Tetraena qatarensis is native to the Arabian Peninsula and occurs around the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It typically grows in coarse, stony or sandy soils at the edge of saltflats, around salt marshes, and in the sand that accumulates on the base of depressions. It also grows in non-salty locations, on calcareous soils and around the fringes of dune areas, and often dominates plant communities in these locations. On well-drained sandy soil on coastal plains, T. qatarensis may cover 75% of the ground surface, and this plant community is probably the most commonly encountered around the western side of the Persian Gulf.