Dubai: Almost all or 93.7 per cent of the residents surveyed for the Dubai Pulse 2015 report consider Dubai a suitable place for raising a family due to the city’s infrastructure, peace and order and basic government services.
The General Secretariat of the Dubai Executive Council released the survey results on Monday that covered a number of aspects concerning the daily life of residents and Emiratis. The report, which was drafted according to Dubai Plan 2021, featured a detailed explanation on the performance of the plan.
The survey results showed impressive satisfaction rates among residents. No information was released, however, on the number of survey respondents and their demographics and how the survey was carried out.
Based on the results, a total of 92 per cent of residents said that they felt they were treated with respect, and 72.4 per cent said that they felt they could rely on their friends for moral support. It also states that the vast majority of Dubai’s residents believe in the culture of mutual respect and tolerance.
Safety is a big consideration where 94 per cent of the people surveyed said they felt safe walking alone at night in Dubai. It comes as no surprise that 86 per cent of residents said they would recommend Dubai as a place to live to their colleagues and friends.
Regarding infrastructure, the index revealed that average travel time during peak hours was 1.89 hours. Public transportation usage rate stood at 14 per cent and the satisfaction rate with the quality of infrastructure was 84 per cent. Satisfaction rates with infrastructure related to pedestrians was 76 per cent. The average time for police to respond to emergencies was 11.62 minutes, the average response time of ambulances to emergencies was nine minutes and for Civil Defence the response time was 9.8 minutes.
In terms of health, 92 per cent of residents and 94 per cent of Emiratis responded that they were satisfied with health services. More than 85 per cent of the emirate’s residents and 87 per cent of Emiratis do not regularly take part in any physical activities. The report also showed that 70 per cent of residents and 53 per cent of Emiratis do not consume enough fruits or vegetables. Obesity rates among residents was 15 per cent and 29.3 per cent among Emiratis.
Meanwhile, the surveys showed that 37 to 43 per cent of Emirati parents read books to their children, while 39.5 to 43.1 per cent of parents spend time with their children on a daily or semi-daily basis. The report emphasised the importance of bolstering family cohesion by increasing the time parents spent in raising up their children and spending time with them, and reducing reliance on housemaids. The survey also revealed that the divorce rate among Emiratis is 47.5 per cent.
The report’s performance indices showed that the daily average waste output per person is 3.6kg. The report also indicated that 302 litres are the water consumption rate per person and 15.160 kilowatt per hour the consumption rate of power per person.
As for education, the report indicated that 38 per cent of Emiratis are in enrolled in distinguished private schools and that 91 per cent of Emiratis want their children to earn an undergraduate, graduate or postgraduate degree.
Abdullah Abdul Rahman Al Sheibani, Secretary-General of the Dubai Executive Council, said the Dubai Pulse report results reaffirm that despite harsh regional conditions, the emirate was able to take firm steps towards achieving happiness for all members of the community.
He pointed out that the results show an improvement in a number of indexes for Dubai Plan 2021, while some have remained unchanged. This is thanks to the immense efforts of relevant government bodies achieving their set objectives during the first year of the plan’s launch.
He added that government bodies will be provided detailed reports highlighting challenges that might obstruct the achievement of some of the plan’s objectives. The reports will offer practical suggestions for achieving integration between all sectors and bodies in Dubai.
Al Sheibani said the directives of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince, to publish the results of Dubai Pulse provide a model in the field of governmental transparency, and places on everyone a task and responsibility to further improve and develop. He said that the success of Dubai Plan is primarily based on the initiative and efforts of every institution and member of society.
— With inputs from WAM
