Real Estate Jumeirah Village Circle: ‘Where the normal people live’ It might not have the glamour of the Palm but JVC has its own enduring appeal and was Dubai's busiest location for ready-home sales in 2024 January 6, 2025
Construction Dubai launches $1.5bn housing projects Dubai has launched housing projects worth AED5.4 billion ($1.5 billion) across the emirate. The projects will result in 3,004 new homes being built for Emiratis, the UAE state-run Wam news agency reported. Of these, 1,181 homes will be in Latifa City for beneficiaries under the housing loan category. For beneficiaries in the housing grant category, […] January 7, 2025
Analysis Real Estate Pricey homes and packed hotels: the year in GCC real estate The story of the Gulf property market this year was about decreased housing affordability and a growing gap between top-quality properties and second-tier ones. Meanwhile, surging numbers of international visitors in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar brought thriving hospitality and retail sectors in the main tourist hotspots. Industry observers expect 2025 to bring more […] December 27, 2024
Analysis Tax Buoyant property market puts billions in Dubai’s coffers Dubai authorities have recorded a five-fold surge in the sums they earn from fees related to real estate transactions over the past five years to almost $4 billion, as the emirate’s property market grows stronger and prices rise sharply, AGBI has calculated. The transfer fee, payable to the Dubai Land Department (DLD) upon a sale, […] November 8, 2024
Analysis Real Estate Mid-range housing leapfrogs affordable competition in Dubai Sales of affordable housing in Dubai declined over the past six years as a share of total transactions amid changing developers’ preferences and broader cost-of-living increases, industry professionals say. Properties below AED1 million ($272,000) peaked at 46 percent of all residential deals in the emirate in the third quarter of 2018. That figure has steadily […] October 16, 2024
Media & Advertising Warner Bros Discovery buys 30% stake in OSN Streaming Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) has bought a stake in a subsidiary of Dubai-based satellite TV company Orbit Showtime Network Group, in an attempt to tap into the rapidly expanding Middle Eastern streaming market. The US-based media and entertainment conglomerate will acquire a 30 percent stake in OSN Streaming for KD17.5 million ($57 million), Kuwait Projects […] March 24, 2025
Trade Gold exports to UAE surge on Trump tariff war Imports of physical gold from Switzerland to the UAE almost doubled month on month in February as investors turned to so-called safe haven assets against the backdrop of US President Donald Trump’s tariff war and diverging global interest rate policies. According to Swiss customs data 3,465kg of the precious metal was imported to the UAE […] March 21, 2025
Education Dubai Holding is a buyer of UK’s Nord Anglia schools Dubai Holding, the personal investment portfolio of the ruler of the emirate, is among a group of companies that bought the UK school operator Nord Anglia Education for $14.5 billion. Other investors include the Swedish investment group EQT and Neuberger Berman from the US. Nord Anglia operates more than 80 schools in 33 countries, educating […] March 21, 2025
Opinion Leisure & Hospitality Ramadan transforms hospitality with quiet days and bustling nights The holy month acts as an annual stress test for the industry March 21, 2025
EXCLUSIVE Trade UK pushing for increase in business with UAE Britain is “very keen” to secure business in the aviation, hospitality and financial services sectors and elsewhere in Dubai and the wider UAE, a UK trade commissioner has told AGBI. A free trade agreement between the UK and the Gulf Co-operation Council, which includes the UAE, would support these opportunities for British companies, said Sarah […] March 21, 2025
Finance Gulf Islamic Investments makes US expansion a priority Gulf Islamic Investments, Dubai’s financial services company which has more than $3.5 billion of assets under management, is aiming to more than double the value of its business in the United States. GII’s US assets total $750 million and include an 80 percent share in ZSpace, a virtual reality education technology company with a market […] March 21, 2025
Real Estate Dubai moves to formalise real estate tokenisation Dubai is running a pilot scheme that allows for the tokenisation of property title deeds, the first jurisdiction in the Middle East to do this. Tokenisation is the process of creating and trading digital tokens that are backed by real-world assets on a blockchain. It enables direct and verifiable peer-to-peer transactions. Through the process, a […] March 20, 2025
Real Estate Emaar in talks with Adani over $1bn sale of Indian business Dubai real estate developer Emaar Properties is in talks with India’s Adani Group to sell its Indian business for $1.4 billion, according to reports. The billionaire Adani family and Emaar are discussing the structure of a transaction, Bloomberg said, without identifying sources. An agreement could be reached as early as next month. Emaar India started operations […] March 20, 2025
