Highest classical chess ratings ever: United Arab Emirates
The best rating of every player who represents the United Arab Emirates today, on FIDE's classical rating lists since July 1971.
GM A.R. Saleh Salem's 2690 on the October 2021 list is the highest classical rating held by a player who represents the United Arab Emirates today.
| # | Player | Peak | First reached | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UAE · Oct 2021 · Latest 2616 | 2690 | Oct 2021 | 2616 |
| 2 | UAE · Oct 2004 · Latest 2406 | 2517 | Oct 2004 | 2406 |
| 3 | UAE · Mar 2018 · Latest 2290 | 2437 | Mar 2018 | 2290 |
| 4 | UAE · Jan 1986† · Latest 2435 | 2435 | Jan 1986† | 2435 |
| 5 | UAE · Oct 2000† · Latest 2226 | 2418 | Oct 2000† | 2226 |
| 6 | UAE · Apr 2015 · Latest 2329 | 2403 | Apr 2015 | 2329 |
| 7 | UAE · Sep 2009 · Latest 2293 | 2398 | Sep 2009 | 2293 |
| 8 | UAE · Jul 1985† · Latest 2350 | 2375 | Jul 1985† | 2350 |
| 9 | UAE · Apr 2005 · Latest 2272 | 2359 | Apr 2005 | 2272 |
| 10 | UAE · Oct 2001 · Latest 2103 | 2351 | Oct 2001 | 2103 |
| 11 | UAE · Jan 2004 · Latest 2201 | 2349 | Jan 2004 | 2201 |
| 11 | UAE · Oct 2026 · Latest 2349 | 2349 | Oct 2026 | 2349 |
| 13 | UAE · Jan 2004 · Latest 2329 | 2329 | Jan 2004 | 2329 |
| 14 | UAE · Mar 2026 · Latest 2189 | 2326 | Mar 2026 | 2189 |
| 15 | UAE · Jul 2005 · Latest 2203 | 2318 | Jul 2005 | 2203 |
| 16 | UAE · Jul 2014 · Latest 2306 | 2316 | Jul 2014 | 2306 |
| 17 | UAE · Jan 1994† · Latest 2280 | 2310 | Jan 1994† | 2280 |
| 18 | UAE · Jan 1993† · Latest 2270 | 2305 | Jan 1993† | 2270 |
| 19 | UAE · Apr 2006 · Latest 2239 | 2289 | Apr 2006 | 2239 |
| 20 | UAE · Jan 2000† · Latest 2089 | 2283 | Jan 2000† | 2089 |
| 21 | UAE · Jan 1998† · Latest 2278 | 2280 | Jan 1998† | 2278 |
| 22 | UAE · Mar 2026 · Latest 2223 | 2276 | Mar 2026 | 2223 |
| 23 | UAE · Jan 1994† · Latest 2250 | 2275 | Jan 1994† | 2250 |
| 24 | UAE · Jul 2000† · Latest 2179 | 2274 | Jul 2000† | 2179 |
| 25 | UAE · Jan 2000† · Latest 2178 | 2265 | Jan 2000† | 2178 |
| 25 | UAE · By Jan 2001 · Latest 2262 | 2265 | By Jan 2001 | 2262 |
| 27 | UAE · Sep 2026 · Latest 2253 | 2262 | Sep 2026 | 2253 |
| 28 | UAE · Jan 1987† · Latest 2235 | 2255 | Jan 1987† | 2235 |
| 28 | UAE · Jan 1996† · Latest 2011 | 2255 | Jan 1996† | 2011 |
| 28 | UAE · Jan 1998† · Latest 2157 | 2255 | Jan 1998† | 2157 |
| 31 | UAE · Oct 2012 · Latest 2181 | 2252 | Oct 2012 | 2181 |
| 32 | UAE · Jan 2005 · Latest 2209 | 2249 | Jan 2005 | 2209 |
