This species was first recorded for the UAE in 1996 from cliffs on Jebel Qitab at c. 1,000 m asl (Feulner 1997) and this remains the single known site for the species in the UAE. The species is locally common at a small number of localities above c. 800 m elsewhere in Hajar Mountains in Oman (including Jebel Akhdar and Jebel Ghaweel; Feulner 1997). It is absent from the Ru'us al-Jibal in the UAE (Feulner 2011). The species has an EOO and an AOO of less than 20 km². Jongbloed et al. (2003) show the species in the Wadi Khabb Shamsi gorge, in Oman. The native range of this species is from southern Africa, through the Arabian Peninsula, to northwestern India (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

In the UAE, this species is restricted to the Hajar Mountains (Jongbloed et al. 2003), where it is widespread but uncommon (Feulner 2016), the Ru'us al-Jibal (Feulner 2011), and Jebel Hafeet (coll. <a href=""http://purl.oclc.org/net/edu.harvard.huh/guid/uuid/8111c8f6-4643-4c41-9e0e-40a4af264402"">W. Thesiger, 1948</a>; Wadi Tarabat; Fawzi and Ksiksi 2012). In the Ru'us al-Jibal, the species is occasional, from c. 800 to 1,250 m asl (Feulner 2011). The species is absent from Wadi Wurayah National Park (WWNP) according to Feulner (2016; only found in the upper parts of Wadi Siji) but was reported for the protected area by Judas (2016). The species has also been recorded (Sharjah Seedbank & Herbarium) from Fili on the Sharjah-Kalba Road (Sharjah) and from the coast in Ras Al Khaimah, however both these records are excluded as outside the natural range of the species in the UAE. The global range of this species is from north-east Africa, through the Arabian Peninsula to southern Iran and Pakistan (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

In the UAE, this species is found along the Gulf coast, including Ras al-Khiamah (Jongbloed et al. 2003, MEW 2010) although Hornby (2005), who previously found the species at Taweela, considered it to be a ""very thinly spread"" species. The estimated EOO of E. jugatum is 779 km² and is considered to occur at three locations based on ongoing degradation and development. The global range of this species is through the Arabian Peninsula from sea level to 200 m asl in Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman (Långström 2002), and Saudi Arabia (Norton et al. 2009).

In the UAE, this species is restricted to the southern Hajar Mountains, from the Fujairah area (G.R. Feulner in lit. in MEW 2010) and the 'Olive Highlands' to Jebel Hafeet (M. Jongbloed in Jongbloed et al. 2003, Feulner 2014). The species occurs in Wadi Helo (El-Keblawy et al. 2016), and has been recorded from Jabal Sahab, olive wadi (Wadi Sfai; M. Tsaliki pers. comm. 2019). This species is endemic to the Arabian Peninsula, where it is found from eastern central Yemen to Oman (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019) and the eastern UAE.

Within the UAE, it has been recorded from the Hajar Mountains (Jongbloed et al. 2003). Globally, this species occurs from the eastern Mediterranean to Iran (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

There is only one record of this species which is from Wadi Farfar (Jongbloed et al. 2003) in the northeast of the UAE. In Africa, this species ranges from South Africa to south-western Ethiopia and through the Arabian Peninsula. It has also been recorded from India and Sri Lanka (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018). GRIN (2019) only lists its occurrence within Yemen in the Arabian Peninsula.

In the UAE, this species occurs in the Hajar Mountains (Jongbloed et al. 2003), the Ru'us al-Jibal mountains, the Wadi Wurayah National Park, and in the Olive Highlands (Feulner 2011, 2016). It has been recorded at altitudes up to 1,900 m (Feulner 2011). The estimated extent of occurrence (EOO) of this species is 5,714 km². Individual records include the upper parts of Wadi Sfai (M. Tsaliki pers. comm. 2019). It has also been recorded from Jebel Hafeet and from the Al Ain area. Globally, this species occurs in the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Pakistan and India (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018).

Desmidorchis flava occurs in Wadi Farfar, Wadi Sfai and Wadi Sahm (Olive Highlands) within the Hajar Mountains (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Feulner 2014, D. Aplin pers. comm. 2019). The estimated extent of occurrence (EOO) for this species 261 km². It is also known from Jebel Ghaweel in Oman. Globally this species occurs in Yemen, Oman, the UAE and Qatar (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018).

This species occurs among rocks in the Hajar Mountains including the Wadi Wurayah National Park (Feulner 2016) and the Ru'us al-Jibal (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Feulner 2011, Gairola et al. 2017). It is considered to be widespread within this area (Feulner 2011). Typically, this species can be encountered at moderate elevations (Feulner 2011). Globally, this species occurs on the Arabian Peninsula (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018).

This species occurs in the East of the country, especially on alluvial plains of the southern Hajar mountains (Jongbloed et al. 2003). It has been recorded in the Wadi Wurayah National Park (Feulner 2016) and also once in Ru'us al-Jibal mountains (Feulner 2011). Globally, this species occurs in the Middle East, Central Asia and India (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).