The Embodied Impact of Immigrant Guest Workers on the Urban Demography of Dubai City

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Department of Geography and Urban Planing - United Arab Emirates University

Abstract

Dubai population growth is one of the fastest rate of the population growth of the world. The total population increased from less than 200 thousand in the first census of 1975, to more than 2.3 million persons according to the estimation of 2015. This population growth mostly caused by guest workers (foreigners) since they constituted 91% of the total population of the city, mostly from Asia (especially from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh representing two thirds of the total population of the city). Apparently, the foreign laborers are engaged in all fields of works. Further, they play a very significant role in the development of Dubai city.
      There are many consequences followed that rapid growth of population as imbalance of age and sex structure. But in Dubai the sex ratio is the highest among all other emirates of the country reaching 298 males per 100 females for the total population and about 350 for immigrants.  The sex ratio is quite high among Asian workers, especially those who work in construction perform and other arduous physical work, who tend to be of Pakistani, Indian, or Afghani origin. The rate declines slightly for servants and housekeepers, who tend to come from the Philippines, Ethiopia, or Sri Lanka. The majority of Dubai inhabitants (87%) are adults between 25-60 age groups, mostly males led to the occurrence of abnormalities in the population pyramid.
        Foreign employees made up 89 percent of all managers and 99 percent of those in unskilled positions ,they dominate numerically at every occupational level, and made up 89 percent of all managers and 99 percent of those in unskilled positions. They are massively clustered in semi- and low-skilled occupations; foreign workers display a relatively diverse profile: the “blue-collar” categories (from “craft and related trade workers” to “elementary occupations”. The participation of nationals, especially females, in labor force has increased considerably, which, in turns, created a problem of national unemployment, mainly among the youth. The unemployment rates for nationals, have significantly increased from 5.7 and 7.1% in 1995 to 13.3 and 18% in 2005 for males and females respectively”  In fact, the demographic composition of the UAE foreign labor force had a significant impact on the economic, cultural and even communication strategies of the city. All of that consequences resulting as Dubai became a global city.

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