| 33 | UAE · Jan 1994† · Latest 2116 | 2240 | Jan 1994† | 2116 |
| 34 | UAE · Jan 1996† · Latest 2125 | 2235 | Jan 1996† | 2125 |
| 34 | UAE · Jan 1996† · Latest 1987 | 2235 | Jan 1996† | 1987 |
| 36 | UAE · Jan 2005 · Latest 2193 | 2233 | Jan 2005 | 2193 |
| 37 | UAE · Jan 1995† · Latest 2210 | 2230 | Jan 1995† | 2210 |
| 38 | UAE · May 2024 · Latest 1875 | 2226 | May 2024 | 1875 |
| 39 | UAE · Apr 2025 · Latest 2166 | 2222 | Apr 2025 | 2166 |
| 40 | UAE · Jan 1998† · Latest 2059 | 2220 | Jan 1998† | 2059 |
| 41 | UAE · By Jan 2001 · Latest 2147 | 2214 | By Jan 2001 | 2147 |
| 42 | UAE · Jul 1999† · Latest 2135 | 2211 | Jul 1999† | 2135 |
| 43 | UAE · May 2024 · Latest 1951 | 2209 | May 2024 | 1951 |
| 44 | UAE · Jan 1987† · Latest 2110 | 2205 | Jan 1987† | 2110 |
| 44 | UAE · Jan 1987† · Latest 2205 | 2205 | Jan 1987† | 2205 |
| 44 | UAE · Jul 1990† · Latest 1950 | 2205 | Jul 1990† | 1950 |
| 44 | UAE · Jul 1995† · Latest 2175 | 2205 | Jul 1995† | 2175 |
| 44 | UAE · Jan 1996† · Latest 2117 | 2205 | Jan 1996† | 2117 |
| 49 | UAE · By Jan 2001 · Latest 1585 | 2194 | By Jan 2001 | 1585 |
| 50 | UAE · Jan 2000† · Latest 2192 | 2192 | Jan 2000† | 2192 |
| 50 | UAE · Jan 2000† · Latest 2149 | 2192 | Jan 2000† | 2149 |
| 52 | UAE · Oct 2006 · Latest 2136 | 2190 | Oct 2006 | 2136 |
| 53 | UAE · Jul 1998† · Latest 2169 | 2185 | Jul 1998† | 2169 |
| 54 | UAE · Oct 2002 · Latest 2182 | 2182 | Oct 2002 | 2182 |
| 55 | UAE · Jun 2025 · Latest 2113 | 2176 | Jun 2025 | 2113 |
| 56 | UAE · Jan 1995† · Latest 2175 | 2175 | Jan 1995† | 2175 |
| 57 | UAE · Jan 1996† · Latest 2170 | 2170 | Jan 1996† | 2170 |
| 57 | UAE · Oct 2007 · Latest 2115 | 2170 | Oct 2007 | 2115 |
| 59 | UAE · Oct 2001 · Latest 2142 | 2168 | Oct 2001 | 2142 |
| 59 | UAE · Apr 2007 · Latest 2127 | 2168 | Apr 2007 | 2127 |
| 61 | UAE · Jan 2001 · Latest 2142 | 2165 | Jan 2001 | 2142 |
| 62 | UAE · Jan 1999† · Latest 2114 | 2162 | Jan 1999† | 2114 |
| 63 | UAE · Aug 2026 · Latest 2134 | 2157 | Aug 2026 | 2134 |
| 64 | UAE · Jul 1997† · Latest 2101 | 2155 | Jul 1997† | 2101 |
| 64 | UAE · Jan 2000† · Latest 2125 | 2155 | Jan 2000† | 2125 |
| 64 | UAE · Jul 2000† · Latest 2122 | 2155 | Jul 2000† | 2122 |
| 67 | UAE · Jul 1997† · Latest 2053 | 2140 | Jul 1997† | 2053 |
| 67 | UAE · Oct 2001 · Latest 2043 | 2140 | Oct 2001 | 2043 |
| 69 | UAE · Feb 2024 · Latest 1996 | 2135 | Feb 2024 | 1996 |
| 70 | UAE · Jan 2005 · Latest 2116 | 2131 | Jan 2005 | 2116 |
| 71 | UAE · Jan 1999† · Latest 2037 | 2125 | Jan 1999† | 2037 |
