95% Emiratis, expats see Dubai as a preferred place to live in

More than 95 per cent of Emiratis and expatriates have expressed a “strong preference” for Dubai as a place to live in, a survey has revealed.

The survey also shows that the emirate exceeded all Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries in terms of the average of population satisfaction with their lives. Dubai clocked 8.4 on a 0-to-10 rating scale as compared to Finland, which posted 7.6; Switzerland, 7.5; and the Netherlands, 7.4.

The sixth Dubai Social Survey was conducted by the Community Development Authority (CDA) in Dubai, in partnership with the Dubai Statistics Centre.

Trust in cops

In terms of police performance, the survey highlights that 98 per cent of Dubai residents trust the police stations near them. This exceeds the confidence of the population in police stations in Western Europe, which was pegged at 84 per cent; Southeast Asia 83 per cent; and America and Canada 79 per cent — according to the Global Law and Order Report issued by Gallup in 2019.

Safety levels

The number of Emiratis who feel safe when roaming alone at night in Dubai’s residential areas increased from 89.4 per cent to 91.9 per cent. Among non-Emiratis, it increased from 96.3 per cent to 97.7 per cent between 2015 and 2019. The rate of those who feel protected and safe in Dubai increased among non-Emiratis from 96.7 per cent to 99 per cent; and among Emiratis from 86 per cent to 97.4 per cent between 2011 and 2019.

Tolerance and acceptance

The survey also highlighted a 25 per cent increase in the emirate’s social cohesion — increasing from 0.69 in 2011 to 0.86 in 2019 across the total population on a 0-to-1 scale.

It showed that 97 per cent of the population respects the rest of the emirate’s population of all backgrounds. About 94 per cent of them agree to neighbour residents from different groups, whether in terms of religion, nationality, language, people of determination, or different (socio-economic) classes.

Social relations

The survey also shows that 91 per cent of Dubai residents are ready to establish and maintain social relations with people of determination; 88 per cent with people who do not speak their language and people from different nationalities; and 87 per cent with people from other religions.

Volunteering

The report also showed a 63 per cent increase in the percentage of Emirati volunteers between 2013 and 2019.

Family cohesion

Emirati nuclear families prefer direct dialogue to communicate with their loved ones, with an average of 9.1 on a 0-to-10 scale. Communication via phone calls came second as a preferred method of communication, with an average of 7.5 on the same scale. As for extended Emirati families, the survey revealed that the preferred methods are visits and phone calls, with an average of 6.6 for each on a 0-to-10 scale.

Number of children

The survey shows that Emiratis in Dubai prefer having between four and five children. The cost of living is considered the most important reason for decreasing childbirth rates.

reporters@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai
• Abu Dhabi