Opinion Transport How the Porsche 911 became a darling of UAE car nuts How did Porsche draw the biggest two-day single-make car show audience in UAE automotive history? March 20, 2025
Finance Fences come down for businesses in Dubai free zones Businesses operating in Dubai’s free trade zones will be able to expand their activities into the emirate’s mainland areas after a government ruling. The new legislation will allow the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism to issue licences or permits granting expansion into the wider city. Dubai has more than 30 free trade zones covering […] March 18, 2025
Banking & Finance Emirates NBD downplays reports of Egyptian acquisition Emirates NBD, Dubai’s largest bank by assets, has refuted media reports that it is undertaking due diligence on a state-owned Egyptian bank ahead of potentially buying a stake in the lender. Last week, Kuwaiti and Egyptian media published articles detailing how Emirates NBD – which has an Egyptian subsidiary – had begun examining the books […] March 18, 2025
Video length: 04:25 VIDEO Real Estate Short-term rentals appeal to Dubai investors The holiday home market is growing rapidly in Dubai, with between 30,000 and 45,000 rental listings now compared to 7,000 in 2017. While they may no longer offer the 10 percent return on investment of a few years ago, rental properties are still an attractive and flexible option for investors, according to Anna Skigin CEO […] March 18, 2025
Real Estate Riyadh adds 10 times as much office space as Dubai Riyadh added the most office space of any Middle Eastern city last year, nearly 10 times as much as its regional rival Dubai. However, the additional supply is unlikely to ease a chronic shortage of prime commercial property in the Saudi capital in the short term. Riyadh, which has a population of seven million, added […] March 18, 2025
Aviation Dubai Aerospace buys 17 aircraft for $1bn Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE), the Middle East’s largest aviation leasing and engineering company, has acquired 17 aircraft for $1 billion from multiple sellers, the company said in a statement. Eighty percent of the aircraft are manufactured by Airbus, while the remaining 20 percent are from Boeing. The aircraft have been leased to 11 airlines in […] March 17, 2025
Business of Sport Sports and entertainment park added to Dubai’s free zones Dubai is adding a sports and entertainment business park to its more than 30 free zones. The International Sports and Entertainment Free Zone (ISEZA), which will be housed inside the existing Dubai World Trade Centre free zone, will compete with similar sports technology business parks in Saudi Arabia, Singapore and even Israel. Dubai’s free zones […] March 13, 2025
Banking & Finance Emirates NBD to buy stake in Egypt’s Banque du Caire Emirates NBD, Dubai’s largest bank by assets, has begun due diligence ahead of buying a stake in Egypt’s sixth-largest commercial bank, Banque du Caire. The purchase would be the latest sale of a government-owned asset in a stalled privatisation programme, according to regional media. Egypt agreed an expanded $8 billion loan from the International Monetary […] March 13, 2025
Transport E-hailing boosts Dubai’s luxury transport sector Trips in Dubai’s upmarket transport sector, mainly limousines, rose by nearly half last year, driven by increasing app usage, the state-run Wam news agency reported, citing the emirate’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). The number of trips reached more than 43 million last year, up from 30 million in 2023, driven by so-called e-hailing, or […] March 12, 2025
Employment Deutsche Bank ups benefits to retain Middle East staff Deutsche Bank has raised the parental leave entitlement in its Middle East and Africa regional offices in a bid to offer attractive benefits to employees in an increasingly competitive environment. The new policy, effective since the start of the year, gives primary caregivers of newborns or newly-adopted children up to 26 weeks of fully-paid leave, the […] March 12, 2025
Real Estate Egyptians show sudden interest in Dubai property Egyptians are leading the way in the Dubai property market in terms of the rate of increase of buyers by nationality. In the first two months of this year, the number of Egyptians buying in the Dubai property market more than doubled – up 150 percent – over the same two-month period in 2024, according […] March 11, 2025
Infrastructure Dubai seeks consultant for new metro Gold Line Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) is seeking a lead consultant for its Dubai Metro Gold Line project, according to a news report. The RTA has issued a request for proposals for the consultancy role, Dubai-based Middle East Economic Digest (Meed) reported. Potential bidders are US-based Aecom, Jacobs and Parsons, Canada’s AtkinsRealis, UK-based Mott MacDonald […] March 10, 2025
