Number of expats in UAE on the rise
Expatriates are accounting for an increasingly large proportion of the population of the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
According to official figures cited by Business24-7, the country is becoming more and more popular with foreign nationals.
Whereas the number of expatriates was rated at about 4.48 million a year ago, estimates suggest it could reach as much as 4.76 million by the end of 2008.
This would represent an increase of 6.12%.
The economy ministry believes a similar and possibly higher rate of growth could be seen next year, as the number of expats in the UAE is tipped to cross the 5 million mark in 2009.
If these estimates are correct, Dubai will emerge as the most populated emirate, with 1.72 million residents.
This would place it ahead of Abu Dhabi, which is expected to have a population of 1.62 million in 2009.
According to a recent study by AME Info, 39% of those who own property in Abu Dhabi hail from other countries.
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