Census starts in the country

UAE Minister of Economy and Planning Shaikha Lubna Al Qasimi, addressing a Press conference, said the government will be transparent in disclosing the results of the 'General Census of Population, Housing and Establishments.'

"The project is one of the most important statistical undertakings ever, highlighting its economic, social and demographic dimensions," she said.

The ministry conducted four censuses earlier – in 1975, 1980, 1985 and 1995. "This census will be different in many ways. This time, there will be manifestation of the integration and coordination between the federal and local governments. And for the first time, an advanced digital device, Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), would be used in a general census of the country," the minister said.

Stating that the private sector was also contributing in a significant way, she said partners in the project included First Gulf Bank, Emirates Telecommunications Corp. (Etisalat) and Aldar Properties. The census is also unique in terms of participation by nationals, both men and women, who will undergo extensive training to carry out various tasks in the project.

Shaikha Al Qasimi extended thanks to the President, His Highness Shaikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and his brother rulers of the Emirates for their support to the ministry's efforts in making the census a success. "I thank the president for his efforts in setting sound population and development policies in order to achieve sustainable progress based on the use of advanced technologies," said Shaikha Al Qasimi.

She also thanked Shaikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai's Deputy Ruler and UAE Minister of Finance and Industry, who is also Chairman of Dubai Municipality, and Shaikh Hamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Chairman of the Department of Planning and Economy in Abu Dhabi, for their contributions in making the project a success.

"The success of the census is a collective responsibility of all government bodies, the private sector, individuals, institutions and the whole community," Shaikha Al Qasimi emphasised.

Abdul Latif bin Hammad, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Economy and Commerce, explained that there was a set timetable for the implementation of the project. The preparations stage started at the beginning of the year and would conclude by the end of May. The second (field) stage begins on July 15 and will continue till the end of the year. Preliminary results are expected in the first quarter of 2006, but processing and analysing data will take about a year.

Cities will be divided into sectors to facilitate the work of UAE Census 2005 teams.