**Background:** The COVID-19 pandemic has had widespread psychosocial impacts globally, but limited evidence existed on its mental health effects in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) population. This study aimed to identify factors associated with psychological distress, fear of COVID-19, and coping strategies among community members across the UAE.
**Methods:** A cross-sectional online survey was conducted across the UAE during November 2020 as part of a global 17-country study. Adults aged ≥18 years living in the UAE who could respond in English or Arabic were eligible. Snowball sampling was used via social media platforms (WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) and email databases of participating universities and hospitals. The target sample size was 384 (calculated using OpenEpi assuming population size 10,069,862, 50% prevalence of stress, 95% confidence intervals, 80% power). Standard validated tools were used: Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K10) for psychological distress, Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S) for fear, and Brief Resilient Coping Scale (BRCS) for coping. Logistic regression analyses were performed, with multivariate analyses adjusting for age, gender, smoking, alcohol intake, living status, place of birth, education, employment status, employment stress, healthcare worker status, perceived financial impact, contact with COVID-19 cases, COVID-19-related experiences, and patient status. Ethics approval was obtained from Abu Dhabi University Institutional Research Board (Ref: CoHS–20-10-00024).
**Key Results:** A total of 417 individuals participated (70% responded in English). Mean age was 29 (±10.7) years; 70.5% were female; 60.9% were aged 18–29 years; 91.4% lived with family; 57.6% had at least a bachelor's degree; 43.6% were born in the UAE. More than half (55%) experienced high to very high levels of psychological distress, while 78.8% experienced moderate to very high levels. A quarter (23.3%) had high fear of COVID-19, and 36.2% had low resilient coping. About 37.4% reported work-related mental health impacts, and 32.4% perceived moderate to great distress due to employment status changes. One in ten (9.4%) reported increased smoking. In multivariate analysis, factors significantly associated with moderate to very high psychological distress included: being female (AOR 1.82, p=0.030), having a pre-existing mental health condition (AOR 9.88, p=0.027), increased smoking in the previous four weeks (AOR 21.14, p=0.003), and higher fear of COVID-19 (AOR 4.18, p<0.001). Living with family members (AOR 0.487, p=0.184) and having medium to high resilient coping (AOR 0.386, p=0.002) were associated with lower psychological distress. Higher fear levels were associated with bachelor's or master's education (AOR 4.14, p=0.011), distress due to employment changes (AOR 2.06, p=0.009), financial impact (AOR 1.38, p=0.013), pre-existing mental health issues (AOR 2.37, p=0.030), and moderate to very high psychological distress (AOR 4.09, p=0.001). Being a smoker (AOR 0.840, p=0.011) and having high fear (AOR 0.372, p=0.001) were associated with low resilient coping.
**Clinical Implications:** The study reveals that UAE community members experienced substantial psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic, with rates higher than those reported in Australia (62.6%), Bangladesh (69%), Malaysia (62.1%), Saudi Arabia (72%), and China (53.8%). Vulnerable groups include females, individuals with pre-existing mental health conditions, smokers, and those with high fear levels. The UAE government's initiatives such as the 'Hayat' psychological support program for federal employees are noted, but the findings suggest broader mental health support strategies are needed. Healthcare providers and policymakers should prioritize targeted interventions for at-risk populations, including mental health screening, accessible counseling services, and public education programs to mitigate the long-term psychosocial consequences of the pandemic.