Dubai’s population forecast to rise to five million by 2030

Dubai’s population is set to double over the next 14 years to reach five million by 2030, the director-general of Dubai Municipality Hussain Nasser Lootah confirmed.

The emirate’s current population stands at around 2.46 million, according to the Dubai Statistics Centre.

Speaking at the World Government Summit in Dubai last week, he said the emirate’s rising population would have consequences on various segments.

While leading to the depletion of natural resources, it will cause an increase in demand on education, energy, employment, housing and other issues.

Lootah stressed that the current model of cities would not be sufficient to realise the future requirements of the community whether it relates to improving traffic flow, managing waste, or promoting environmental awareness.

Experts at the summit also agreed that cities had to focus on prioritising welfare of the communities along with preserving natural resources.

To address the issue, Lootah called for developing partnerships and exchanging information with other countries.

Director of International Capital Market Association-India Manvita Bardai added that leaders must take the “right steps” to achieve high standard of quality in cities and data needs to be assembled and shared with global communities.

Key representatives from different cities and organisations at the summit also signed the Dubai Charter of Sustainable Development Cities Alliance to help build a sustainable future.