The species was recorded for the UAE (as Tribulus bimucronatus var. inermis) by Böer and Chaudhary (1999) from the from the hills near Dibba, and the identity of the record requires confirmation. The global range of this species spans from north Africa (Morocco) and north-east Africa, through to the Arabian Peninsula (Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Qatar and the UAE; Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

The distribution of this species in the UAE is not well known. The synonym Zygophyllum boulosii has been recorded once by B. Böer in the western region of Abu Dhabi (Jongbloed et al. 2003), although Böer and Chaudhary (1999) only mention a record from the east coast. The synonym Tetraena migahidii is locally common in rocky habitats on Jebel Hafeet, especially at higher elevations, as reported by Brown and Sakkir (2004). The global range of this species is from Egypt (Sinai), through the eastern Mediterranean, the Arabian Peninsula (Saudi Arabia only) to Afghanistan and Pakistan (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Within the UAE, two plants have been recorded from both Kalbard and Wadi Hayl (Sharjah Seed Bank and Herbarium pers. comm. 2019). This species has been recorded from Wadi Kitnah (Jongbloed et al. 2003), which is in Oman close to the border with the UAE. Globally, this species is native to the Arabian Peninsula, in addition to from Iran to Pakistan (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

This rare species has been recorded by Jongbloed from the foothills of the Ru'us al-Jibal (Jongbloed et al. 2003) and is considered to be restricted to this area (Feulner 2011). The global distribution of this species is from the north-east and east of tropical Africa, to the Arabian Peninsula, Pakistan and north-west India (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

This species is known from a single record in Wadi Limarit on the eastern slopes of the Hajar Mountains in Fujairah, southeast of Masafi; the locality given in Jongbloed et al. (2003) is incorrect (G.R. Feulner pers. comm. 2019). The distribution in the UAE is certainly under-recorded. Globally, this species has a wide distribution from southern Africa to Nepal (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018). It occurs in adjacent parts of the Hajar Mountains in Oman (Jongbloed et al. 2003).

In the UAE, the species is only known from Liwa (Ramlat al Hamra and Saruq) (Ghazanfar and Osborne 2015). The global distribution of this species ranges from north-east Africa (Ethiopia, Sudan, to eastern Egypt), to the Arabian Peninsula (Yemen, Saudi Arabia, UAE) and southern Israel (Negev, Arava valley) (Ghazanfar and Osborne 2015), and is perhaps also present in Jordan.

In the UAE, this species is found in low-lying saline areas, primarily in Dubai and Sharjah emirates, and to the southwest of Al Ain (Jongbloed et al. 2003). Karim and Dakheel (2006) list occurrence in Ain, Dubai, Sharjah, Dhaid, Jebel al-Dhanna and Umm al-Quwain. It is also recorded from Hatta and Ras al-Khaimah (Sharjah Seed Bank and Herbarium pers. comm. 2019). The species is used as an ornamental plant in gardens and along roadsides. Plants of the World Online (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019) considers this species to be endemic to the Arabian Peninsula, with records from the Gulf States, Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, however the holotype is from Iran (<a href=""https://science.mnhn.fr/institution/mnhn/collection/p/item/p00704167?listIndex=1&listCount=10"">MNHN</a>), with additional records from <a href=""https://science.mnhn.fr/institution/mnhn/collection/p/item/p04958256?listIndex=6&listCount=10"">Egypt </a>and <a href=""https://science.mnhn.fr/institution/mnhn/collection/p/item/p00704170?listIndex=5&listCount=10"">Iraq</a>.

The distribution of this species in the UAE is uncertain due to potential confusion with other members of the genus. The species is absent from Jongbloed et al. (2003), however their record of Reseda arabica from the base of Jebel Hafeet may refer to R. muricata (MEW 2010). Feulner (2016) considered only R. aucheri to be present in Wadi Wurayah National Park. Mahmoud et al. (2018) found the species on gravel plains in their study along the Hajar Mountains in the UAE. Sharjah Seedbank & Herbarium hold a specimen from a garden in Wadi-Al Helo; it is uncertain if this specimen is native or cultivated. The species is native to Egypt and Asia-Temperate (eastern Mediterranean, Iraq and the Arabian Peninsula; Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Within the UAE, this species has been recorded from the base of Jebel Hafeet (Jongbloed et al. 2003). However, this is considered to be an unconfirmed record as the plant may actually have been Reseda muricata (MEW 2010). More recently, around 6 individuals were found to occur in Al Ain, within a wadi at the base of Jebel Hafeet (Sharjah Seed Bank and Herbarium pers. comm. 2019). Globally, the native range of this species spans across northern Africa to the Arabian Peninsula (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

This species has been recorded from scattered locations in the Ru'us al-Jibal (Western 1989, Jongbloed et al. 2003, Feulner 2011). In that area it has been recorded at high elevations up to around 1,500 m (Feulner 2011). It was also recorded as 'rare' in the Al-Ain area (Fawzi and Karim 2007). Although Plants of the World Online lists the UAE as a native country of occurrence for this species (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019), a more detailed distribution of this species within the country is lacking. The species is not recorded from Oman, and the identity of records from the UAE require confirmation (S. Ghazanfar pers. comm. 2019). Globally, the native range of this species extends from Spain across northern Africa to the Arabian Peninsula and Iran (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).