Business & Money | Wednesday 4 October, 2017 7:17 am |

Sharjah Department of Statistics and Community Development (DSCD) launched a new data project that will update demographic information on the emirate’s citizens. Titled ‘Tahdeeth,’ the project is in alignment with Sharjah’s on-going efforts to boost community development, ensure the welfare of its citizens and improve residents’ living standards.

The launch of Tahdeeth is an implementation of the wise directives of His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council Ruler of Sharjah, and his commitment to ensuring every Emirati citizen in Sharjah is receiving all necessary support and facilities to ensure premium qualities of living.

Starting from today (Tuesday) October 3rd until Saturday October 7th, Sharjah DSCD will start contacting Sharjah’s Emirati citizens – which include citizens with UAE passports issued from Sharjah living in or out of the country, as well as a number of non-citizen households that include one or more of the Emirate's nationals from Sharjah – registered in the Sharjah Census 2015, via SMS and WhatsApp Voice Messages, announcing the roll-out of the project and the data up-date procedures, which is scheduled to take place throughout October 8th until December 4th 2017.

During October 3rd until October 7th, those who did not receive an SMS or voice messages about Tahdeeth, are required to then contact DSCD on 06 519 1789, and update their contact details before the end of October 7th, to ensure that their contact details are registered for the Tahdeeth project.

The new project aims to provide a comprehensive database of about 25,000 Emirati households in the emirate. The updated information will be based on the results of the Sharjah Census 2015, with the objective of establishing a central data source that will provide the basis for enhanced community development for Emirati nationals in Sharjah.

“DSCD is committed to providing the highest quality statistical data that meets the needs of citizens in Sharjah. We are launching Tahdeeth to build on the qualities of our data and to support strategic decisions aimed at strengthening the stability of Emirati households in the emirate,” said His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Thani, Chairman of DSCD.

“DSCD will collect the required data through phone calls supported by electronic systems, through smart mobiles and devices and via instant messaging applications and emails. We will contact about 25,000 Emirati families - as well as mixed families that have one or more Emiratis in their households - in order to provide a comprehensive and accurate database on their living conditions and family situations. This information will include changes in circumstances that have happened since the success of the Sharjah Census 2015," he added.

DSCD will embark on the comprehensive database update process from October 5 and continue it until early December. Citizens are requested to comply with the process by sending a copy of two sides of their family registration books and IDs - as well as other requested documents - via the department’s WhatsApp application or email to ensure the smooth facilitation of the data collection procedure.

“Tahdeeth is a practical translation of DSCD’s on-going endeavours to implement initiatives and projects that provide reliable data and statistics about Sharjah and its citizens. Its aim is to contribute to the improvement of their standards of living in various social, health and financial areas and to meet all their needs,” concluded His Excellency Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdullah Al Thani.

DSCD is the exclusive government body in Sharjah authorised to compile demographic statistics and is the source of official data. It is also the only body mandated with all community development-related policies and plans. The authority is a quasi-government entity that has full legal capacity to carry out and direct all works and necessary actions to achieve its goals.