Within the United Arab Emirates, the species is common across its range in sandy soils, from the west, east to the Hajar Mountains. It is absent from the Hajar Mountains, with isolated records along the east coast of the United Arab Emirates (Gardner 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press). The species occurs from sea level to 300 m asl.Globally, this species is found from the Arabian Peninsula to Iran, where it has been recorded from Khuzistan, Bushehr, and Kerman (west of Sirjan) provinces, and is probably present in all active dunes within this area (Latifi 1991, S.C. Anderson and T. Papenfuss pers. comm. 2008).

This is a common and widespread lizard species in the United Arab Emirates, found on sandsheets, dunes or sandy plains (Gardner 2013) from Abu Dhabi to Ras al Khaimah (Burriel-Carranza et al. in press). Absent from the Hajar Mountains and from the east coast. In the United Arab Emirates, the species occurs from sea level to 270 m asl.Globally this species ranges from southeastern Jordan into the Arabian Peninsula, including much of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman (except the mountainous areas and the Sharqiyah sands, where an endemic species, P. sakoi, occurs) and Iran (known only from the Mesopotamian Plain in the vicinity of Ahvaz). It is not known from Iraq. It occurs from sea level to around 1,000 m asl.

Within the United Arab Emirates, this species occurs in the coastal desert areas from the Sila area to Dubai, with a few records inland in Abu Dhabi Emirate (Gardner 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press). It is frequently encountered at elevations from sea level to 100 m asl, occasionally above 100 m to 200 m asl.Globally, this species range includes eastern Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen, southeastern Jordan (Baker et al. 2005), Iran (Anderson 1999), southern Afghanistan, southwestern Pakistan and Turkmenistan (Arnold 1986, Sindaco and Jeremäenko 2008). Globally, it occurs at elevations from sea level to 3,000 m asl.

Within the United Arab Emirates, the species is widespread along the coastal areas of the Arabian Gulf (Gardner 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press) from Dubai westwards to the Saudi Arabian border. It has been recorded from the Gulf islands: Abu al Abyad, Al Aryam, Al Yasat North, Arzanah, Dalma, Ghasha, Jenanah, Marawah, Muhayyamat South, Reem, Sir Bani Yas, Umm al Hate, Umm al Qassar, Umm Kirkum, Ushsh and Zirku (Gardner 2013). There are older records (Sharjah Creek, 1970s; Arnold 1984) from Sharjah, but it is unlikely that the species persists there. The species occurs from sea level to 200 m asl. Globally, the species distribution range includes the United Arab Emirates, southeastern Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and southwestern and southern Iran (Å míd et al 2017).

Within the United Arab Emirates, this species is widespread, including on the offshore islands from sea level to 500 m asl (Leptien 1993, Gardner 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press).Globally (Sindaco and Jeremäenko 2008), this species ranges from the Arava Valley in southern Israel, through Jordan (Amr et al. 1994, Disi 2002, Disi et al. 2001, 2004), northeastern Syria (Martens 1997, Disi and Böhme 1996), to Iraq, Iran (Anderson 1999; although it is not clear whether it reaches higher elevations of the Zagros Mountains) and Central Asia (Khan 2002, 2006), and south to the Arabian Peninsula (Arnold 1980, van der Kooij 2000), where it is widespread. It occurs from the lowlands up to 2,100 m asl (Afghanistan), however, in most of its range it appears to occur at lower elevations.

Within the United Arab Emirates, the species is widespread throughout the sandy deserts and mountains areas from sea level to 1,000 m asl (Gardner 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press). It is also recorded from Sir Abu Nu'ayer and Sir Bani Yas islands (J. Els and A.S. Gardner pers. comm. 2018).This is a widespread desert species that ranges from Western Sahara, Morocco and Mauritania eastwards through northern Africa to Egypt, Sudan and Eritrea, with a southern range limit in northeast Ethiopia and northern Somalia (Largen and Rasmussen 1993, Largen 1997, Gonçalves et al. 2018).

Within the United Arab Emirates, this species occurs along coastal areas from Umm Al Quwain to As Sila, including Abu Al Abyadh Island (Gardner 2013). Further inland, it has been recorded in the Al Khatim area and towards Um az Zumul on saline plains and sabkhas (Gardner 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press). It occurs from sea level to 200 m asl.This species has been recorded throughout the Arabian Peninsula (Arnold 1977, 1980; Metallinou et al. 2014), and is also known from four specimens collected on Qeshm Island (Iran) in the Arabian Gulf (Dakhteh et al. 2007).

Within the United Arab Emirates, this species is widespread throughout the sandy areas from western Abu Dhabi to Ras Al Khaimah (Arnold 1984, Gardener 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press). It occurs from sea level to 400 m asl. Globally, this species ranges from southern and eastern Jordan and southeastern Iraq and southwestern Iran (Khuzestan and Fars Provinces), into the Arabian Peninsula (Sindaco and Jeremäenko 2008). It has been recorded from lowland areas in Iran, possibly below 200 m asl, it can be found up to 1,000 m asl (Saudi Arabia).

Within the United Arab Emirates, this species is found throughout the sand deserts from Ras Al Khaimah in the south, and west to the Saudi Arabia and Oman borders (Gardner 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press). It occurs from sea level to 400 m asl. The global distribution of this species ranges from southwestern Israel and southern and eastern Jordan, south into the Arabian Peninsula, and east into Iraq, southwestern Iran (Fars and Kerman Provinces and the lower Mesopotamian Plain; Anderson 1999, Metallinou et al. 2014). It occurs from sea level up to 1,000 m asl.

Within the United Arab Emirates, this species is widespread in the sandy deserts, gravel plains and in the mountainous regions at lower elevations, and is also found on many of the islands (Gardner 2013, Burriel-Carranza et al. in press). It occurs from sea level to 500 m asl. It is frequently encountered in urban and disturbed environments. The species is considered native to the Arabian Peninsula.This species is distributed (Carranza and Arnold 2006, Sindaco and Jeremäenko 2008) through Somalia (where it is found in nearly all regions; Lanza 1990), in Eritrea and Djibouti (Ineich 2001), along the Red Sea coast of Sudan and southern Egypt (north to Quseir; Baha El Din 2001), much of the Arabian Peninsula (and also on Socotra Island) (Cogä'lniceanu et al. 2013), east to Iran (Anderson 1999) and Pakistan (Baha El Din 2005). It is a coastal species generally found at or close to sea level, however, inland records exist for Ethiopia and extreme northeastern Kenya (Spawls et al. 2002, Largen and Spawls 2006, 2010). It has possibly been introduced to some of the port cities of Iran and Pakistan (T. Papenfuss pers. comm. 2008). It is found in coastal areas around the Red Sea, Hadhramaut (Yemen; Šmíd et al. 2015), and the southern Arabian littoral zone as far as the eastern United Arab Emirates, southern Iran and Pakistan (Arnold 1980). A record from Zanzibar represents an introduced population of Hemidactylus puccionii.