Daytime v. nighttime population of Dubai:: Khaleej Times

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Juma Alhosani, Head of Production and Trade Statistics at the Centre, claimed that the emirate’s population is often ‘misquoted’ to be 1.3 million or more, which was probably “the day-time population of Dubai”, which includes residents of neighbouring emirates who come to Dubai everyday for work. While the centre clarified that the ‘floating population’ in Dubai is not taken into consideration, the quarterly report, however, does not mention the centre’s estimate of the emirate’s daytime population.

With scores of development projects being carried out in the emirate, a higher rate of population growth is expected, and the projected population figures for the emirate are indicative of this growth rate.

If you build it they will come?

Explaining the census methodology followed by the authority to collect data on the emirate’s population, Alhosani said it is based on surveys and does not account for those with Dubai residence visas living in the neighbouring emirates. “The day-time population of Dubai is higher because many people living in neighbouring emirates commute to Dubai and work here. Our focus is essentially the night-time population, which is the real population of the emirate, and data on this is collected through our surveyors” he explained.

Your residence visa is a work visa saying in which emirate you are allowed to work. Your residence does not have to be in the emirate where your residence visa is assigned. Got that?

This Iranian source seems to have the gender numbers reversed.