UAE, Abu Dhabi: Entry visas issued by purpose of entry (1974-2010)

Year	Work	Residence	Visit	Total
1974	41,491	9,035	–	50,526
1975	46,439	10,700	–	57,139
1976	42,383	9,273	–	51,656
1977	77,646	11,146	–	88,792
1978	132,059	17,198	–	149,257
1979	112,539	22,395	–	134,934
1980	105,700	19,091	–	124,791
1981	122,874	24,081	–	146,955
1982	147,746	30,426	–	178,172
1983	115,563	25,278	–	140,841
1984	86,031	22,205	–	108,236
1985	141,810	33,934	–	175,744
1986	142,595	37,427	–	180,022
1987	140,771	38,655	–	179,426
1988	143,642	38,135	–	181,777
1989	105,794	31,631	62,773	200,198
1990	89,485	22,980	33,303	145,768
1991	144,202	37,037	48,531	229,770
1992	123,454	33,264	50,755	207,473
1993	63,840	18,177	37,609	119,626
1994	54,323	15,668	40,784	110,775
1995	80,036	12,063	56,044	148,143
1996	82,992	14,882	53,073	150,947
1997	145,457	19,445	56,751	221,653
1998	149,996	21,993	87,373	259,362
1999	125,711	19,578	93,728	239,017
2000	126,944	24,385	121,162	272,491
2001	100,898	23,646	119,722	244,266
2002	146,228	24,530	116,923	287,681
2003	178,652	25,528	118,301	322,481
2004	201,604	30,228	156,273	388,105
2005	236,456	36,773	152,088	425,317
2006	294,911	41,501	197,362	533,774
2007	434,341	51,141	813,568	1,299,050
2008	677,930	63,031	756,808	1,497,769
2009	585,983	69,663	687,003	1,342,649
2010	535,827	75,744	103,658	715,229

Source: Ministry of Interior

ANNEXED NOTE

1. Characteristics of data, definitions

After finding a job and negotiating a job contract, expats must provide their employer with the official documents needed to start the recruitment procedure.
The entry permit is then issued, which allows the worker/ family dependant to come to Abu Dhabi and the UAE.
For a worker, the delivery of the labour permit is conditional to a medical exam passed after arrival.
The duration of the labour permit is three years.

2. Institution which provides data

Statistics centre of Abu Dhabi (SCAD), Abu Dhabi

3. Data availability

The data only concerns the Abu Dhabi resident population (nationals and foreign residents).
The SCAD provides thematic volumes with time series for various indicators related to development (population, demography, labour, etc.) since 1960. The present series has been published in December 2012.
Data is available under various formats (PDF, Excel, html).
http://www.scad.ae/en/statistics/Pages/Statistics.aspx?ThemeID=7&TopicID=48&SubTopicID=163&PublicationID=315

Date of access: January 2015.