Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, on Thursday launched a Dh208 billion ($56.63 billion) strategy to double the number of Emirati families in the emirate within a decade.
Sheikh Mohammed set out plans to increase housing standards, health care and quality of life for citizens.
He said residential developments for Emiratis would be established to deliver “the best living conditions in the world”.
Dubai's population is more than 3.65 million, driven by the emirate's position as a leading destination for expatriates.
Sheikh Mohammed wants to increase Dubai's Emirati population as part of the Dubai Social Agenda 33.
“Today we announce the launch of Dubai Social Agenda 33. It is our plan for Dubai's community for the next 10 years, with the slogan 'Family, the Foundation of the Nation,'" Sheikh Mohammed wrote on X.
“Its budget is Dh208 billion over the next decade, aiming at the citizens of our families in Dubai – providing housing, improving living standards, identity, values, social cohesion, health care, and developing future skills in our upcoming generations.
“Our goal is to double the number of citizen families within the decade, providing them with the world's best residential areas.”
Sheikh Mohammed said his sons would guide the project.
“The social agenda has clear targets, approved programmes, allocated budgets, and will be followed by my sons Hamdan, Maktoum, Ahmed, and their siblings,” he said.
“They are the most dedicated individuals to Dubai's large family, where they were raised and cherish it with bonds of love, affection and blood.
“The nation is not just numbers and structures; it is families and individuals. My message to all officials is that our priority in the coming period is the family protection, empowerment, development, and cohesion. We pray that God guides us in serving the country and its people.”
The goals of the Dubai Social Agenda 33 plan include establishing the world's most efficient and high-quality healthcare system and developing an education sector capable of keeping pace with Dubai's future ambitions to be among the top ten cities in the world for quality education.
The initiative also calls for a proactive social care system to be cultivated, focused on the protection, care and empowerment of citizens and for the number of Emiratis working in Dubai's private sector companies to be tripled.
The welfare project aims to ensure Dubai is one of the top three cities in the world for living standards and has a life expectancy among the top ten globally.
How will funding be allocated?
The Dubai government has outlined how the Dh208 billion funding pot will be distributed over the coming years.
Spending in the healthcare sector will increase from Dh66m - from 2014 to 2023 - to Dh120m until 2033.
Authorities said Dh26 billion would be used for citizen support, with the aim of promoting family stability and well-being.
Dh21.9 billion is to be spent on supporting social institutions in an effort to bolster social cohesion, raise awareness of national identity and encourage citizens to be more involved in their communities.
Dh14.5 billion will be set aside for the development of integrated residential compounds for Emiratis, while Dh13 billion will be invested in fostering a sustainable education system that supports young talent and entrepreneurial spirit.
The arts and culture scene will receive Dh6.4 billion to benefit its work, with the sports sector to be given a Dh6.2 billion boost.
"The focus on these areas aims to turn Dubai into a cultural hub that nurtures creativity and welcomes intellectuals and artists from around the world," the Dubai Media Office said.
"It also aims to establish Dubai on the global sports scene as it is already a favourite destination for hosting sporting events and training camps."
How to grow a population
Andrew Gardner, professor of sociology and anthropology at the University of Puget Sound in Washington state, said Dubai's plan to increase its Emirati population could have roots in the past.
He said that in the middle of the 20th century, the Gulf was home to large families and population growth was high.
However, as countries modernised, families tended to become smaller. He said there could now be a "desire to maintain and return to" a more traditional, family-based society.
Prof Gardner said that stimulating growth in Dubai's Emirati population could also reduce the reliance on "a temporary, transnational workforce" from other countries.
He said countries around the world faced challenges in boosting birth rates.
"Young women are finding their way to professionalise and looking beyond the domestic sector that was traditionally their purview," he said.
"As we see in other parts of the world, as young women move into the workforce and seek professional appointments, birth rates go down. These are interesting modern problems that many nations around the world face."
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The biog
Favourite books: 'Ruth Bader Ginsburg: A Life' by Jane D. Mathews and ‘The Moment of Lift’ by Melinda Gates
Favourite travel destination: Greece, a blend of ancient history and captivating nature. It always has given me a sense of joy, endless possibilities, positive energy and wonderful people that make you feel at home.
Favourite pastime: travelling and experiencing different cultures across the globe.
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Favourite Movie: Mona Lisa Smile
Favourite Author: Kahlil Gibran
Favourite Artist: Meryl Streep
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Seth Rollins retains the Intercontinental title against The Miz, Finn Balor and Samoa Joe
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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
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Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
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.
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Pharaoh's curse
British aristocrat Lord Carnarvon, who funded the expedition to find the Tutankhamun tomb, died in a Cairo hotel four months after the crypt was opened.
He had been in poor health for many years after a car crash, and a mosquito bite made worse by a shaving cut led to blood poisoning and pneumonia.
Reports at the time said Lord Carnarvon suffered from “pain as the inflammation affected the nasal passages and eyes”.
Decades later, scientists contended he had died of aspergillosis after inhaling spores of the fungus aspergillus in the tomb, which can lie dormant for months. The fact several others who entered were also found dead withiin a short time led to the myth of the curse.
MATCH INFO
Champions League quarter-final, first leg
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE)
Matches can be watched on BeIN Sports
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
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- 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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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
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The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
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Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
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ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
The biog
From: Ras Al Khaimah
Age: 50
Profession: Electronic engineer, worked with Etisalat for the past 20 years
Hobbies: 'Anything that involves exploration, hunting, fishing, mountaineering, the sea, hiking, scuba diving, and adventure sports'
Favourite quote: 'Life is so simple, enjoy it'
more from Janine di Giovanni
Children who witnessed blood bath want to help others
Aged just 11, Khulood Al Najjar’s daughter, Nora, bravely attempted to fight off Philip Spence. Her finger was injured when she put her hand in between the claw hammer and her mother’s head.
As a vital witness, she was forced to relive the ordeal by police who needed to identify the attacker and ensure he was found guilty.
Now aged 16, Nora has decided she wants to dedicate her career to helping other victims of crime.
“It was very horrible for her. She saw her mum, dying, just next to her eyes. But now she just wants to go forward,” said Khulood, speaking about how her eldest daughter was dealing with the trauma of the incident five years ago. “She is saying, 'mama, I want to be a lawyer, I want to help people achieve justice'.”
Khulood’s youngest daughter, Fatima, was seven at the time of the attack and attempted to help paramedics responding to the incident.
“Now she wants to be a maxillofacial doctor,” Khulood said. “She said to me ‘it is because a maxillofacial doctor returned your face, mama’. Now she wants to help people see themselves in the mirror again.”
Khulood’s son, Saeed, was nine in 2014 and slept through the attack. While he did not witness the trauma, this made it more difficult for him to understand what had happened. He has ambitions to become an engineer.
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Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
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4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
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6.30pm: Al Maktoum Challenge Round-1 Group 1 (PA) Dh119,373 (Dirt) 1,600m
Winner: Brraq, Adrie de Vries (jockey), Jean-Claude Pecout (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap (TB) Dh102,500 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Taamol, Connor Beasley, Ali Rashid Al Raihe.
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8.15pm: UAE 1000 Guineas Trial (TB) Dh183,650 (D) 1,400m
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9.50pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (D) 1,600m
Winner: Hypothetical, Mickael Barzalona, Salem bin Ghadayer.
9.25pm: Handicap (TB) Dh95,000 (T) 1,000m
Winner: Etisalat, Sando Paiva, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
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