The Department of Statistics and Community Development in Sharjah, DSCD, has completed the first phase of ‘Tahdeeth’, a project to update the data and information of Emirati families and individuals who were surveyed in the Sharjah Census 2015.

The first phase of Tahdeeth updated the data of 15,912 Emirati households, comprising 127,531 individuals.

After the completion of the first phase, which took place from October 7th to November 6th, the Tahdeeth project launched the next step, which is to communicate with ‘hard-to-reach families’. This includes more attempts to telephone families who were not available in phase one, as well as field communication with families who moved to new addresses, a total of 804 families comprising 4,807 individuals. The second phase will take 28 working days and is anticipated to be completed on December 5th, 2017.

The Tahdeeth call centre also seeks to gather statistical data from Emirati families who were not surveyed in the Sharjah Census 2015, but informed the DSCD that they wanted to be included in the current survey and data gathering.

Sheikh Muhammad bin Abdullah Al Thani, Chairman of DSCD, said, "The Tahdeeth project aligns with DSCD’s strategy to support sustainable development and further the well-being of Sharjah’s citizens. It provides accurate, updated data about the population, helping government entities provide Emirati residents with relevant services and support. It also provides guidance on launching projects which take into account the demographic information collated, in line with the directives of H.H. Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah."

"Since its launch last month, the project has seen a substantial response from the UAE citizens who have taken part. Much of this is attributable to the local media, who have conveyed the message that gathering and updating information should play an important part in the culture of a community. I would like to thank all those who have collaborated with us in this significant national project that aims to serve Sharjah and its people," he said.

"In the second phase of the project, we urge all families in Sharjah who were not included in the 2015 census, and the families who changed their phone numbers, to make contact with DSCD to ensure their details are included and updated," he added