Dubai’s population has just passed the 3.5 million mark as the emirate sees a new influx of foreign residents, reports The National : between the end of 2020 and April 2022, Dubai gained a total of nearly 100,000 inhabitants. The Abu Dhabi daily recalls in passing that the authorities’ objective is to bring the population to 5.8 million residents by 2040.
At the start of the pandemic, in 2020, the Gulf States experienced a population decline of 4%. Expatriates who lost their jobs had to leave and many of those who remained preferred to repatriate all or part of their family.
In Dubai, these departures were initially particularly numerous since the population suddenly fell by 8.4%, according to financial analyst S & P Global Ratings. But a rebound occurred in the fall of 2020 thanks to the early reopening of the emirate’s borders.
More students than ever in international schools
“Believe it or not, there was even a ‘Brexit effect’, observes Harry Tregoning, who runs a local real estate consulting firm. People who used to spend three months in their second home in France now prefer to come to Dubai because here there is no limit to the length of their stay.”
“The city remained open for business, Expo 2000 visitors and tourists. And – most importantly for families – schools have continued to operate during the pandemic. Add in the effect of the Golden Visa and the remote work visa – not to mention year-round sunshine – and the city is now full,” explains Laura Stockwell, who runs a real estate agency. Rental prices have also risen sharply.
Since September 2021, international schools have recorded 14,000 additional registrations. At the beginning of April, they totaled more than 300,000 students – a figure never reached before the pandemic, notes The National.