Jongbloed et al. (2003) gave the distribution of this species (as the synonym Verbascum cedreti) as the southern parts of the Hajar Mountains in the UAE. The draft Red Data Book for the UAE flora (MEW 2010) considered the species to be widespread in the Hajar Mountains, however G.R. Feulner (in litt, MEW 2010) commented that he has only seen the species associated with cultivation. Most of his observations come from plantations in the Mahdah area of Oman, where there is more water. Mahmoud et al. (2018) found the species only once in their study of dams and water breakers along the western slopes of the Hajar Mountains. Sharjah Seedbank & Herbarium hold a specimen from north of Al Shwaib, Abu Dhabi Emirate. <a href=""http://data.rbge.org.uk/herb/E00066936"">RBG Edinburgh Herbarium</a> hold a specimen of Verbascum omanense Hub.-Mor., which MEW (2010) considered a synonym of V. sinaiticum, from Wadi Jeema, Hatta town. However, this synonym requires confirmation and it is not currently accepted by Plants of the World Online (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019). The native range is given as from north-east Africa (Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia), to Egypt (Sinai mountains) and the eastern Mediterranean, eastwards through Iran to Afghanistan, but excluding the UAE (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

This species was first recorded for the UAE from Wadi Beh (Bih) by Böer and Chaudhary (1999). Later recorded (as Umbilicus horizontalis var. intermedius) in the UAE from the Ru'us al Jibal, Sha'am (Ras al-Khaimah) and Masafi (Jongbloed et al. 2003). Feulner (2011) recorded the species in the Ru'us al-Jibal from 500 m to at least 1,750 m asl and commented that the species is restricted in the UAE to the Ru'us al Jibal and Masafi, being either rare or absent from the Hajar Mountains to the south. This species has a Mediterranean distribution, present in southern Europe and North Africa, extending east to the Arabian Peninsula (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

The species is found along the northern Gulf coast; in plantations, gardens, and by roadsides (MEW 2010). RBG Edinburgh Herbarium holds specimens from; 1. <a href=""http://data.rbge.org.uk/herb/E00358081"">Khor Fakkan</a> (Fujairah) in sandy soil, c. 1 km from coast; 2. <a href=""http://data.rbge.org.uk/herb/E00358082"">3 km north of Shwayb</a>, in fixed dunes, and 3. <a href=""http://data.rbge.org.uk/herb/E00358092"">Kalba date gardens</a>, 1 km west of Kalba, in a shallow archaeological pit in sandy soil within a former agricultural field. Feulner (2011) did not record the species from UAE parts of the Ru'us al-Jibal. The species has a wide native distribution, from much of Africa, through the Arabian Peninsula to Pakistan, and from China (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019). It has been very widely introduced throughout the Americas. It is considered introduced and naturalised in Taiwan (Jung and Cheng 2016), and the origin of the species in mainland China perhaps requires confirmation.

Within the UAE, it occurs along the coast of Abu Dhabi and Dubai emirates (Jongbloed et al. 2003, MEW 2010). The species occurs throughout Oman from near sea-level to c.200 m (Ghazanfar 2015). The native range of this species encompasses the Arabian Peninsula, Iran and Pakistan (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Within the UAE, it has been recorded from Jebel Hafeet and within the Ru'us al-Jibal (Stuart and Stuart 1998, Jongbloed et al. 2003; Feulner 2011, 2016). The species is described as widespread within the Hajar Mountains (Stuart and Stuart 1998, Jongbloed et al. 2003). The species is common in adjacent parts (mountains and coastal wadis) of northern Oman (Ghazanfar 2015). Globally, the native range of this species encompasses coastal Somalia, the southern Arabian Peninsula, Pakistan and India (Board of Trustees RBG Kew 2019, Ghazanfar 2015).

Within the UAE this species is widespread, generally present in coastal areas (Böer and Griggs 1994, Jongbloed et al. 2003, Böer and Saenger 2006, Perry 2008). It used to be common around Abu Dhabi Island, however much of its suitable habitat here was destroyed (Western 1992). Some inland localities remain, such as at Al Ain, in addition to some offshore islands (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Sakkir et al. 2017). This species is native to Europe, Africa and temperate Asia (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Within the UAE, this species is fairly widespread, having been specifically recorded from Fujairah, Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Ajman (Karim and Dakheel 2006). This species is native to north-east Africa, through to the Arabian Peninsula and Iran (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Within the UAE, this species has been recorded from Abu Dhabi and Dubai emirates (Jongbloed et al. 2003) and along the gulf coast (MEW 2010). The species has also been recorded from north of Shwayb (<a href=""http://data.rbge.org.uk/herb/E00398802"">RBG Edinburgh Herbarium; 325 m, c. 45 km north of Al Ain</a>). This species is restricted to Socotra and the Arabian Peninsula (Gulf States, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and Yemen) (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018).

This species is widespread throughout the UAE except in mountainous areas (Jongbloed et al. 2003, Al Meharibi et al. 2019). Jongbloed et al. (2003) considered the species to occur on offshore islands (Jongbloed et al. 2003), including Abu Dhabi Island (Western 1982, 1983), although the recent map of Al Meharibi et al. (2019) show it to be absent from the islands, as well as from some coastal areas in Abu Dhabi Emirate. The species is also recorded for Wadi Wurayah National Park (Feulner 2016, Judas 2016), although Feulner comments that it is known from a single site at the waterfall and is likely to be of anthropogenic origin here. Globally, this species occurs widely across Africa, in the Arabian Peninsula and in India (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2018).

Jongbloed et al. (2003) considered this species to be widespread through the Hajar Mountains and along the east coast of the UAE, with scattered occurrences along the Arabian Gulf coast (Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah), as well as inland. In the Ru'us al-Jibal, the species is occasional (Feulner 2011), and the species occurs on the offshore islands of Abu Dhabi Emirate (Sakkir et al. 2017). The species has been recorded from Jebel Hafeet, but considered to be introduced there associated with increased urbanisation (Sakkir and Brown 2014). MEW (2010) considered the species to be common and widespread in wadis and urban areas, in moist locations. This species is widespread globally, and considered native across large parts of Europe, Asia and northern parts of Africa, whilst introduced to the Americas, Australasia, and South Africa (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019). However, the origin of the species is unclear as a result of widespread and historical cultivation, and DEEDI (2019) considers the species native to northwestern Africa (i.e. Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia), Europe, western and central Asia (i.e. Afghanistan, Iran, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, western Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan), China, and the Indian Sub-continent (i.e. northern India, Nepal and Pakistan), introduced and naturalised elsewhere. GRIN (2019) also exclude the Arabian Peninsula from the native distribution of the species.