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Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Issues Dubai Statistics Center Law

Image : His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

Image : His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Issues Dubai Statistics Center Law

 

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, UAE Vice President and Prime Minister, has issued, in his capacity as a Ruler of Dubai Emirate, Act no (28) for the year 2015 regarding Dubai Statistics Center, in order to develop and enable the establishment of an advanced statistical system in the Emirate.

The act stipulates that the Center is the official source of statistics across the Emirate to collect and assemble the statistical data and information, as well as the analysis, preparation, publishing of statistical indicators and reports and regulating the statistical work and exploratory research. The act also bans non-governmental entities to conduct any exploratory research without the permission of the center. This permit is to be issued according to the conditions and procedures approved by the Center in this regard.

The Center according to this law, aims at contributing in driving the economic and social development wheel in the Emirate, along with building an advanced and effective statistical system and providing the statistical support to decision makers to set developmental polices, planning processes and developing strategic performance measurement. It also aims at regulating and developing statistical work to achieve transparency in statistical deployment and ensure the execution of exploratory research in the Emirate in an accurate and appropriate way based on accredited scientific approaches and methodologies.

The law identifies the roles and responsibilities of the Center, which include: the preparation of statistical work plans and programs, which supports Dubai strategy and the plans, programs and projects, related to the economic and social development …etc. Also to collect statistical data and information related to the Emirate, form data source and update, process, classify and protect them. In addition to design and conduct studies and economic, social and demographic surveys across the Emirate. Build and manage a modern and integrated statistical system to collect, analyze, process and publish official statistical data, information and indicators.

The Center is also responsible for the preparation of the statistical data and information for the decision makers and governmental entities. As well as the publishing of statistical information and indicators, preparation of demographic, economic and social  statistical indicators following the best practices, setting the regulatory bases and rules of the statistical work and unify approaches, standards, definitions and criteria related to it in the Emirate.


The law has granted Dubai Statistical Center the validity to design and execute the general census of population, houses and facilities in the Emirate as well as representing the Emirate at the local, regional and international bodies in the statistical field as well as the participation in statistical projects, programs and surveys across the country.

The Center, as per the law, is also concerned with the provision of statistical consultations and technical help to governmental entities in all matters relating to statistical work as well as regulating the work of non-governmental entities working in the area of exploratory research in the Emirate. The Center is also responsible for issuing necessary permits according to the approved conditions and regulations in this regard. The Law also authorizes Dubai Statistics Center to monitor the authorized entities to conduct surveys and to take the necessary actions in accordance to the ruling legislations in this regard.

Data sources should provide the Center with the required statistical data and information according to the requirements, criteria and technical means defined by the center to ensure the flow of these data in an effective and accurate way. The Center is also responsible for publishing statistical information, results of census, surveys and expletory research in accordance to the well-recognized methods using suitable electronic and printed means, except for individual statistical data and information. 

According to the law, it is not allowed for any individual or a private entity to conduct any field or non-field surveys except after obtaining a prior permit from the Center. This permit is to be issued in accordance to the center accredited conditions and procedures in this regard. Also It is not allowed for any public entity to conduct any statistical field surveys except after obtaining a prior permit from the Center and coordinate with the Center if these surveys are not field surveys.

The law stipulates that the Center Executive Manger is to be assigned by a decree from the President of Dubai Executive Council, and also defined his mandates and duties and the formation of an advisory board includes a group of experienced and competent persons in the areas of planning and statistics from inside and outside the Center.   

 The law has also defined the mandates of the advisory board which includes: providing consultancy related to the key statistical requirements and priorities of the Emirate, to help the Center covering them as a part of its short, medium and long term plans, providing technical advice related to supportive policies and statistical plans of Dubai's strategy, providing technical advice related to the statistical projects executed by the Center. In addition to the provision of technical proposals to achieve continuous development of statistical work and to keep up with the latest technical and technological developments in this field.

Any person who breaches the confidentiality of statistical data and information or uses them in a different purpose that the purpose they were set for or conducts any change or addition to them or sells, distributes, prints, or publishes any of them, will be punished by imprisonment for a period not less than six months and a fine does not exceed 100,000 Dhs or either. It is not allowed to report or inform any individual or entitiy about statistical data and information except through the Center itself and upon a written permission from the concerned person or upon the request of competent judicial authorities.

The law also stipulates that any person who intentionally hinders any work of census and statistics, or refrains from submitting the required data pertaining to this census and statistics, gave incorrect or false data, is to receive a punishment of imprisonment for no more than 3 months and paying a fine of no more than AED 50,000 or either of them. Any person who does not present the full data required in the indicated period is to be considered a refrainer, unless there is a legitimate excuse.

Also, any person who obtained, sought or set to obtain confidential data concerning census and statistics, without being authorized to do so, or published or aided in publishing any incorrect statistics or census knowingly, also those who intentionally give misleading information to the employees in charge of the census, or make statistical surveys without being authorized by DSC, is to be subjected to the same punishment. The head of the executive board is to issue a decree with the violations and fines pertaining to regulating surveys in the emirate of Dubai.

All sources of information are to fully cooperate with DSC and its authorized personnel in conducting censuses and statistical surveys, to enable DSC to realize its goal, so as to undertake its responsibilities and act upon the authority given to it by this law and its regulations. DSC is to seek the aid of the relevant governmental entities, including police officers, and these authorities are to extend their help when requested.

This law replaces law No. 23 for year 2006 concerning the establishment of Dubai Statistics Center and nullifies any other article in any legislation contradicting with this law, that which comes into force as of the date of its issuance and is to be published in the official gazette.

 

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