a synonym of Heliotropium bacciferum. The global range of this species is across northern Africa, through the Arabian Peninsula (including the UAE), to Iran and Central Asia (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

The species is common and widespread along coasts in the UAE, but also found inland, although absent from deeper and mobile sandy areas and from steeper and higher mountains.The species is endemic to the Arabian Peninsula (Oman to Qatar; Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019). The species is also reported for Bahrain, and likely also occurs in Saudi Arabia.

This species is widespread in the sandy desert region of the UAE (Jongbloed et al. 2003), including Jebel Hafeet (Sakkir and Brown 2014). Globally, the species is native to northern Africa and Asia-Temperate (Arabian Peninsula, Afghanistan) (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).