Within the UAE, it has been recorded once (without specific locality details; Jongbloed et al. 2003), however this record needs to be confirmed (MEW 2010). There is a specimen of this species within the Sharjah Museum, although this is believed to have been collected from Oman. The species is not listed for the UAE by Kameswara Rao (2013). Globally, this species is native from the Sahara to southern Africa, in addition to the Arabian Peninsula and India (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Within the UAE, it has been recorded from both Al Ain and Abu Dhabi (Jongbloed et al. 2003). Globally, the native range of this species includes northern Africa, Macaronesia, the Mediterranean and through to Iran, according to Plants of the World online (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019). GRIN (2019) exclude the Arabian Peninsula from the natural range of this species. G.R. Feulner (in litt., MEW 2010) suggests that the species may be a recent introduction to the UAE.

Within the UAE, this species occurs in Ras al-Khaimah, within Wadi Sal, Hatta and Masafi (UAE National Red List Workshop, 15th-19th September 2019, Dubai). Globally, this species occurs from the Sahara to Pakistan (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Within the UAE, it is generally considered to occur within the sandy desert of the country, although, it has also been recorded from the Ru'us al-Jibal (Feulner 2011). Globally, the native range of this species spans from Macaronesia and the Mediterranean to Pakistan (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Within the UAE, this species occurs along the Arabian Gulf coastline to the northwest of the country (Brown et al. 2007) and the east coast, as well as inland at Jebel Hafeet (Jongbloed et al. 2003). However, these records need to be confirmed as the species is easily confused with other similar species, such as Astragalus hamosus and Astragalus biababensis. The native range of this species spans from Algeria to Lebanon, the Arabian Peninsula and on to Iran (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

This species is cited for the UAE by Jongbloed et al. (2003), and has been recorded from Ras al Khaimah and Rams (Jongbloed et al. 2003). S. Sakkir (pers. comm. 2019) recorded the species as being cultivated in Al Ain. The species is considered introduced/cultivated to the UAE by MoCCaE (O. Al Shamsi pers. comm. 2019), and only S. italica is considered native to the UAE by RBG Edinburgh (provisional checklist, A. Forrest pers. comm. 2018). Globally, the native range of this species spans across the Sahara and Sahel to the Indian Subcontinent (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

In the UAE, this species is known from scattered locations on sand and gravel (M. Jongbloed pers. comm. 2019). In particular, it has been recorded from Al Ain, in addition to along the Al Ain to Dubai road. The origin of the species in the UAE requires confirmation, as it may have been introduced to the country for cultivation (MEW 2010). Globally, the native range of this species spans from Northern Africa, the Arabian Peninsula (Saudi Arabia only) to India (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Within the UAE, this species has been recorded from the Ru'us al-Jibal (Jongbloed et al. 2003). It is uncertain as to whether this species should also include records under the name of Roemeria refracta [= Papaver refractum (DC.) K.-F.Günther] within the Ru'us al-Jibal (Feulner 2011). Globally, the native range of this species extends across northern Africa, the Mediterranean, central Asia and Pakistan (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

The presence of this species in the UAE is not yet confirmed, although presence in parts of the Ru'us al-Jibal close to Oman is possible as suitable habitat occurs at similar elevations (G.R. Feulner pers. comm. 2019), and S. Ghazanfar (pers. comm. 2019) reports that there is a specimen at held at RBG Kew from the UAE. Feulner (2011) recorded the species from a site in the Ru'us al-Jibal of Oman (Awshaq basin and As-Sayh/As-Saye plain) to the northeast of the Sahasa plain, on slopes beside the open upper reaches of a wadi below Jebel Harim and Ra's Mintera (G.R. Feulner pers. comm. 2019). Other records found from the area are: (1) Patzelt et al. (2014; rocky limestone plateau; 1,450 m, northern Oman: Musandam, Jebel Harim, Sahil Al Sahosa (Sahasa plain)), and (2) <a href=""http://data.rbge.org.uk/herb/E00903483"">RBGE Herbarium</a> (coll. A. Patzelt, 2014, 1,433 m, silty area on Sahasa plateau, Jebel Harim area). The global range of this species is from Egypt (Sinai), through the Arabian Peninsula (although not recorded for the UAE), to Iran and Pakistan and north to Central Asia (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).

Within the UAE, it has been recorded from the Ru'us al-Jibal (Jongbloed et al. 2003), although this occurrence is now considered uncertain and may refer to one or more other Galium species (Feulner 2011, 2016) and its presence in the country requires confirmation. The species has not been confirmed from Oman, with a record from there requiring confirmation (S. Ghazanfar pers. comm. 2019). Globally, the native range of this species spans across Europe, to the Arabian Peninsula and to the western Himalayas (Board of Trustees, RBG Kew 2019).