Any Federal United Arab Emirates (UAE) government entity or Abu Dhabi Emirate government entity requesting Statistics Centre - ​Abu Dhabi (SCAD) unit record data or detailed tabular data must complete a Statement of Intent (SOI). This form helps SCAD understand what the government data needs are and to ensure the requested data are used for statistical purposes.

Please read this entire document including the Glossary and Law No 7 2008 requirements. This information will assist in correctly completing the SOI and understanding the law and the approval process. The form on page 5 of this document must be signed by the Executive Authority or a similar appropriate authority before being e-mailed or faxed to SCAD. The signature means that this document has been read in its entirety, and the contents have been understood and therefore will be diligently followed. Please contact Client Management Services (CMS) with any questions at info@scad.ae and/or 02 810 0000 Ext 3.

Anonymised data/confidentialised data: data that have been altered by a statistical technique such as deleting all identifiers (variables such as the name and address). Confidentialised data means that no respondents can be identified. Data alterations occur in order to ensure anonymity and are applied in such a way that the data are still statistically meaningful, reliable and useful to the customer.

Confidentiality: the modification of data before release in order to protect individual and business identities. Modifications are made to unit record level data and tabular data to maintain their integrity (meaning and reliability) so they are still useful while protecting the respondents’ identities. It is applied for analysis and dissemination purposes (from end of Collect phase to Dissemination phase). 

Identifier: a variable with specific information that allows for identification of individuals or businesses. Variables include Name, Address, low-level Geography, Mobile Number etc. 

Identifying information/identifiable data: data that when pieced together, provides the identity of an individual or business. This is primarily unit record data (single records of individuals/businesses) but may sometimes apply to aggregate data particularly if there are small numbers. 

Individual information: a person’s personal data; an organisation’s personal data; a household’s personal data. Law No 7 2008 uses the phrase “individual information”.

Microdata: a group or set of low level (detailed) data such as a unit or single record or even aggregate data. Microdata contains individual, household or business records. It may be directly collected by SCAD or obtained from other sources.

Statistical purpose: Any government analysis, planning, or research that requires access to unit record level data and cannot be done without it. Examples include: 

• to inform on the social, economic, and/or environmental state of Abu Dhabi
• to enhance Abu Dhabi government decision-making
• to inform on the quality/sustainability of government policies and programmes

Law No 7 of 2008 establishes (SCAD). It states that all individual information and data that are to be provided externally are to be confidentalised and used for statistical purposes (Article [23] 1).

Law No 7 also comments on the commitment of SCAD and any government entity that works with statistics to protect personal information (both individuals and businesses). There are confidentiality clauses that pertain to not just SCAD but to any UAE government entity working with statistics. 

• All individual information and data related to a survey or census are deemed confidential (Article [5] 6-7; Article [23]).
• Confidentiality is a primary principle and therefore underlies any statistical work and activities (Article [17]).
• SCAD staff and those government entities who work with statistics are not allowed to disclose individual information and data to any person, public or private entity (Article [23] 1).

There are four violations stated in Article 25 that specifically pertain to SCAD staff and any other person working with statistics in the UAE government: 

• Disclose industrial or trade secrets or similar work practices regarded as secrets that came to be known as a result of work (Article [25] 1A).
• Disseminate or cause the publishing of incorrect statistics or results of a census and/or survey when he/she is aware of it (Article [25] 1B).
• Intentionally damage or forge any statistical documents containing data (Article [25] 1C).
• Cause the loss of confidential statistical documents (Article [25] 1D).

Any persons caught will be imprisoned for a maximum one year sentence or fined for a maximum of AED 30,000 if they commit any of the aforementioned violations.

Microdata will be released to the federal UAE government and the Abu Dhabi Emirate government pending the submission and approval of an SOI (page 5 of this document).

Microdata will be released to the federal UAE government and the Abu Dhabi Emirate government pending the submission and approval of an SOI (page 5 of this document).

All government entities receiving SCAD microdata shall coordinate with SCAD to ensure that their information and data are stored in accordance with consistent measures and conditions within the SCAD organization (Article [23]).

SCAD will establish a formal audit process to ensure government entities are keeping SCAD data secure, following the Undertaking rules, and aligning with the statistical purpose as stated in the SOI. Government entities will be contacted by SCAD for further information.