Al Ain
From The Report: Abu Dhabi 2015
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Just over 50% of Al Ain’s Emirati population is under 20 years old and this young labour force, coupled with efforts outlined in Plan Al Ain 2030 to promote diversification should see the metropolitan area of Al Ain become an economic centre moving forward. The region’s status as an aerospace industry hub is growing rapidly, with this set to generate both direct jobs in the industry and to provide employment and training in non-technical areas. Meanwhile the promotion of eco- and cultural tourism has helped boost visitor numbers to the region, with 641,000 hotel guest nights in 2013, up 12% year-on-year from 571,000, and accounting for 7.3% of all guest nights in the emirate.

Articles from this Chapter

Overview

Pursuing development goals while remaining mindful of the past
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Believed to be one of the oldest continuously inhabited settlements in the world, the city of Al Ain – the name of which refers to both the eastern region of the emirate as well as the metropolitan area that serves as the region’s capital – sits adjacent to the Omani border, 160 km inland from Abu Dhabi City at the foot of the Hajjar Mountains. These include Jebel Hafeet – the UAE’s second-tallest mountain, at 1300 metres – which sits astride the border. Meaning “the spring” in Arabic,…

Analysis

The development of the local aerospace industry to aid diversification and job creation
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A key element of Plan Al Ain 2030 – and one that will become even more prominent with forthcoming updates to the plan – is the push to diversify the region’s economy to provide employment opportunities for its growing working-age population and establish Al Ain as a regional economic centre by encouraging local employment opportunities and attracting residents. Aerospace Industry Many of these efforts centre around the local aerospace industry, which was launched in 2010 when the state-owned…