Dubai's population is surging. According to the Dubai Statistics Centre, the emirate's population has increased by 86,607 in a year hitting 3,597,829 on Friday.
The growth amplifies a post-coronavirus surge that resulted in Dubai's population hitting the 3.5 million mark in April 2022.
This increase is expected to place pressure on infrastructure and amenities, as well as drive huge demand for new schools, better public transport and hundreds of thousands of new homes.
Many new arrivals are expected to be from Russia and sub-Saharan Africa, in addition to typical markets such as Europe and the Indian subcontinent.
The Oasis by Emaar is one recently announced project set to house 7,000 residential units, while the resurrected Jebel Ali Palm is expected to eventually accommodate about 250,000 people when complete.
It is crucial to address several key issues when considering urban planning and transportation systems
Dr Alexandra Gomes,
London School of Economics.
Meanwhile, the Damac Lagoons cluster of 11 themed residential communities and the 3-million-square-metre Tilal Al Ghaf community off Hessa Street are expected to add significant pressure to existing infrastructure once completed in around 2026.
The developments are some of a huge number of communities expected to swell the emirate’s population.
The rise also underlines how the post-Covid trend of people flocking to Dubai is no one-off.
Even Dubai’s 2040 Urban Master Plan aims to transform the emirate, making it more sustainable and interconnected to cater to an expected population of 5.8 million.
How does a city prepare? The National spoke to several experts.
Moving people around the city
Free-flowing roads and well-managed transport systems are at the heart of an effective modern city, and with a population expecting rapid growth, planning for Dubai’s transport network is more important than ever.
With plans to switch to net-zero emission public transport by 2050, the emirate's Roads and Transport Authority is launching a transformative phase of travel networks around the city.
More charging stations for electric vehicles and access to last-mile solutions such as electric bikes and scooters to encourage more people on to public transport are solutions already up and running.
“Managing transportation is a complex task both within the Middle East and elsewhere,” said Dr Alexandra Gomes at the London School of Economics.
“Public transport faces challenges due to insufficient investment in many cities worldwide and these challenges become even more pronounced in cities with low-density development and easy access to cheap petrol.
“This situation makes it more difficult to implement rail systems, while necessitating increased investment in road infrastructure to accommodate the growing motorisation rates.”
Wider roads to cope with more traffic, with double-decker highways are some options to ease congestion on key routes, solutions already introduced in Abu Dhabi and Kuwait.
In Dubai, a new Traffic Control Centre in Al Barsha will increase smart system cover to 60 per cent of the city’s road network to reduce bottlenecks and accidents, while providing instant traffic information for motorists.
By achieving higher densities, cities can support various rail systems such as trains, monorails or trams, which can be supplemented by bus systems and active modes of transport in areas with lower densities.
“In the UAE, we love our private cars and the convenience they provide,” said Monica Menendez, an associate dean of engineering at New York University Abu Dhabi and director of the Research Centre for Interacting Urban Networks.
“As the population surges, we need to think of other [mobility] alternatives that are more sustainable from an economic, social and environmental perspective.
“Public transport has a much smaller spatial and environmental footprint than cars, so it not only reduces traffic congestion but also emissions.
“We have seen a lot of advances when it comes to both information and technology and could leverage such advances like location-based services, data platforms and autonomous vehicles to significantly increase the appeal, efficiency, and reliability of public transport services.”
The challenge of soaring rents
Rapid population growth in Dubai, fuelled by geopolitics, has driven up house prices and rents at rates rarely seen this century.
The UAE’s much-lauded handling of the global pandemic made the country an attractive place for many in the post-Covid era, while the war in Ukraine has forced tens of thousands more to relocate to Dubai.
That led to a series of bank-busting real estate deals that set new property records in the emirate.
In 2022, two villas on The Palm Jumeirah sold for $76 million and $82 million, while an Emirates Hills mansion was put up for sale for $204 million in May.
While the mega sales offer a boost to government revenue through a Dubai Land Department levy on direct property transfer fees, other pressures are felt elsewhere.
Dr Frederic Schneider, an economist and consultant on Gulf labour and human capital issues, said while a booming property market could top-up spending for local infrastructure, the skills market could face disruption due to higher rents and sale prices.
“The most direct impact of the sales is on government revenue,” he said.
“On the wider economy, residential property investment is correlated with economic growth in the short term, but with a long-term relation that is zero in the best case and negative in the worst.
“This bonanza has stoked speculation that the influx of foreign ultra-high net worth individuals (UHNWIs) and the resulting boom in the ultra-prime property market could carry the UAE’s post-oil economy to sustained heights.
“The effect of billionaires, specifically, on the economy is complex.
