RAK population rose to 171,000 last year

The total population of Ras Al Khaimah last year was 171,000, comprising 100,000 males and 71,000 females, according to the latest Ras Al Khaimah Socio-Economic Profile 2001 released yesterday by the emirate's Economic Department.

Of the total population, the rural population was 80,000, and the urban population 91,000.

The profile said the average annual population growth rate was 3.9 per cent in 2000, the average household size just over five people and the average death rate 1.8.

The weather-profile showed the maximum temperature in 2000 was 46.8, while it was 47.5 in 1999. The minimum temperature in the year 2000 was 8.4, while the minimum temperature in 1999 was just three degrees.

Maximum relative humidity for both years was 100 per cent, with minimum relative humidity for 2000 being 11 per cent , while for 1999 it was 18 per cent.

The profile said the total rainfall in 2000 was 30.9 m.m, while in 1999 it was 55 m.m. It added that the total area of Ras Al Khaimah is 1,684 square kilometres which represents about 2.17 per cent of the total area of the UAE.

The percentage of the national population in the labour force was 42 in 2000, and that women constituted 16.5 per cent of the total labour force.

The average annual labour force growth rate was 4.9 per cent, and the total number of employees working for the local departments in Ras Al Khaimah was 824 in the year 2000, among whom there were 210 nationals, 173 Arabs, 391 Asians and 50 from other nationalities.

The total agricultural area in 2000 was 123,379 donum, and 114,003 donum in 1999; the total cultivated area 116,947 donum in 2000, and 107,802 donum in 1999.

It said 2,654 tonnes of milk was produced in 2000, and 2,700 tonnes in 1999.

Last year, there were 951 fishing boats and 2,917 fishermen in Ras Al Khaimah as compared with 1,380 boats and 3,382 fishermen in 1999.

Also last year,12,350 tonnes of fish were caught, as compared with 20,170 tonnes in 1999. It added that there were 76 industrial establishments last year, while in 1999 there were 72 industrial establishments.

The total capital of Ras Al Khaimah was Dh2,787 million last year and Dh2,021 million in 1999. The profile said that a total of 2,225 new building permits were approved by the authorities last year, as compared with 2,062 in 1999; also last year, there were 5,822 commercial licences in Ras Al Khaimah as compared with 5,432 in 1999.

Last year, 23,545 vehicles were licensed and 10,405 new driving licences given, while there were 1,166 road accidents, with 43 deaths, 907 injured, and 41,811 fines.

In 1999, 24,438 vehicles were licensed, and 10,634 new driving licences given, while a total of 1,354 road accidents resulted in 54 deaths and 866 injured. A total of 21,883 traffic fines were registered.

The profile said that last year, there were 47,175 telephone lines and 53,714 mobile telephone lines, compared with 45,553 telephone lines and 30,093 mobile telephone lines in 1999. It added that there were 8,823 pagers in 2000, as compared with 11,019 in 1999.

The profile said that Ras Al Khaimah has seven post offices, 13 post office agents, 67 letter boxes, 10,000 private boxes, and seven express mail offices.

Ras Al Khaimah has 17 national bank headquarters and branches, six foreign banks, five money exchange houses, 12 national insurance companies, and three foreign insurance establishments.

It also has five hotels with 405 rooms, and 642 beds, and the room occupancy was 49 per cent in 2000 and 58 per cent in 1999.