Aims:  Low back pain (LBP), a common presenting problem in general practice in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), has received increasing attention in recent decades. We seek to investigate the prevalence of LBP and associated risk factors among people living in the typically hot, humid desert environment of the UAE. Methods:  A cross‐sectional questionnaire survey was conducted. The setting was the Primary Health Care (PHC) Clinics in Al‐Ain, UAE. The subjects were a multistage stratified sample of 1304 UAE nationals, 15–70 years of age, who attended PHC clinics for any reason. All subjects were invited to participate. The questionnaire used in the survey is a modified version of the Roland‐Morris scale for evaluating low back pain. The questionnaires were administered during face‐to‐face interviews conducted in Arabic by qualified nurses. Results:  Of the total 1304 subject, 1103 (84.5%) living in both urban and rural areas agreed to participate and responded to the study; 586 (53.1%) were men and 517 (46.9%) women. The mean ages and SD of the subjects were 34.9 ± 13.4 years for the men and 33.5 ± 11.8 years for the women. The prevalence of LBP in the present study was 64.6% (95% CI = 60.7–68.5). The results revealed that there were statistically significant differences between men and women with respect to LBP and body mass index (BMI) (P < 0.001), marital status (P < 0.001), occupational status (P < 0.001), housing condition (P < 0.001), and smoking habits (P < 0.001). Back pain had a greater influence on the lifestyle habits of the women than men. Stepwise multiple regression analysis showed that only BMI (OR = 2.54, 95% CI = 2.30–281; P < 0.001), prolonged standing (OR = 6.22, 95% CI = 4.01–9.67; P < 0.0001), weakness in leg (OR = 2.11, 95% CI = 1.16–3.85; P = 0.0142), lifting heavy weights (OR = 6.34, 95% CI = 4.09–9.84; P = 0.019) regular exercise (OR = 12.47, 95% CI = 7.50–20.71; P < 0.001) and smoking habits (OR = 1.61, 95% CI = 1.08–2.38; P < 0.05) had a significant effect on the presence of LBP in these patients. Conclusions:  The study showed that the prevalence of back‐related disability was higher among women than men in the UAE. Also, low socio‐economic status and adverse lifestyle habits may constitute risk factors and predictors of LBP.