| 72 | UAE · Jan 2004 · Latest 2023 | 2122 | Jan 2004 | 2023 |
| 73 | UAE · Jan 1997† · Latest 1986 | 2115 | Jan 1997† | 1986 |
| 74 | UAE · Aug 2026 · Latest 2082 | 2111 | Aug 2026 | 2082 |
| 75 | UAE · Jan 1995† · Latest 2068 | 2110 | Jan 1995† | 2068 |
| 76 | UAE · May 2016 · Latest 1956 | 2109 | May 2016 | 1956 |
| 77 | UAE · By Jan 2001 · Latest 2079 | 2105 | By Jan 2001 | 2079 |
| 78 | UAE · Jan 2000† · Latest 2104 | 2104 | Jan 2000† | 2104 |
| 79 | UAE · Jan 2004 · Latest 2066 | 2103 | Jan 2004 | 2066 |
| 80 | UAE · Jan 2000† · Latest 2102 | 2102 | Jan 2000† | 2102 |
| 81 | UAE · By Jan 2001 · Latest 2061 | 2097 | By Jan 2001 | 2061 |
| 82 | UAE · Apr 2008 · Latest 2018 | 2096 | Apr 2008 | 2018 |
| 83 | UAE · Jan 1996† · Latest 2095 | 2095 | Jan 1996† | 2095 |
| 84 | UAE · Sep 2022 · Latest 2042 | 2094 | Sep 2022 | 2042 |
| 85 | UAE · Jan 1996† · Latest 2090 | 2090 | Jan 1996† | 2090 |
| 86 | UAE · Dec 2016 · Latest 1945 | 2089 | Dec 2016 | 1945 |
| 87 | UAE · Aug 2025 · Latest 1889 | 2088 | Aug 2025 | 1889 |
| 87 | UAE · Sep 2026 · Latest 2084 | 2088 | Sep 2026 | 2084 |
| 89 | UAE · Jan 1999† · Latest 2066 | 2087 | Jan 1999† | 2066 |
| 90 | UAE · Jan 2002 · Latest 2085 | 2085 | Jan 2002 | 2085 |
| 90 | UAE · Nov 2015 · Latest 1978 | 2085 | Nov 2015 | 1978 |
| 92 | UAE · Oct 2002 · Latest 2049 | 2084 | Oct 2002 | 2049 |
| 93 | UAE · Oct 2007 · Latest 1849 | 2079 | Oct 2007 | 1849 |
| 94 | UAE · By Jan 2001 · Latest 2075 | 2075 | By Jan 2001 | 2075 |
| 94 | UAE · Oct 2002 · Latest 2029 | 2075 | Oct 2002 | 2029May 2014 |
| 96 | UAE · Oct 2008 · Latest 2025 | 2072 | Oct 2008 | 2025 |
| 97 | UAE · Jul 2011 · Latest 2069 | 2069 | Jul 2011 | 2069Mar 2017 |
| 97 | UAE · Nov 2024 · Latest 1888 | 2069 | Nov 2024 | 1888 |
| 99 | UAE · Oct 2002 · Latest 2009 | 2066 | Oct 2002 | 2009 |
| 100 | UAE · Oct 2004 · Latest 1986 | 2065 | Oct 2004 | 1986 |
Peak is a player's highest rating on any of FIDE's classical rating lists since July 1971. When a player reached the same peak more than once, the first month is shown; 'By Jan 2001' means the peak was already on the earliest list we have for that player, so it may be older. Latest is the rating on the most recent list that rates the player. Players are listed under the federation they represent today, with every rating they have held, including ratings held while representing another federation.
† From FIDE's rating lists before 2001, compiled by Wojciech Bartelski at OlimpBase (olimpbase.org).