ABU DHABI // The number of children born to Emiratis in the capital is holding steady compared with falling worldwide fertility rates - a trend doctors attribute to financial stability, government support and culture.
The crude birth rate - the number of children born for every 1,000 people - in the emirate has dropped by more than a quarter over the past 10 years, but the number of children born to nationals has fallen far more slowly, according to the Statistics Centre - Abu Dhabi.
The overall birth rate declined from 20.79 for every 1,000 people in 2001 to 15.01 in 2010.
The rates for nationals were much higher. In 2001 there were 35.43 for every 1,000 and 31.43 in 2010.
This is a drop of 27.8 per cent overall and less than half of that - 11.3 per cent - for nationals.
Worldwide, the estimated crude birth rate is 19.15 births for every 1,000 people.
"There is a decline but not a major one," said Dr Asma Al Mannaie, head of the surveillance section at Health Authority - Abu Dhabi (Haad), which provided the data.
"There are lots of efforts here to encourage and promote stable families in the UAE," said Dr Al Mannaie. "For us, it is important to maintain our population. It is one of the resources of our country."
Non-citizens in Abu Dhabi are having far fewer children than Emiratis. The 2010 crude birth rate for expatriates was 10.34.
Worldwide crude birth rates and fertility rates - the average number of children born to one woman - have been steadily decreasing as more women delay marriage and couples have fewer children.
In Abu Dhabi, the fertility rate for Emiratis is 3.36 children for each woman. This compares with 1.62 for expatriates.
"Expatriates are not coming to the UAE to start families," said Dr Al Mannaie. "They are coming to work, so their rates will be much lower."
Although the fertility rate had slightly declined for citizens in recent years, she said the population was still growing.
Dr Mohammed El Sheikh, a gynaecologist with his own practice and a former senior consultant for Corniche Hospital, did not believe population decline would become a problem in the region.
"It is just the culture of the people to have big families," said Dr El Sheikh. "It's more cultural than financial. Arabs, Muslims, they like to have big families."
The report also showed that crude birth rates were highest in Al Ain, at 33.2 births for every 1,000. Al Gharbia recorded the lowest rate, at 17.1.
In 2010, there were 29,528 live births in the emirate, up 23.2 per cent from 2001. Emirati births made up 46.2 per cent of those.
Male babies slightly outnumber females, with 104.4 born for every 100 females.
"Economics are changing and women are going to work, getting a degree or having many ambitions, but we are happy to see the numbers on the rise," said Dr Al Mannaie. "It's important because we need to maintain our workforce."
Births in the capital have more than quadrupled since 1975, when only 6,854 live births were recorded.
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The Gandhi Murder
- 71 - Years since the death of MK Gandhi, also christened India's Father of the Nation
- 34 - Nationalities featured in the film The Gandhi Murder
- 7 - million dollars, the film's budget
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The biog
Name: Abeer Al Shahi
Emirate: Sharjah – Khor Fakkan
Education: Master’s degree in special education, preparing for a PhD in philosophy.
Favourite activities: Bungee jumping
Favourite quote: “My people and I will not settle for anything less than first place” – Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid.
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
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
At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
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.
Queen
Nicki Minaj
(Young Money/Cash Money)