Dubai's population touches 2 million

[Pakdubai]

Dubai's population growth over the years, it has crossed the 2 million mark just this year according to newspapers

Year : Population
1950 : 38,000
1960 : 58,000
1970 : 101,274
1980 : 265,702
1990 : 502,700
2000 : 895,000
2010 : 1,739,000
2012 : 2,000,000

[Pakdubai]

Other cities in the GCC:

Doha Qatar

Year : Population
1950 : 22,000
1960 : 39,000
1970 : 80,280
1980 : 162,885
1990 : 330,500
2000 : 558,000
2010 : 870,210
2012 : 950,115

Abu Dhabi:

Year : Population
1950 : 13,000
1960 : 36,000
1970 : 79,120
1980 : 211,443
1990 : 438,200
2000 : 605,000
2010 : 896,396
2012 : 942,277

Sharjah:

Year : Population
1950 : 8,000
1960 : 22,000
1970 : 57,100
1980 : 130,000
1990 : 295,700
2000 : 488,000
2010 : 800,366
2012 : 846,480

[mintgum84]

How many of that 2 million are expats from elsewhere?

[AsianDragons]

do you have stats for other gcc cities as well?

[Pakdubai]

Originally Posted by mintgum84

How many of that 2 million are expats from elsewhere?

close to 85% of it, only 15% are local emiraties

[Pakdubai]

Originally Posted by AsianDragons

do you have stats for other gcc cities as well?

Kuwait city:

Year : Population
1950 : 57,000
1960 : 94,000
1970 : 177,488
1980 : 332,585
1990 : 670,500
2000 : 948,232
2010 : 1,485,527
2012 : 1,543,250

Riyadh city:

Year : Population
1950 : 188,000
1960 : 380,000
1970 : 670,000
1980 : 1,388,400
1990 : 2,257,700
2000 : 3,800,200
2010 : 5,755,600
2012 : 5,942,660

[Pakdubai]

^ riyadh is the biggest city in the region, reaching 6 million almost

[onosqaciw]

i thought jeddah is the largest in saudi arabia ?

[VECTROTALENZIS]

How did Riyadh's population grow so fast?

Immigration?

[Pakdubai]

^ Riyadh is a very old city unlike other GCC cities, it already had a huge population pre 1950. Also the main reason for Riyadh's growth is the the saudis from villages and small towns started to immigrate there once the country started to become urbanize after 1950, and of course it also has a huge expat population

[Pakdubai]

Originally Posted by onosqaciw

i thought jeddah is the largest in saudi arabia ?

nope, Jeddah is around 4 million

[AsianDragons]

kuwait is only 500000 less than dubai do you think it could be a threatening competition for dubai's economy?

[Bannor]

Originally Posted by AsianDragons

kuwait is only 500000 less than dubai do you think it could be a threatening competition for dubai's economy?

I think it is more likely Doha will be the competitor instead. Qatar seems much more foreign friendly than Kuwait. The economy of Qatar is also by far the strongest in the gulf per capita, so the population will keep growing faster and faster.

[Pakdubai]

Originally Posted by AsianDragons

kuwait is only 500000 less than dubai do you think it could be a threatening competition for dubai's economy?

not really, population doesn't matter, it is the economy that does. Kuwait's economy is mostly based on oil. while Dubai's is mostly based on trade, tourism, banking etc....

[the spliff fairy]

Originally Posted by Pakdubai

close to 85% of it, only 15% are local emiraties

There's a difference in terminology. The term 'ex-pat' is what Westerners like to refer to themselves as, as opposed to 'immigrant'. Less than 10% of Dubayans are Westerners (read: White). The vast majority of ex-pats / immigrants are from Asia- the long established and successful Iranian community, vast numbers from the Indian subcontinent working at every level of society, from the labourers to the tech managers, and an army of SE Asian maids, hospitality and health workers, many from the Philippines but more coming now from Indonesia. Throw in every Arab or Islamic nation represented too.

[VECTROTALENZIS]

Originally Posted by Pakdubai

^ Riyadh is a very old city unlike other GCC cities, it already had a huge population pre 1950. Also the main reason for Riyadh's growth is the the saudis from villages and small towns started to immigrate there once the country started to become urbanize after 1950, and of course it also has a huge expat population

I mean how could it grow by over 2 million the last decade?

[Bannor]

Very high birth rates, and proximity to the largest oilfield in the world... Men working in oil, and women staying at home having a thousand kids. It is like that everywhere. Where the men work in oil, the population grows faster... being the financial headquarter and capitol of Saudi Arabia doesn't hurt either.

[chornedsnorkack]

Originally Posted by Bannor

Very high birth rates, and proximity to the largest oilfield in the world... Men working in oil, and women staying at home having a thousand kids. It is like that everywhere. Where the men work in oil, the population grows faster... being the financial headquarter and capitol of Saudi Arabia doesn't hurt either.

The whole Saudi Arabia, as of 2010, is estimated to have 18,7 million citizens and 8,4 million aliens. The population back in 1950 was 3,12 millions.

[Pakdubai]

Originally Posted by VECTROTALENZIS

I mean how could it grow by over 2 million the last decade?

mostly high birth rate and immigrations, a lot of south asians work there, they make majority of the expat workforce

[Pakdubai]

Originally Posted by the spliff fairy

There's a difference in terminology. The term 'ex-pat' is what Westerners like to refer to themselves as, as opposed to 'immigrant'. Less than 10% of Dubayans are Westerners (read: White). The vast majority of ex-pats / immigrants are from Asia- the long established and successful Iranian community, vast numbers from the Indian subcontinent working at every level of society, from the labourers to the tech managers, and an army of SE Asian maids, many from the Philippines but more coming now from Indonesia. Throw in every Arab or Islamic nation represented too.

true, about 10% are white, but europeans are very visible there, specially in the newer areas of the city, maybe a lot of them are tourists but still.