Abu Dhabi's census offers a glimpse not of the past, but of the future

In addition to a growing Emirati population, more people from abroad have chosen Abu Dhabi as a place to live and work. Victor Besa / The National

Any census of a city is a snapshot of a changing society, and Abu Dhabi’s is a society that is changing faster and more profoundly than most. This week’s news that its population has grown to reach almost 3.8 million people not only contextualises the emirate’s journey, it offers a glimpse of where Abu Dhabi is going next.

What have we learnt? Recent years have been a tumultuous time internationally, including a two-year global pandemic. Nevertheless, in addition to a growing Emirati population, more people from abroad have chosen Abu Dhabi as a place to live and work, with the number of those in employment rising by 82 per cent since 2011 to reach more than 2.5 million individuals.

That such population growth has taken place in a relatively frictionless fashion is testament to the many policymaking decisions that have maintained robust services and a good quality of life for citizens and residents alike.

Long-term residency visas, an unemployment insurance scheme, non-Muslim civil marriage as well as changes to property and business-ownership rules that allow expatriates to put down deeper roots have both encouraged and facilitated population growth that in turn drives economic growth, diversification and further develops the emirate’s knowledge-based economy.

Even where pressure points have arisen – such as Abu Dhabi city’s limited housing stock a decade or two ago – problems have been identified and resolved; according to the census, which was conducted last year, Abu Dhabi has witnessed a 66 per cent increase in the number of residential and non-residential units since 2011.

Nevertheless, time does not stand still and population growth in an expanding city naturally brings new demands. In February, The National reported on a two-year collaboration between researchers at the London School of Economics and Abu Dhabi University that highlighted how main roads in Abu Dhabi city, while good at connecting areas that are far apart, separate adjacent neighbourhoods. The data gleaned from the latest census results will help Abu Dhabi manage such challenges thrown up by the urbanisation that is taking place not just in the emirate but in many parts of the Gulf region.

Expanded healthcare facilities, the newly opened Zayed International Airport and Saadiyat Cultural District are some of the examples of the growth and dynamism of Abu Dhabi.

The census adds vital data to preparing the emirate for the future. However, it can be easy to forget how difficult it is to organise a successful census. The traditional method – recruiting an army of census takers to go from door to door, collecting millions of completed response forms or tracking down those who have not participated – demands considerable time, planning and resources. Although organisers have worked hard on the 2023 survey, Abu Dhabi’s latest census is the first to be conducted entirely using administrative data, using what officials called an iterative register-based methodology that cross-referenced different data sources to provide “a more comprehensive and nuanced understanding of demographic trends”.

While a census is a snapshot in time, it is also a map. As such, the information that emerged from this census will be critical as Abu Dhabi plans for the years ahead.