2000 – 2009
With Bangladesh being promoted to ICC full membership, the UAE began to establish themselves as the top associate side in Asia, though they often fell short against the top associates in Europe and North America, a position that remains to this day. They won the ACC Trophy in 2000 and 2002, beating Hong Kong and Nepal in the respective finals, but finished fifth in the 2001 ICC Trophy in Canada.
UAE hosted the 2004 ICC Six Nations Challenge and finished fifth, level on points with four other teams. The year was a busy one for the UAE cricketers as they played the first Intercontinental Cup match against Nepal, with Ali Asad taking nine wickets in the first innings. They beat Malaysia later in the tournament but lost to Canada in the semi-finals. They won the ACC Trophy again that year, beating Oman in the final. They returned to ODI cricket, losing to India and Sri Lanka in the first round of the Asia Cup, and finished fourth in the Hong Kong Sixes, beating India and South Africa on the way.
They reached the semi-finals of the ICC Intercontinental Cup again in 2005, also playing a series against England A at Sharjah, losing all four matches. The 2005 ICC Trophy in Ireland saw them finish sixth. They beat Hong Kong in the final of the 2006 ACC Trophy, but began their 2006 ICC Intercontinental Cup campaign with an innings defeat by Namibia. The campaign continued with a draw against Scotland and a defeat by Ireland, again by an innings. They finished fourth in the first ACC Twenty20 Cup in 2007.
Their campaign in the 2007–2008 ICC Intercontinental Cup was unsuccessful, with just one win against Bermuda in their seven matches. The team fared better in Division Two of the World Cricket League in Windhoek in 2007, winning the tournament after beating Oman in the final.
They again played in the Asia Cup in 2008, losing to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka in the first round. Their 2008 ACC Trophy Elite began with a shock defeat to Saudi Arabia, their first ACC Trophy defeat since the 1998 semi-final. They lost to Hong Kong in the final, ending a run of four consecutive titles.
The UAE hosted and were runners-up at the 2009 ACC Twenty20 Cup, losing the final to Afghanistan, after winning four group matches and accounting for Oman in their semi-final.
2010 – present
In October 2010, the team announced that it had hired Kabir Khan to become its coach. Khan had great success with the Afghan team during his one-year stint as they became eligible to play ODIs. Kabir Khan also stated that his aim was to help UAE qualify for the 2012 ICC World Twenty20.
In April 2011, the UAE hosted and won Division Two of the World Cricket League without losing a match. In June/July 2011, they played Kenya at Nairobi for the first round of 2011–13 ICC Intercontinental Cup. In December, the UAE participated in the 2011 ACC Twenty20 Cup in Nepal. Then in 2013, they traveled to Scotland to compete in the 2013 Cricket World Cup Qualifier, the final event of the 2009–13 World Cricket League.
UAE finished third in the 2013 ACC Twenty20 Cup which after defeating Hong Kong in the play-off for third place. In November, they hosted 2013 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier and finished fourth after losing to Nepal in the play-off for third place, and qualified for the 2014 ICC World Twenty20, defeating the Netherlands by 10 runs in the quarter-final.
UAE participated in the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 but were unsuccessful in the tournament, going without a win. UAE finished second in the 2014 ACC Premier League and qualified for the 2014 ACC Championship. They also qualified for 2015 Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
UAE qualified to play in the Cricket World Cup after a lapse of almost twenty years. Unlike other teams in the tournament, the squad of players mainly consisted of semi-professionals. The team registered their highest ODI total ever at the 2015 Cricket World Cup in a group stage match played against Zimbabwe in Nelson, New Zealand. However, they failed to register a win and were eliminated from the 2015 Cricket World Cup with 6 losses out of 6 matches in Pool B. They returned to T20 cricket in the 2022 World Cup where they lost all matches except the one against Namibia, which was the first ever T20 between two associate members of the ICC.
New Zealand toured UAE in August 2023 for a three match T20I series. In the second T20I, UAE pulled off a stunning upset, defeating New Zealand by 7 wickets. It was UAE's first international win over New Zealand and also New Zealand's first defeat against an associate team.
- United Arab Emirates won the toss and elected to field.
- This was United Arab Emirates's maiden victory against New Zealand in any format of cricket.
India at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah; 13 April 1994
Netherlands at ICC Academy Ground, Dubai; 25 October 2026
Malaysia at Bayuemas Oval, Kuala Lumpur; 17 September 2026
