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Expat growth widens UAE demographic gap
posted on 25/09/2008
The ratio of foreign to local population in the UAE has remained high in the past years and is expected to widen in the future because of a rapid growth in expatriates, official figures showed yesterday.
The country's total population was estimated at around 4.48 million at the end of 2007 and is projected to grow 6.12 per cent to nearly 4.76 million at the end of 2008 and by 6.31 per cent to 5.06 million at the end of 2009, showed the figures by the Ministry of Economy.
Dubai is projected to outnumber Abu Dhabi for the first time at the end of this year and in 2009, while Sharjah will remain the third largest populated emirate.
The figures showed the 2007 population comprised 864,000 UAE nationals and 3.62 million expatriates, up from 839,000 nationals and 3.39 million foreigners in 2006. The bulk of them are based in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. A breakdown showed the native population grew by around 2.9 per cent in 2007 while growth in expatriates was 6.9 per cent.
In 2008, the local population is forecast to grow by 3.2 per cent against 6.8 per cent for the expatriates while growth in natives next year is projected at 3.4 per cent and in the foreign population at nearly 6.9 per cent.
The higher growth in the expatriates boosted their ratio to the whole population from around 80.1 per cent in 2006 to 80.7 percent in 2007. The report projected the ratio to rise to 81.2 per cent in 2008 and 81.7 per cent in 2009.
Experts attributed the rapid expatriate growth to their high number and an influx of foreigners over the past few years because of the economic boom. They noted that growth in the local population is considered high given their relatively low number, which has more than doubled over the past 15 years. The figures showed Abu Dhabi was the most populated emirate in the UAE at the end of 2007, with a total 1.493 million people. Dubai was second, with around 1.478 million, followed by Sharjah, with nearly 882,000.
But the report forecast Dubai would outnumber Abu Dhabi in 2008, as its population will rise to 1.59 million while Abu Dhabi will have 1.55 million.
Dubai, the Middle East's commercial and business hub, was projected to maintain that status in 2009, with its population projected to reach 1.722 million. Abu Dhabi's population was forecast at 1.62 million.
At the end of 2007, Abu Dhabi was the most populated emirate while Umm Al-Quwain was the least populated, with around 52,000.
Dubai had the largest ratio of expatriates in 2007, standing at 75.8 per cent, while Umm Al Quwain had the lowest ratio of 61.5 per cent.
The UAE has recorded one of the highest population growth rates in the world over the past two decades but this has not affected its per capita income because of the rapid nominal growth in its economy.
From around Dh76,600 in 2006, the country's per capita income more than doubled to Dh162,000 in 2007 after its gross domestic product leaped by around 17 per cent from Dh624 billion to Dh729bn.
The income is projected to swell further this year as the GDP is expected to make similar leaps because of a surge in oil prices.
The report showed the UAE population included 3.08 million males and 1.4 million females at the end of 2007. The breakdown is projected at 3.28 million males and 1.47 million females in 2008 and 3.5 million males and 1.58 million females in 2009. – Emirates Business
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