Within the UAE, this species is thought to occur along a specific stretch of the Arabian Gulf Coast, between Abu Dhabi island and Ras al-Khaimah (Brown et al. 2007). It was also recently reported from Jebel Hafeet (Sakkir and Brown 2014) and is considered to grow within the non-saline coralline sands which stretch northeast of Taweela and into the Ras al-Khaimah (G. Brown pers. comm. 2019). Globally, the native range of this species spans from northern Africa to the Arabian Peninsula (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

In the UAE, this species is distributed along the north-eastern coast (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Al Mehairbi et al. 2019), probably including the Wadi Wurayah National Park (Feulner 2016), as well as Al Ain and just south of the Dubai-Abu Dhabi border near the coast (Jongbloed et al. 2003). It has also recently been recorded from Jebel Hafeet (Sakkir and Brown 2014). Al Mehairbi et al. (2019) also record the species from the Ru's al-Jibal, although the species is absent from Feulner (2011). Globally this species occurs in the north and east Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Iran, Pakistan, India and Thailand (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018).

This species is widespread across northern parts of the UAE (Jongbloed et al. 2003). It is known from the Ru'us al-Jibal (Feulner 2011) and in Wadi Wurayah National Park (Feulner 2016). G.R. Feulner (in lit., MEW 2010) comments that this species is difficult to distinguish in the wild and that it has been widely cultivated as a landscape plant. Al Mehairbi et al. (2019) show it to be absent from parts of the western coast of Abu Dhabi Emirate. Globally, this species occurs in North and East Africa, the Arabian Peninsula, Central Asia, India and Thailand (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018).

This species seems to be recently recorded for the UAE and appears to be scattered and widespread throughout the country. Sakkir et al. (2017) note that the species is known from offshore islands in Abu Dhabi Emirate, but without details. Mahmoud et al. (2018) recorded the species from eastern parts of the UAE, again without locality details. The native range of this species spans from north-east tropical Africa, through the Arabian Peninsula, to southern Iran and south-central China, Southeast Asia, and Japan (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Within the UAE, it is known to be widespread across the Hajar Mountains and within the Ru'us al-Jibal (Jongbloed et al. 2003). It seems to grow between low to medium elevations and has been recorded up to 1250 m in the Ru'us al-Jibal (Feulner 2011). Globally, this species is native to the Gulf States and Oman (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

In the UAE, this species is restricted to the Ru'us al-Jibal, where it is widespread but uncommon to rare at medium to high elevations, primarily from c.500 m asl (Feulner 2011). The global range of this species is through the eastern Arabian Peninsula (Oman to Qatar; Plants of the World online, Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Within the UAE, this species has been recorded from the Hajar Mountains, the Ru'us al-Jibal and Jebel Hafeet (Jongbloed et al. 2003). It is generally considered to occur at low elevations (Feulner 2011). Globally, the native range of this species spans from Sinai to India (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

In the UAE, this species is common in the Ru'us al-Jibal to c. 1,900 m asl (Feulner 2011, Rothfels et al. 2012). There are scattered records to the south from the Hajar Mountains, including a record from the upper part of Wadi Siji in the Wadi Wurayah National Park buffer zone (WWNP; Feulner 2016). D. Aplin (pers. comm. 2020) found a new southern record for the species in the UAE, from Ra's al Khaimah, west of Al Hayl. Rothfels et al. (2012) record numerous records of the species from adjacent parts of the Musandam Peninsula. Globally, this is a mostly Mediterranean species, extending from Cape Verde across North Africa and southern Europe to Greece, through the Arabian Peninsula, along the northern Black Sea coast and into Kazakhstan and northern India.

In the UAE, this species is widespread in the Ru'us al-Jibal (Feulner 2011), with an additional record from Ras al-Khaimah Emirate (Diftah, southeast of Masafi), on a steep northwest-facing jebel slope above a steep-walled wadi (Rothfels et al. 2012). The species is generally considered to grow at high altitudes (Jongbloed et al. 2003). The species occurs in adjacent parts of the mountains in Oman, e.g., on Jebel Ghaweel, along the border north of Al Ain (G.R. Feulner pers. comm. 2019). Globally, the native range of this species includes Mediterranean parts of Europe and North Africa to the Arabian Peninsula and Iraq (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018).

Within the UAE, this species is known to occur in east coast plantations in addition to Masafi, Khatt and Wadi Hiluw in the north and the north-east of the UAE (Jongbloed et al. 2003). Globally, this species is native to Africa, western Asia, the Arabian Peninsula and India (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).