This species has a restricted distribution in the UAE, where it is known from two sites in the Hajar Mountains. Feulner and Karki (2009) undertook fieldwork to search for the species in suitable habitat in northern Oman and in the UAE, finding the species at just two sites in the UAE; Wadi Shawka and Wadi Wurayah National Park (a single location above the Wadi Wurayah waterfall; Feulner 2016). G.R. Feulner (pers. comm. 2019) also found the species at Wadi Hala (Ras al Khaimah). Saccharum kajkaiense has also been recorded from a locality south-east of Shawqa (Dave Aplin pers. comm. 2019). Given the records from adjacent parts of Oman to the west, south, and southeast of Hatta (including at Wadi Qahfi, part of the 'Hatta Pools'), the presence of the species in suitable habitat (permanent water) within the UAE around Hatta might be expected, but it was not found during surveys by Feulner and Karki (2009). The species may occur at other sites with permanent water, as it is difficult to identify S. kajkaiense amongst the large background populations of S. griffithii (G.R. Feulner pers. comm. 2019). Based on the four currently known localities, the AOO is 16 km² using a 2x2 km grid, although the actual area where this species occurs is very much less, just a few square meters. It is considered to occur at four threat-based locations. The altitude range in the UAE is c. 200 - 450 m asl, but it is found to above 1,000 m in neighbouring parts of Oman. R.A. Western (<a href=""http://data.rbge.org.uk/herb/E00240941"">RBG Edinburgh Herbarium specimen</a>) collected the species in 1990 from Wadi Rayy in Oman, just south of Hatta in the UAE and Cock (2009) collected the species from east of Hatta (Wadi Qahfi), also in Oman. Feulner and Karki (2009) summarise the known records for the UAE and northern Oman. The global distribution of this species is from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran, to the Arabian Peninsula (Oman and the United Arab Emirates; Cope 2007, Feulner and Karki 2009).

This species is widespread in the Hajar Mountains in suitable habitat (near water in wadis; MEW 2010). It has also been recorded from Abu Dhabi and Al Wagan (A.R. Western, U. Deil and F. Karim; Jongbloed et al. 2003). The species is recorded from Wadi Wurayah (Feulner 2016, Judas 2016). The species is absent or rare in the Ru'us al-Jibal (Feulner 2011). RBG Edinburgh holds specimens from; 1. <a href=""http://data.rbge.org.uk/herb/E00358631"">Wadis around Hatta</a>, (300 m asl), 2. <a href=""http://data.rbge.org.uk/herb/E00358628"">fringing the oasis at Qidfa'</a> (Fujairah), 3. Wadi Ham between Masati and Fujairah, and 4. <a href=""http://data.rbge.org.uk/herb/E00358630"">Abu Dhabi to Al Ain roa</a>d at al Khanza south; this latter record is a long way outside the otherwise known distribution of the species in the UAE, and is discounted here. Globally, this species occurs through the Arabian Peninsula to Iran, the western Himalaya and Bangladesh (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

This species is widespread in the Hajar Mountains (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Al Meharibi et al. 2019). The global distribution of this species is from Socotra to Iran (Kirschner 2002, Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018).

The species is widespread in the Hajar Mountains and the Ru'us al-Jibal, and has also been recorded from Jebel Hafeet (Jongbloed et al. 2003). In the Ru'us al-Jibal, the species occurs at low to moderate elevations (c.150-950 (1,250 m) in the southern and (outside the UAE) eastern Ru'us al-Jibal (Feulner 2011). the species occurs in Wadi Wurayah National Park (WWNP; Feulner 2016). The native range of this species spans across north-east Africa (Somalia) and the Arabian Peninsula (Yemen to the UAE) (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

The draft Red Data Book for UAE plants (MEW 2010) considered this species to be common along the Gulf coast and adjacent salt flats in the sandy deserts in the south of the Emirates. It has also been recorded from Al Ain area. Jongbloed et al. (2003) considered T. nilotica the valid name with T. arabica as a synonym, giving the distribution as along the Arabian Gulf coastline, as well as in sandy desert areas with near-surface brackish water.

This species is widespread along the Arabian Gulf coast all along the UAE (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Al Meharibi et al. 2019), including the coastal white sands at Taweela (Brown et al. 2007). It has also been found well away from the coast in wadis on Jebel Hafeet (Brown et al. 2007). Globally, this species occurs in most of Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia and India (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018).

Within the UAE, this species is recorded from the Ru'us al-Jibal (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Feulner 2011). The species has been widely introduced through cultivation; natural occurrence in the UAE is likely but requires confirmation. Globally, this species spans across Europe and Macaronesia, to north-west India (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

The current presence and origin of this species in the UAE are uncertain. Jongbloed et al. (2003) listed 'Salix cf. acmophylla' and showed a single site in the northern Hajar Mountains in the UAE, based on a record of a solitary plant in a wadi bed plantation near Al-Ghail (G.R. Feulner, in litt, MEW 2010), but that plant was not found on a return visit to the area a number of years later (G.R. Feulner pers. comm. 2019). Feulner (2001) and Jongbloed et al. (2003) reported two sites with small stands of S. acmophylla in wadis in Wilayat Mahdhah, Oman, adjacent to the UAE border north of Buraimi. Feulner (pers. comm. 2019) noted that all records from northern Oman and the UAE are from agricultural or peri-agricultural areas. This species occurs mainly in the Middle East, from Sinai and Turkey east through Iran and Iraq to Pakistan, Afghanistan, and India, with a few scattered population in the Arabian Peninsula (Nasir and Ali 1980-2005). In the Arabian Peninsula, this species is known from north-west and the east of Saudi Arabia (Chaudhary 2001) and Oman (Miller and Cope 1996).

Within the UAE, it is widespread throughout oases in the Hajar Mountains, specifically in the Masafi area (MEW 2010), in addition to occurring in urban areas (Jongbloed et al. 2003). Globally, the native range of this species spans from northern Africa and the Mediterranean to central Asia and the Indian subcontinent (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Within the UAE, this species occurs along the coast line and has been specifically recorded from Abu Dhabi (Qureshi 2017). It is also known to occur on offshore islands within the UAE (S. Sakkir pers. comm. 2019). Globally, the native range of this species spans from northern Africa to Greece, the Arabian Peninsula, Central Asia and through to southwest Siberia (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).