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People, Person, Adult

When brands go geek: The business of Comic Con

As the Middle East Film and Comic Con, the largest popular culture festival in the region, takes place this weekend, it is not just cosplay and comic fans who will be in attendance. This year big brands are upping their pop culture marketing in a bid to stay relevant to the region’s growing young geek […]

UAE trade minister

UAE minister predicts 2.8% GDP trade pact boost by 2030

The UAE’s first bilateral free trade agreements, signed in the past two years, will boost its GDP by 2.8 percent by the end of the decade, according to the country’s trade minister, Dr Thani Al Zeyoudi. The growth will result from access to new markets and populations in Indonesia, Israel and India, as the UAE […]

Tupan's drone has a range of 1,000km

Brazilian cargo drone maker expands operations to Dubai

Tupan, a Brazilian cargo and military drone manufacturer, is setting up operations in Dubai, in a bid to help speed up e-commerce deliveries and boost cross-border trade, the company’s CEO told AGBI. The UAE’s civil aviation authority in December published what it said were the world’s first regulations for vertiports to govern the use of […]

A total of 1,300 employees joined Flydubai last year, 80% of whom are cabin crew, engineers or pilots

Flydubai in huge recruitment drive amid record profits

The biggest recruitment drive in the history of Flydubai is continuing as the low-cost airline looks to build on record profit growth in 2022. A total of 1,300 employees joined Flydubai last year, 80 percent of whom are cabin crew, engineers or pilots, aided by the “desire of top talent to relocate to Dubai and […]

strawberries, vertical farm

The vertical farms stacking up across the UAE

Food security is a top priority in the UAE government’s development goals outlined in its National Strategy for Food Security. Political will and private sector innovation are combining, and the result is an unprecedented wave of agricultural technology initiatives that aim to improve food self-sufficiency. Across the Gulf, the vast majority of food requirements have […]

Etihad

Gulf airlines flying high again, but facing fresh headwinds

As global air travel continues to rebound from the coronavirus pandemic, the biggest airlines in the Arabian Gulf – Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad – are soaring back into clear skies. But can they maintain their rate of climb? Beyond economic and geopolitical pressures, there’s increasing competition from low-cost airlines, resurgent long-haul competitors and globally ambitious […]

City, Clothing, Coat

London FX firm launches Dubai ops to seize Mena opportunities

DKK Partners, an emerging markets foreign exchange liquidity provider, has launched operations in Dubai as part of a major expansion into the Middle East. The London-based fintech company has opened an office in Dubai and plans to follow that with three more in the region as it sees the GCC developing into a “financial hub […]

People, Person, Man

It’s a date as UAE food firms target $35bn Indian market

A food producer in Dubai has announced a joint venture to take its brand to India as experts say the market offers “growth potential” to many food exporters in the UAE.  Al Barakah Dates said it will process and export over 30,000 tonnes of bulk raw material from its factory in Dubai Industrial City to […]

Tower, Building, Architecture

Dubai mortgage market needs overhauling, says Gulf developer

Mortgage systems for overseas investors looking to buy completed homes in Dubai need to be overhauled, says the leader of one of the Gulf’s biggest property firms. “Dubai is a very unique market where off-plan sells higher than the ready properties,” said Ziad El Chaar, CEO of Dar Global Real Estate, Saudi Arabian real estate […]

The collapsed FTX exchange had secured approval from Dubai's Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority last July before it collapsed. Its former chief executive Sam Bankman-Fried is now facing fraud charges

Expert calls for crypto regulatory loopholes to be tightened

The UAE must close potential loopholes between cryptocurrency regulations established by competing financial free zones, a senior industry figure has highlighted. Different rules in Dubai and Abu Dhabi and a lack of a single federal regulator pose challenges, said Wai Lum Kwok, senior executive director of authorisation at the Financial Services Regulatory Agency at the […]

Occupancy is expected to reach 80 percent in Dubai's hotels this year

Dubai hotels on course for post-pandemic rebound

Dubai’s hospitality sector is forecast to return to pre-pandemic levels this year as the number of international tourists staying at hotels continues to rise, industry experts predict. A report by Zoom Property says that the occupancy rate in Dubai would reach an average of 80 percent this year, in addition to a steady increase in […]

ICD Brookfield Place opened in September 2020 at the DIFC

Dubai preps office projects to ease supply squeeze

Dubai needs a fresh wave of office development, analysts have said, to plug a shortage of prime space that could hinder the government’s efforts to attract more companies to the UAE.  “The big story in Dubai’s office market is the shortage of grade A office space,” said Faisal Durrani, head of Middle East research at […]

People, Person, Man

Dubai’s DIFC aims to forge new ties with reopened China

The Dubai International Financial Centre has plans to generate a new wave of interest from Chinese financial services companies as the world’s second-largest economy returns to the global stage. China reopened its borders last month, after dropping the strict controls imposed at the start of the pandemic. In 2022, when the zero-Covid restrictions were still […]

Demand for luxury residential property in Dubai remains strong

Dubai prime property price growth second highest globally

The growth in residential real estate prices in Dubai prime property was among the highest in the world in 2022, the latest report from Savills reveals. At 12.4 percent, the UAE city trailed only Miami (25.4 percent) and was markedly above the average 3.2 percent growth seen by the 30 cities tracked in Savills’ Prime […]

Dubai businesses continue discounting to stay competitive

Dubai retailers have continued to cut prices in a bid to remain competitive and clear inventory, according to industry experts. Demand has held strong, and costs have now stabilised, with supply chain issues easing. This month’s S&P Global Dubai Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), showed non-oil business activity in the emirate hit its post-pandemic peak five […]

Woman, Human, Building

Aldar forecasts $5.4bn by 2028 from Dubai partnership

Aldar, which entered into a joint venture with Dubai Holding for the first time this month to build homes in the emirate, is looking for other opportunities in Dubai. The developer’s chief financial and sustainability officer Greg Fewer said it was likely to look at investment opportunities in commercial offices and logistics property “in the […]

DP World Africa

Partnerships will unlock Africa potential, says DP World CEO

More partnerships are required to break down barriers to private sector investment in Africa, according to the CEO and chairman of Dubai trade enabler DP World. Speaking at the second Dakar African Infrastructure Financing Summit in Senegal, Sultan Ahmed Bin Sulayem urged more collaboration to address the challenges slowing the continent’s development. He said that […]

Woman, bride, man

New marriage laws set to boost Dubai’s wedding industry

Dubai hotels and wedding planners are preparing for an influx of new work following last week’s announcement that non-Muslim couples can marry in civil ceremonies run by local courts for the first time in the emirate’s history.  Industry representatives told AGBI that, contrary to international reports, the new service is unlikely to open the door […]

sun, pool, sky, sea

Dubai’s Sunset shines bright on global hospitality stage

Sunset Hospitality Group has $35 million to invest, and global expansion is top of its agenda. After securing the funding from Goldman Sachs Asset Management in November, the company, which is based in Dubai, is targeting the UK, US, the Mediterranean and Asia. “By the end of 2023 we hope to open a further 20 […]

The acquisition of Aswaaq makes GMG one of the largest operators of community malls in the UAE

Dubai’s GMG buys supermarket and mall operator Aswaaq

GMG, which manages more than 120 retail brands across the Middle East, North Africa and Asia, has announced a major expansion through the acquisition of the retailer Aswaaq. The Dubai-headquartered conglomerate bought Aswaaq from the Investment Corporation of Dubai, the principal investment arm of Dubai’s government. The deal adds a total of 11 community malls […]