SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT - UAE Interact

214U N I T E D A R A B E M I R AT E S Y E A R B O O K 2 0 0 8and their unique skills and contributions are ethically leveragedtoward achieving a better quality of life for all.Dubai Strategic Plan 2015 concurs with these sentiments, stressingthat strategic success requires social development to complementand parallel economic development, and that having an effectivesocial infrastructure is the key to reaching higher levels of sustainedeconomic growth.POPULATIONAccording to censusfigures, the total UAEpopulation hasincreased by astaggering74.8 per cent since thelast census wasconducted in 199516001400120010008006004002000ABU DHABIDUBAISHARJAHAJMANRA’S AL KHAIMAHUMM AL QAIWAINFUJAIRAHPopulation by emirate2006 in thousands.Source: IMF Report 2007Preliminary results of the 2005 census released in mid-2006revealed that the total UAE population counted on census nightwas 3,769,080. This figure includes nationals and non-nationals,but does not take into account 335,615 non-nationals who hadresidence visas but were not in the UAE on the night. When bothfigures are added together the total was 4,104,695, a staggering74.8 per cent increase compared to the last census conducted in1995 when the population numbered 2,411,041. The most recentestimates in mid-2007 put the population figure at 4,106,427.Since the detailed demographic structure of excluded groups isnot available, the population census breakdown covered onlythose counted (3,769,080). On that basis, 67.6 per cent of thepopulation are male and 32.4 per cent are female. UAE citizensconstitute 21.9 per cent of the total counted population, withnational males forming 50.7 per cent and national females49.3 per cent. Non-nationals form 78.1 per cent of the totalcounted population and 79.9 per cent of the total UAE population.Based on the census data, 38.1 per cent of nationals are less than14 years old, 51.1 per cent are less than 20 years old, and 48.8 percent of non-nationals belong to the age group 25 to 40 years.Overall 52.9 per cent of the total population are between 20 and39 years old.ID CARDSEmirates Identity Authority (EIDA), a Federal Governmentorganisation, has been entrusted with the task of developing andimplementing a modern and integrated population register and