door to door census scam?

In Sharjah they had a tablet to fill in the info, or you can do it online, they ask for the mobile number to send you a link to your detailed form, they need ID numbers on the form & all the info mentioned like number of rooms, number of family members & so on. If you don't fill in the info within the specific time they will visit again to fill the electronic form with you, and they will ask for IDs In Sharjah there was a fine if you don't take part, not sure about dubai.

From 24/7 news Expect knock on your door in Dubai between 4.30-9.30pm Surveyors will visit household from February 28 to May 16 By Parag Deulgaonkar Published Wednesday, March 23, 2016 The Dubai Statistics Center has commenced population statistics 2016, which it says will help to enable proper decision making and strategic development processes for a happier society and future generation. In a notice issued, the center said their representatives would be visiting household across the emirate between February 28 and May 16, 2016, from 4.30 pm to 9.30 pm for data collection purposes. Residents are being asked to ensure full cooperation with the surveyor by providing accurate and comprehensive data. “Real estate developers and residential areas to allow the surveyors access and facilitate his/her tasks in meeting with the targeted families,” the notice states. According to the Law No (28) of 2015, the Centre is tasked with the design and implementation of population studies and social and economic statistical surveys at the Dubai level as well as building and managing a new and integrated statistical system for the collection, analysis, processing and dissemination of data and information and official statistical indices. Citing the law, the centre assures all on maintaining the confidentiality of the information and has taken all necessary precautions to ensure the use of information is merely for the statistical purposes. The notice states that all of their representatives will be holding valid IDs. “We kindly request you not to disclose your data to any surveyor who does not an ID and report the incident immediately as he/she does not represent the centre,” it adds. Ajman to begin census In March 2016, WAM reported that the Ajman Statistics and Research Department of the Secretariat General of the Executive Council was preparing to launch the pilot phase of a census of buildings, houses, families and economic facilities in areas such as Mushairef, Al Nuaimiya, Jurf and Ajman industrial areas, Al Rashidiya, Masfoot and Manama. It has called on residents to cooperate with field researchers. The information provided will be only used for statistical purposes. Sharjah census nearing completion However, Sharjah had commenced population census to gather data of all residences, properties, individuals and households in October 2015 and completed the task in January 2016. Carried out by the Department of Statistics and Community Development, the census collected data from families and individuals residing in the emirate. The committee said it has commenced data compiling to validate its accuracy, which means the data gathered will be crosschecked with personal data such as ID number, date of birth and other aspects under focus.

Definitely not a scam. We've just had them round at our place tonight and we were forewarned by building management that it was all above board. The guy who came to our door could see I was uncomfortable about giving my phone number out so he said (unofficially) I could just make one up as it makes no difference to him lol.

Did he have proper ID? This happened some years ago when we still lived in Dubai and it was above board then. The guy did show (what my husband and I took to be) genuine photo ID and also showed us a printed sheet on which the questions were printed. The questions we were asked sound pretty much exactly the same as those you mention.