“Extreme wealth can come from different sources, including entrepreneurship, inheritance, rent seeking, and nepotism.
“Instead of attracting billionaires – who either never were or have ceased to be entrepreneurs – it would be better to attract highly-skilled professionals and knowledge workers, who may become billionaires through founding SMEs and creating jobs.
“This means that even if the buyers of ultra-prime property live in Dubai, the local economy will likely not benefit if they are heirs, oligarchs or princelings but, maybe, if they are entrepreneurs and move their business with them.”
Building the city of tomorrow
Dubai has already ramped up major infrastructure works to cope with the influx of people.
A metro extension – Route 2020 – to bring passengers to the World Expo site opened in 2021 but new stations were also constructed in residential areas such as The Gardens, Discovery Gardens and Al Furjan.
It brought major communities close to affordable and accessible public transport.
A further Metro extension is planned for growing districts such as Mirdiff, Dubai Creek Harbour and Dubai Silicon Oasis.
Bridges such as Infinity Bride that opened in 2022 have improved connectivity across Dubai Creek while new roads have improved access across the city and to other emirates.
But a major plan launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, in 2021 shows a glimpse of the future.
The Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan was published as the city rebounded strongly from the pandemic, with events and conferences returning and people pouring into the emirate on the back of its pro-business sentiment.
The ambitious framework lays down how the city is going to sustainably adapt to the population swell in terms of schools, hospitals, economic zones, parks and transport while protecting heritage and the environment.
Development is to focus on five main urban areas – three existing and two new. The existing urban centres are heritage neighbourhoods Deira and Bur Dubai, the financial centre of Downtown and Business Bay, and tourism and entertainment centres Dubai Marina and JBR. The new centres are exhibition and events gateway Expo City Dubai and innovation hub, Dubai Silicon Oasis Centre.
Spaces designated for educational and health centres will increase by 25 per cent while beaches will be extended, with about 60 per cent of Dubai comprising nature reserves and natural areas.
Crucially, it aims for 55 per cent of the population to live within 800 metres of a main public transport station.
Dubai’s efforts to build public transport have already been hugely successful. Soaring numbers of people are flocking to both lines of the Metro and this plan builds on those firm foundations.
The plan also envisages green corridors linking the service areas, residential areas and workplaces, easing the movement of pedestrians, bicycles and sustainable mobility means across the city.
Homes for Emiratis are also included, with strategic land banks reserved for housing beyond 2040.
Dubai, therefore, is thinking decades ahead.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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Where can I submit a sample?
Volunteers can now submit DNA samples at a number of centres across Abu Dhabi. The programme is open to all ages.
Collection centres in Abu Dhabi include:
- Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)
- Biogenix Labs in Masdar City
- Al Towayya in Al Ain
- NMC Royal Hospital in Khalifa City
- Bareen International Hospital
- NMC Specialty Hospital, Al Ain
- NMC Royal Medical Centre - Abu Dhabi
- NMC Royal Women’s Hospital.
BIGGEST CYBER SECURITY INCIDENTS IN RECENT TIMES
SolarWinds supply chain attack: Came to light in December 2020 but had taken root for several months, compromising major tech companies, governments and its entities
Microsoft Exchange server exploitation: March 2021; attackers used a vulnerability to steal emails
Kaseya attack: July 2021; ransomware hit perpetrated REvil, resulting in severe downtime for more than 1,000 companies
Log4j breach: December 2021; attackers exploited the Java-written code to inflitrate businesses and governments
Company name: Farmin
Date started: March 2019
Founder: Dr Ali Al Hammadi
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: AgriTech
Initial investment: None to date
Partners/Incubators: UAE Space Agency/Krypto Labs
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 247hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 370Nm from 1,500-3,500rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 7.8L/100km
Price: from Dh94,900
On sale: now
Iraq negotiating over Iran sanctions impact
- US sanctions on Iran’s energy industry and exports took effect on Monday, November 5.
- Washington issued formal waivers to eight buyers of Iranian oil, allowing them to continue limited imports. Iraq did not receive a waiver.
- Iraq’s government is cooperating with the US to contain Iranian influence in the country, and increased Iraqi oil production is helping to make up for Iranian crude that sanctions are blocking from markets, US officials say.
- Iraq, the second-biggest producer in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, pumped last month at a record 4.78 million barrels a day, former Oil Minister Jabbar Al-Luaibi said on Oct. 20. Iraq exported 3.83 million barrels a day last month, according to tanker tracking and data from port agents.
- Iraq has been working to restore production at its northern Kirkuk oil field. Kirkuk could add 200,000 barrels a day of oil to Iraq’s total output, Hook said.
