Dubai's population has passed the 3.5 million mark amid a post-pandemic rise in migration.
Dubai Statistics Centre's live population counter stood at 3,500,105 on Thursday.
Between the end of 2020 and April 2022, the population rose by close to 100,000.
Population growth is a major goal for the emirate's government with a target of 5.8 million people by 2040, with a major physical expansion for the city planned.
The city's been open for business, Expo, tourism and importantly for parents there's been consistent in-school education [during the pandemic]
Laura Stockwell,
property consultant
That will bring significant demand for housing and schools.
Last week, the city's private school population topped 300,000 for the first time after growing by more than 14,000 since the start of the academic year in September, 2021.
Statistics show 303,262 pupils are enrolled - a sharp rise on the 289,019 total in September and above the pre-pandemic level of 295,148 children in 2019-2020.
Population experts told The National that the growth would drive the need for new schools and hundreds of thousands of new homes in the next two decades. Many new arrivals are expected to be from Russia and Sub-Saharan Africa, in addition to traditional markets such as Europe and the Indian subcontinent, they predicted.
“We can expect education to increase,” Prof Philippe Fargues, director of the migration policy centre at the European University Institute, and co-editor of Migration from North Africa and the Middle East, told The National in January.
"And the labour market that is linked to rising levels of education – universities, high schools … That will continue to increase.”
'Even Brexit was a factor'
Laura Stockwell, who runs a real estate agency, works with many newly arrived families and professionals.
She said the traditional summer turnover of families quitting the Emirates to move back to their home countries has declined significantly. In addition, a large number of expats from Europe and Asia continue to arrive.
"The city's been open for business, Expo, tourism and importantly for parents there's been consistent in-school education," she said of the pandemic period.
"Throw in a Golden Visa or a remote working visa, and year round sunshine, and the city's filled up."
She said rental prices are rising significantly, albeit after a drop before and during the pandemic.
"With the war in Ukraine, and doom and gloom in much of Europe, the demand is going to remain high in Dubai."
Harry Tregoning, who runs a property consultancy, said for some wealthier new arrivals even Brexit was a factor in moving to or spending more time in Dubai.
"There was a Brexit effect, believe it or not. There are people who used to spend 90 days in their holiday homes in France and now they're coming to Dubai because they don't have a limit on how long they can stay in their holiday homes."
Gulf rebounds after pandemic population dip
As a region, the Gulf saw a population dip of 4 per cent in 2020 as expats lost jobs or sent family members home while breadwinners stayed. In Dubai, the figure was 8.4 per cent, S&P Global Ratings said last year.
That appears to have rebounded significantly as the UAE reopened for business, with Saudi Arabia and Oman also seeing recent population rises.
World Population Review, which uses official data and expert analysis, places Abu Dhabi city's population at 1.54 million as of 2022. It is projected to grow steadily to 1.85 million by 2035. That compares to 1 million in 2012.
The statistics centre records growth using residency visa data and other sources and counts all Emiratis and expat residents.
It previously said that in addition to the population, about a further one million are in the city on any working day, including commuters from Sharjah and other emirates, and including tourists at any given time.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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UAE v Zimbabwe A
Results
Match 1 – UAE won by 4 wickets
Match 2 – UAE won by 5 wickets
Match 3 – UAE won by 25 runs
Match 4 – UAE won by 77 runs
Fixture
Match 5, Saturday, 9.30am start, ICC Academy, Dubai
How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
