Dubai is not expecting to see any drop in the number of people, according to Dubai Naturalisation and Residency Department (DNRD).
Brigadier Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri, Director-General of DNRD refuted any claims of a substantial fall in Dubai’s population as reported by some newspapers & some financial advisors like UBS.
“I don’t believe what they say. In December 2008, 86,000 new resident visas were issued and in November the number was 113,000. On the other hand, the number of resident visas cancelled is far less,” he told Emirates Business Newspaper.
“Nobody can guarantee what will happen tomorrow but I have the evidence, I have the numbers as I speak,” he said.
Al Marri disagreed. “Many people come and go. If you go to the airport you can see the rush of people coming here. The average number of people coming here has not decreased.”
The news about job losses has unnerved many in Dubai. According to Ian Giulianotti, Associate Director, HRM Consulting at Nadia Recruitment, nearly 40-50 people are losing their jobs each day in the emirate, but adds this figure includes both unemployed people and those made redundant. “Some of then must have been out of jobs for two to three months,” he said.