- The country stopped trucking Kirkuk oil to Iran about three weeks ago, in line with U.S. sanctions, according to four people with knowledge of the matter who asked not to be identified because they aren’t allowed to speak to media.
- Oil exports from Iran, OPEC’s third-largest supplier, have slumped since President Donald Trump announced in May that he’d reimpose sanctions. Iran shipped about 1.76 million barrels a day in October out of 3.42 million in total production, data compiled by Bloomberg show.
- Benchmark Brent crude fell 47 cents to $72.70 a barrel in London trading at 7:26 a.m. local time. U.S. West Texas Intermediate was 25 cents lower at $62.85 a barrel in New York. WTI held near the lowest level in seven months as concerns of a tightening market eased after the U.S. granted its waivers to buyers of Iranian crude.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The Equaliser 2
Director Antoine Fuqua
Starring: Denzel Washington, Bill Pullman, Melissa Leo, Ashton Sanders
Three stars
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Important questions to consider
1. Where on the plane does my pet travel?
There are different types of travel available for pets:
- Manifest cargo
- Excess luggage in the hold
- Excess luggage in the cabin
Each option is safe. The feasibility of each option is based on the size and breed of your pet, the airline they are traveling on and country they are travelling to.
2. What is the difference between my pet traveling as manifest cargo or as excess luggage?
If traveling as manifest cargo, your pet is traveling in the front hold of the plane and can travel with or without you being on the same plane. The cost of your pets travel is based on volumetric weight, in other words, the size of their travel crate.
If traveling as excess luggage, your pet will be in the rear hold of the plane and must be traveling under the ticket of a human passenger. The cost of your pets travel is based on the actual (combined) weight of your pet in their crate.
3. What happens when my pet arrives in the country they are traveling to?
As soon as the flight arrives, your pet will be taken from the plane straight to the airport terminal.
If your pet is traveling as excess luggage, they will taken to the oversized luggage area in the arrival hall. Once you clear passport control, you will be able to collect them at the same time as your normal luggage. As you exit the airport via the ‘something to declare’ customs channel you will be asked to present your pets travel paperwork to the customs official and / or the vet on duty.
If your pet is traveling as manifest cargo, they will be taken to the Animal Reception Centre. There, their documentation will be reviewed by the staff of the ARC to ensure all is in order. At the same time, relevant customs formalities will be completed by staff based at the arriving airport.
4. How long does the travel paperwork and other travel preparations take?
This depends entirely on the location that your pet is traveling to. Your pet relocation compnay will provide you with an accurate timeline of how long the relevant preparations will take and at what point in the process the various steps must be taken.
In some cases they can get your pet ‘travel ready’ in a few days. In others it can be up to six months or more.
5. What vaccinations does my pet need to travel?
Regardless of where your pet is traveling, they will need certain vaccinations. The exact vaccinations they need are entirely dependent on the location they are traveling to. The one vaccination that is mandatory for every country your pet may travel to is a rabies vaccination.
Other vaccinations may also be necessary. These will be advised to you as relevant. In every situation, it is essential to keep your vaccinations current and to not miss a due date, even by one day. To do so could severely hinder your pets travel plans.
Source: Pawsome Pets UAE
The story of Edge
Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, established Edge in 2019.
It brought together 25 state-owned and independent companies specialising in weapons systems, cyber protection and electronic warfare.
Edge has an annual revenue of $5 billion and employs more than 12,000 people.
Some of the companies include Nimr, a maker of armoured vehicles, Caracal, which manufactures guns and ammunitions company, Lahab
COMPANY PROFILE
● Company: Bidzi
● Started: 2024
● Founders: Akshay Dosaj and Asif Rashid
● Based: Dubai, UAE
● Industry: M&A
● Funding size: Bootstrapped
● No of employees: Nine
Roll of honour 2019-2020
Dubai Rugby Sevens
Winners: Dubai Hurricanes
Runners up: Bahrain
West Asia Premiership
Winners: Bahrain
Runners up: UAE Premiership
UAE Premiership
Winners: Dubai Exiles
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes
UAE Division One
Winners: Abu Dhabi Saracens
Runners up: Dubai Hurricanes II
UAE Division Two
Winners: Barrelhouse
Runners up: RAK Rugby
Tearful appearance
Chancellor Rachel Reeves set markets on edge as she appeared visibly distraught in parliament on Wednesday.
Legislative setbacks for the government have blown a new hole in the budgetary calculations at a time when the deficit is stubbornly large and the economy is struggling to grow.
She appeared with Keir Starmer on Thursday and the pair embraced, but he had failed to give her his backing as she cried a day earlier.
A spokesman said her upset demeanour was due to a personal matter.
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
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
