The population of the United Arab Emirates has grown to more than 9 million inhabitants - twice the figure for 2008, according to new official data.
According to the report of the Federal Office for Competitiveness and Statistics, the population of the UAE exceeded nine million people and reached 9,121,167 inhabitants as of the end of 2016.
It also became known that for every woman living in the country, there are about three men.
Previous UAE population estimates are based on calculations by the United Nations Population Division, although Dubai regularly publishes its own reports.
In 2008, the official website of the government reported a population of 4.8 million people, which means that over nine years the figure has almost doubled.
The data collected by the Office at the national level for the calculation are reported to correspond to a "very high level of accuracy".
Government officials argue that accurate population data will make better decisions regarding long-term planning for the UAE.
