Aviation Groundwork to begin soon on Dubai’s $35bn airport Work will begin shortly on the world’s largest passenger terminal in Dubai. Major groundwork at Al Maktoum International will start this month, Emirates president Sir Tim Clark said. The first phase of the AED128 billion ($34.85 billion) project, slated to be completed within a decade, will be able to accommodate 150 million passengers annually, the […] June 4, 2024
Retail Emaar starts work on $408m Dubai Mall expansion Emaar Properties, Dubai’s largest developer, has commenced work on expanding Dubai Mall at a cost of AED1.5 billion ($408 million). The expansion will include 240 new luxury stores and food and beverage outlets. The contractor is already mobilising on-site, the Dubai-listed developer said in a statement. However, no details were given on when work would […] June 4, 2024
Aviation Emirates chief backs Chinese plane maker Comac The president of Emirates, Sir Tim Clark, has given his backing to Chinese aircraft manufacturer Comac as problems persist at the US plane maker Boeing. Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China, based in Shanghai, has been courting attention across the Gulf in recent months as Boeing grapples with delivery delays, a spate of accidents and whistleblower […] June 3, 2024
Aviation Airline margins ‘wafer thin’, says IATA’s Willie Walsh The profit global airlines make per passenger is only enough to buy a single espresso in a Dubai hotel coffee shop, according to Willie Walsh, the director general of the International Air Travel Association (IATA). Global airlines are expected to make $30.5 billion in profits this year, but margins remain “wafer thin”, Walsh told the […] June 3, 2024
Real Estate Dubai developers fined for off-plan sales violations Three developers in Dubai were fined AED1.5 million ($408,441) for failing to comply with the regulations for off-plan sales. The Dubai Land Department (DLD) imposed fines of AED500,000 on each of the unnamed developers for promoting and marketing real estate projects without completing the required registration procedures. The regulations are mentioned in Law No. 8 […] June 3, 2024
Infrastructure Dubai’s Sidara submits ‘final’ $2bn bid for John Wood Group Dubai engineering and consulting company Dar Al-Handasah – known as Sidara – has made a fourth and “final” bid to buy London-listed contractor John Wood Group. The latest proposal of 230 pence sterling per share gives Wood a valuation of £1.58 billion ($2 billion) and is significantly higher than the first of three bids, which […] May 30, 2024
Video length: 06:28 VIDEO Leisure & Hospitality Dubai Parks and Resorts refocuses on the ‘right’ customers Dubai Parks and Resorts’ decision to scrap its Bollywood Parks theme park and replace it with the football-focused Real Madrid World is the latest change it has implemented over the past two years to turn its attractions around. The strategy is part of management’s shift in focus, from satisfying investors to attracting the “right” visitors. […] May 30, 2024
Markets Drake & Scull International shares up by 24% as trading resumes Shares in Drake & Scull International rose by 24 percent on Wednesday as the troubled contractor resumed trading on Dubai Financial Market following a six-year suspension. DSI stock ended Wednesday at AED0.31, having started the day at AED0.25 – the price at which it sold AED450 million ($123 million) of shares earlier this month as […] May 29, 2024
Finance Dubai wealth fund reports record net profit for second year running Investment Corporation of Dubai, the Dubai government’s main investment unit, has reported a record annual net profit. Earnings were bolstered by higher interest rates and a resurgent aviation sector. ICD owns Emirates and FlyDubai airlines, travel agency Dnata, Emirates National Oil Company (Enoc) and stock exchange operator Borse Dubai. NewsletterGet the Best of AGBI delivered […] May 29, 2024
Video length: 06:12 Analysis Real Estate Dubai fractional ownership is promising, but untested Fractional ownership of property in Dubai promises to widen access to real estate investment in the emirate’s surging market. But the lack of a proven secondary market raises questions about just how much liquidity this asset class can count on in a potential crisis, experts say. Buying even small portions of one or more units […] May 29, 2024
Construction DSI claims bumper revenues to come before it resumes trading Dubai’s Drake & Scull International is forecasting a more than tenfold increase in revenues between this year and the end of 2029 as the troubled contractor prepares to return to trading on Dubai Financial Market. Trading in the utilities and infrastructure engineering company’s shares came to a halt in November 2018 when DSI disclosed losses […] May 28, 2024
Analysis Real Estate Flexibility and amenities key to UAE office sector’s future As workers globally grow resistant to spending all week at their desks, even the UAE’s strong-performing office sector must rethink its offering to meet shifting demand, industry professionals have told AGBI. “Since the pandemic, people have realised that the workplace has changed for ever. We are not going back to working in the office 80 […] May 27, 2024
Real Estate Infrastructure work to start on relaunched Palm Jebel Ali Work has commenced on Dubai’s Palm Jebel Ali mega project with the award of new infrastructure contracts. Among the contracts is one to build a 6km-long public access road from Sheikh Zayed Road to the palm-shaped master development, Nakheel, the developer of the man-made palm-shaped island, said in a statement. DBB Contracting, a local contractor, […] May 27, 2024
Analysis Markets Bahrain tops dividend yields in mixed quarter for bourses First-quarter company earnings in the UAE, Bahrain and Oman were mixed across major economic sectors, with the four bourses trading at markedly varied valuations. As of March 31, Dubai and Bahrain had price-to-earnings ratios of 8.3 and 7.9 respectively, while Abu Dhabi’s was 19.9 and Oman’s 12.9, according to Kuwait’s Kamco Invest. Bahrain (7.7 percent) […] May 27, 2024
Analysis Education Days of high returns numbered for investors in Dubai’s schools Dubai’s private school market, once a goldmine for investors, is no longer yielding the lucrative double-digit returns it used to, the chief executive of a leading school operator has said. Navin Valrani, CEO of The Arcadia School, told AGBI new investors considering the emirate must tackle significant entry barriers, escalating costs and an increasingly mature […] May 26, 2024
Real Estate What billionaires want in their luxury Dubai homes Never mind saunas and double garages, the new must-haves are underwater sound systems and cryogenic rooms May 24, 2024
Analysis Real Estate UAE offices in demand – in contrast to the West Offices in the UAE are outperforming Western equivalents, with a steady influx of foreign businesses and local developers’ preference for residential projects. “The need for more Grade A office space is becoming increasingly urgent,” Behnam Bargh, managing director at real estate agency CRC, told AGBI. “Addressing this issue will be crucial for maintaining the country’s […] May 24, 2024
Renewable Energy Parkin to roll out more green EV chargers across Dubai Dubai is expanding its network of electric vehicle (EV) chargers as part of the emirate’s push to accelerate smart and green mobility. Parkin, the state-backed parking management company, has signed an agreement with the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (Dewa) to increase the number of EV green charger stations at prime locations across the emirate. Parkin […] May 24, 2024
Real Estate Dubai’s rich switch from home buyers to investors Wealthy foreigners are increasingly eyeing luxury Dubai homes as investments, driven by a dearth of available real estate at the high end of the market. This is a shift from last year, when affluent buyers primarily saw purchases of homes in the emirate as main residences, or vacation or retirement homes, Knight Frank said in […] May 22, 2024
Banking and Finance Emirates Islamic Bank’s green sukuk orders hit $1.9bn The Islamic unit of Emirates NBD, Dubai’s largest lender, has launched a $750 million green sharia-compliant sukuk. The indicative price for Emirates Islamic Bank’s (EIB) 5-year sustainability sukuk was set at 100 basis points over US Treasuries, Reuters reported, citing a document from an arranging bank. The issuance, part of EIB’s $2.5 billion certificate issuance […] May 22, 2024