Saturday, March 24, 2007
Demographics
Dubai is unusual, in that its population comprises mainly expatriates, with UAE nationals (Emiratis) constituting the minority. The majority of these expatriates come from South Asia and South East Asia. A quarter of the population reportedly traces their origins to neighboring Iran.[5] Dubai is also home to some 100,000 British and other Western expatriates. The UAE government does not offer any form of naturalization or permanent residence to expatriates. However, foreigners are permitted to purchase and own specifically-designated property without a local partner or sponsor ("freeholds," as described below).
People born in the United Arab Emirates receive the same nationality as their father. Thus those born in the UAE to expatriates are also considered expatriates.
Nearly all of the commercial establishments are run by expatriates with a silent local partner who merely "rents" the business license for a negotiated annual fee without taking part in any capital investment. The numerous free trade zones allow for full expatriate ownership.
There are an increasing number of villas and apartments in areas which allow expatriate property ownership such as the Palm Islands, The Greens, Dubai Marina, and International City). Ownership is either permanent or on a 99-year lease, depending on the area; freehold areas were announced in the press in July.2006.[6] Ownership or lease of a completed residence allows the owner to apply for (but not guarantee) a residency visa on a three-year renewable basis. The Federal Government does not state whether foreigners may or may not own property and has left individual emirates to formulate their own property laws.
Language and religion
The official language is Arabic but English, German, Hindi/Urdu, Malayalam, Tamil, Persian, Russian and Tagalog are also widely spoken.
Article 7 of the UAE's Provisional Constitution declares Islam the official state religion of the Union. The Government funds or subsidizes almost 95 percent of Sunni mosques and employs all Sunni imams; approximately 5 percent of Sunni mosques are entirely private, and several large mosques have large private endowments. The government distributes guidance on religious sermons to mosques and imams, whether Sunni or Shi'a, and monitors all sermons for political content.
The Shi'a minority is free to worship and maintain its own mosques. All Shi'a mosques are considered private and receive no funds from the government. Within the UAE, Shi'a imams are government-appointed only in Dubai. Shi'a Muslims in Dubai may pursue Shi'a family law cases through a special Shi'a council rather than the Shari'a courts.
There are also large numbers of expatriate Hindus, Sikhs, and Christians. Non-Muslim groups can own their own houses of worship, wherein they can practice their religion freely, by requesting a land grant and permission to build a compound. Groups that do not have their own buildings must use the facilities of other religious organizations or worship in private homes. While the UAE doesn't offer any federal-level method of granting official status to religious groups, the individual emirates may exercise autonomy in officially recognizing a particular religious denomination. For instance, Dubai granted legal status to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1993. Dubai is also the only emirate that has Hindu temples and a Sikh Gurdwara.
Burj Al-Arab behind Al-JumairahIn early 2001, ground was broken for the construction of several additional churches on a parcel of land in Jebel Ali donated by the government of Dubai to four Protestant congregations and a Roman Catholic congregation. Construction on the first Greek Orthodox Church in Dubai (to be called St. Mary's) began at the end of 2005. The land for the construction of the church was also donated by the government to the Greek Orthodox community of Dubai.
Financial support to non-Muslim groups from the Dubai government is limited to donated land for the construction of churches and other religious facilities, including cemeteries. They are permitted to raise money from among their congregates and to receive financial support from abroad. Non-Muslim religious groups are permitted to openly advertise group functions, however, proselytizing or distributing religious literature is strictly prohibited under penalty of criminal prosecution, imprisonment, and deportation for engaging in behavior offensive to Islam.
People born in the United Arab Emirates receive the same nationality as their father. Thus those born in the UAE to expatriates are also considered expatriates.
Nearly all of the commercial establishments are run by expatriates with a silent local partner who merely "rents" the business license for a negotiated annual fee without taking part in any capital investment. The numerous free trade zones allow for full expatriate ownership.
There are an increasing number of villas and apartments in areas which allow expatriate property ownership such as the Palm Islands, The Greens, Dubai Marina, and International City). Ownership is either permanent or on a 99-year lease, depending on the area; freehold areas were announced in the press in July.2006.[6] Ownership or lease of a completed residence allows the owner to apply for (but not guarantee) a residency visa on a three-year renewable basis. The Federal Government does not state whether foreigners may or may not own property and has left individual emirates to formulate their own property laws.
Language and religion
The official language is Arabic but English, German, Hindi/Urdu, Malayalam, Tamil, Persian, Russian and Tagalog are also widely spoken.
Article 7 of the UAE's Provisional Constitution declares Islam the official state religion of the Union. The Government funds or subsidizes almost 95 percent of Sunni mosques and employs all Sunni imams; approximately 5 percent of Sunni mosques are entirely private, and several large mosques have large private endowments. The government distributes guidance on religious sermons to mosques and imams, whether Sunni or Shi'a, and monitors all sermons for political content.
The Shi'a minority is free to worship and maintain its own mosques. All Shi'a mosques are considered private and receive no funds from the government. Within the UAE, Shi'a imams are government-appointed only in Dubai. Shi'a Muslims in Dubai may pursue Shi'a family law cases through a special Shi'a council rather than the Shari'a courts.
There are also large numbers of expatriate Hindus, Sikhs, and Christians. Non-Muslim groups can own their own houses of worship, wherein they can practice their religion freely, by requesting a land grant and permission to build a compound. Groups that do not have their own buildings must use the facilities of other religious organizations or worship in private homes. While the UAE doesn't offer any federal-level method of granting official status to religious groups, the individual emirates may exercise autonomy in officially recognizing a particular religious denomination. For instance, Dubai granted legal status to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1993. Dubai is also the only emirate that has Hindu temples and a Sikh Gurdwara.
Burj Al-Arab behind Al-JumairahIn early 2001, ground was broken for the construction of several additional churches on a parcel of land in Jebel Ali donated by the government of Dubai to four Protestant congregations and a Roman Catholic congregation. Construction on the first Greek Orthodox Church in Dubai (to be called St. Mary's) began at the end of 2005. The land for the construction of the church was also donated by the government to the Greek Orthodox community of Dubai.
Financial support to non-Muslim groups from the Dubai government is limited to donated land for the construction of churches and other religious facilities, including cemeteries. They are permitted to raise money from among their congregates and to receive financial support from abroad. Non-Muslim religious groups are permitted to openly advertise group functions, however, proselytizing or distributing religious literature is strictly prohibited under penalty of criminal prosecution, imprisonment, and deportation for engaging in behavior offensive to Islam.
Labels: about dubai, construction, Demographics, dubai, emirates, project, United Arab Emirates
// posted by davinci @ 4:16 PM 
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