Demographic Profile
Dubai is one of if not the most diverse Arab states in the Middle East. People from all over the world are primarily attracted by Dubai’s tourist attractions and exploding economy. Arabs wearing robes and veils walk along the pristine city streets of Dubai with the ultra-modern skyline towering above them. This scene is a sharp contrast compared to the desert dirt road, mud-house shantytowns most Westerners perceive as being the model for the standard Middle Eastern city. Dubai in itself is not a large city population-wise, but its diversity and great pull factors still proves it to be one of the most important urban centers in the world.
Emirate men converging in downtown.
The United Arab Emirates is a heavily urbanized country – 2.66 million out of the total population of 3.48 million live in urban areas, which is a staggering 76% of the population (Subbarao). Such a heavy concentration in the cities can be attributed to a lack of resources in the barren desert outskirts, the many jobs and higher education offered in the cities, and just the general quality of life offered in urban areas. Cities in the U.A.E. are clean, stable, economically thriving, and highly technologically advanced, all of which are characteristics that embody of the city of Dubai.
Dense desert skyline of Dubai.
In 2001, the population of the United Arab Emirates was estimated at 3,290,000, and the population of Dubai at just under 1 million (Subbarao). U.A.E. nationals only account for 18% of the total population, other Arab expatriates account for 13%, Europeans 4%, and the remaining 65% of the U.A.E.’s population consists of Asians (Subbarao). The heavy Asian presence in the U.A.E. is attributed to the oil economy migration flow, where people from South and South East Asia migrate to the Middle East to take advantage of the many jobs offered by the oil industry. This statistic can be accredited to the fact that India and the Philippines are among the top three remitting countries in the world.
Emirate businessman with migrant construction workers.
There is an enormous gender gap in the U.A.E. with 71% of the population being male and 29% being female (Subbarao), and there are many phases and reasons for this. The main reason is a cultural as well as an economic one, as the Muslim culture sees females as being inferior to males, and males are preferred over females because males can work and bring income to the family. However, this attitude has been greatly changing in the U.A.E. in recent years. The ratio of males to females according to age breakdown is as follows – under 15 years: 1.04, 15-64 years: 1.77, over 65 years: 2.2 (Subbarao).
Emirate women in traditional dress.
There is
a definite trend here, with the gender gap growing larger the higher the age
bracket. This is largely attributed to the education of women and advancement
of women’s rights in some Arab nations. It is also an effect of the
emerging strong and stable economy in the U.A.E., so parents are having to
rely less on their children for economic support, thus subduing the preference
of males. Another factor is the dominance of males is the Asian migrant population.
Most migrants are males, since they are the ones working in the oil refineries
and sending the remittances back to their home country. It is safe to say
if these trends continue, the gender gap will come to a close within the U.A.E.’s
next generation.
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