A sweeping government survey has found that nearly 95 per cent of Dubai residents consider the emirate their preferred place to live, with safety, religious freedom, and quality of life cited as the primary reasons — findings that come as the UAE marks its Year of the Family.
The Community Development Authority released the eighth cycle of its Social Survey (2024–2025) this week, drawing on responses across several demographic groups to assess happiness, inclusion, and social cohesion in the emirate.
Residents reported an average happiness score of 8.6 out of 10, with life satisfaction averaging 8.72. Senior citizens recorded a happiness index of 86.8 per cent, which the CDA cited as evidence of the emirate’s inclusive care systems for older populations.
Among the survey’s headline figures is the Family Bond Index, which came in at 95.3 per cent. The result takes on added significance given the UAE’s Year of the Family designation, which has placed household ties and values at the forefront of national policy this year.
Social connectedness also featured prominently in the data. Roughly 84 per cent of respondents said they had someone they could count on during difficult times. Volunteerism saw a notable jump, climbing from 8.4 per cent to 13.2 per cent, an increase the CDA attributed to a maturing culture of civic participation.
On inclusion, more than 90 per cent of People of Determination reported feeling integrated into society. The survey also noted broad satisfaction with access to education and essential services across resident communities.
Pride in residency was near-universal: 96.4 per cent of UAE nationals and expatriates alike said they felt proud to live in Dubai — a figure the authority described as reflecting the emirate’s diverse and inclusive social model.
CDA Director General Hessa bint Essa Buhumaid said the results affirmed the emirate’s direction. “The results of the eighth cycle reaffirm that Dubai continues to progress steadily towards its development goals, placing people and families at the centre of its priorities,” she said. “This enhances quality of life and reinforces societal stability, in line with the Dubai Social Agenda 33.”
She described the survey as a strategic policy instrument, supported by advanced analytics and an interactive dashboard intended to improve transparency in decision-making.
Digital infrastructure underpins much of the emirate’s social development picture, with 98.6 per cent of households reporting internet access. On the economic side, 30.3 per cent of Emiratis identified business-related borrowing as a primary financial motivation — a figure the survey linked to rising interest in entrepreneurship and financial independence.
Awareness of community majalis among Emiratis reached 92.6 per cent, with attendance figures climbing sharply in recent years, reinforcing their function as spaces for civic dialogue.
The Social Survey evaluates seven core pillars — among them quality of life, family cohesion, financial well-being, social inclusion, and digital life — and is used as a reference framework for policymaking under the Dubai Social Agenda 33.
