The presence and distribution of this species in the UAE is uncertain, in part as a result of previous nomenclatural confusion with other species of the genus, and the draft Red Data Book for the UAE considered it to refer to a misidentified record (MEW 2010). The species was not formally mentioned by Jongbloed et al. (2003), but is thought to be widespread in the Hajar Mountains and occurs on Jebel Hafeet (M. Jongbloed pers. comm. 2019). The species occurs in Saudi Arabia, southern Yemen, Egypt, Palestine, Israel, Syria and Jordan (Chamberlain and Lamond 1996). Chamberlain and Lamond (1996) consider the species to not occur in the UAE, having a disjunct distribution in the Arabian Peninsula, restricted to north-west Saudi Arabia and the Hadramaut in Yemen. Plants of the World Online (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019) give a broader distribution, from Libya to Syria, and throughout the entire Arabian Peninsula.

The species is widespread in the sandy desert of the northern Emirates (Jongbloed et al. 2003). <a href=""https://data.rbge.org.uk/search/herbarium/?family=&genus=Cleome&species=amblyocarpa&coll_name=&coll_num=&barcode=&country_name=United+Arab+Emirates&region=&major_taxon=&cfg=vherb.cfg&keywords="">RBGE Herbarium specimens</a> include Jebel Qarn Nazwa, plains around Shwayb, the road between Al Ain and Ayn Al-Faidah, plain to the east of Jebel Faiya (Sharjah), and the Al Ain suburbs. The global range of this species is across northern Africa, through the Arabian Peninsula, to Iran (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Within the UAE, this species is known from scattered locations in the Hajar Mountains, and from the Ru'us al-Jibal, where it is more widespread (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Feulner 2011). The species is found on coastal cliffs and in wadis of the Ru'us al-Jibal, as well as on other carbonate massifs such as Jebel Hafeet (G.R. Feulner, in lit, MEW 2010) and Jebel Maleihah (Feulner 2011). In the Ru'us al-Jibal, Feulner (2011) reported the species from 5 m - 1,000 m asl. Brown and Sakkir (2004) report the species from offshore islands in Abu Dhabi Emirate without specific details. The native range of this species is in Africa from Egypt south to Tanzania, through the Arabian Pen, West Asia to India, and the western Indian Ocean (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Within the UAE, this species has been recorded from Khor Fakkan and Bitnah (Jongbloed et al. 2003) on the east coast. M.R.K. Khan and G.R. Feulner have not seen the species in the UAE (pers. comm. 2019). Globally, this species is native to Europe, Africa, tropical Asia and temperate Asia (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

In the UAE, this species is known from two locations in the Ru'us al-Jibal; one at c. 1,000 m elevation near cultivation on 'Fine Peak plateau"", an area on Yabana ridge, downhill and west from Jebel Yabana (Feulner 2007, 2011, G.R. Feulner pers. comm. 2019), and a second to the south, near Wadi Beh (G.R. Feulner pers. comm. 2019). The EOO is less than 40 km² and the AOO is 8 km². The global range of this species is across north-east Africa, through the northern Arabian Peninsula (Saudi Arabia and Kuwait) to Iran and Central Asia (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

This species is widespread throughout the Hajar Mountains and Ru'us al-Jibal (Jongbloed et al. 2003, MEW 2010). It is found at altitudes between sea level and c. 700 m (Feulner 2011), and up to 1,000 m (M. Tsaliki pers. comm. 2019). It also occurs, introduced, in plantations. Its native range is from Cape Verde to northwest India (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Within the UAE, this species has been recorded from Kutwah, Wadi Diftah and the Ru'us al-Jibal (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Feulner 2011). In the Ru'us al-Jibal, it is recorded up to at least 1,350 m in altitude (Feulner 2011). Globally, the native range of this species spans across western Europe and the Mediterranean, including Pakistan (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019). The species has been very widely introduced globally, and is sometimes considered a weed. The species may well be native to the UAE, but given its wide use as a medicinal plant, introduction is possible.

In the UAE, the species has been recorded from Fujairah Emirate (between Khatt and Dibba; <a href=""http://data.rbge.org.uk/herb/E00621079"">RBGE Herbarium</a>, coll. R.A. Western, 1982) and from Abu Dhabi Emirate (Abu Dhabi Island; Al Khubairat and Al Manhal c.1 km from coast; <a href=""http://data.rbge.org.uk/herb/E00621058"">RBGE Herbarium</a>, coll. R.A. Western, 1982). RBG Kew also hold a record from Sharjah city (a disturbed area, where the plants grow at the bases of irrigated ornamental trees), which it is potentially introduced. Another record in this area was reported in 2019 (Dave Aplin pers. comm. 2019). The global range of this species is throughout much of the Old World, including the Arabian Peninsula, and it has been widely introduced elsewhere (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

In the UAE, the species is recorded from the Ru'us al-Jibal (Jongbloed et al. 2003), where it is occasional between c.500-1,600 m asl, and also present, more rarely, in the Hajar Mountains immediately to south (Feulner 2011). Records include Jebel Jais (Ras Al Khaimah), Wadi Al Hilo (Fujairah; origin uncertain; Sharjah Seedbank & Herbarium), and from the Al Ain area (origin uncertain; Sajjad et al. 2017). The species is reportedly common in the northern Oman foothills (Ghazanfar 1992). This species is listed as an introduced landscape plant by MoCCaE (O. Al Shamsi pers. comm. 2018). The UAE native plant working group considered the species to be native to the UAE, and it is retained here on that basis. The species is native across north-east Africa, extending southwards into Somalia and Kenya, westwards to Senegal, across the Middle East, and as far eastwards as northern Pakistan and northern India (Samuels 2012).

In the UAE, this species is common throughout the mountains and associated gravel plains, sand sheets, and in wadis of the northern emirates (G.R. Feulner, in litt, MEW 2010). In addition to the broad distribution shown by Jongbloed et al. (2003), Karim and Dakheel (2006) record presence to the west at Dhaid, Tarif and Giathy. The species has only one historical record in Wadi Wurayah National Park (Feulner 2011) The native range of this species is from southern Europe (Sicily and Crete), to Egypt to southern Africa, and east through the Arabian Peninsula to western India (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).