Analysis Construction Dubai developers relaunch stalled projects as demand surges The number of new residential real estate project launches in Dubai is soaring and has exceeded pre-pandemic levels in the third quarter of 2022. Developers are relaunching previously on-hold projects to capitalise on favourable market conditions, according to real estate consultancy CORE. It said about 5,700 units were delivered in Dubai in Q3, taking the […] October 10, 2022
Tourism Sales of one-way tickets to Dubai double as Russians flee call-up The number of Russians booking one-way tickets to Dubai doubled in a week after President Vladimir Putin announced a partial mobilisation to fight in Ukraine, flight data has revealed. Putin’s television address on September 21 prompted a spike in demand and web searches for flights out of the country. Travel analytics firm ForwardKeys has found […] October 4, 2022
Energy Jet fuel pipeline opens as Dubai gears up for World Cup flights ENOC's 16.2km pipeline is delivering fuel to Al Maktoum International Airport, which will be a hub for World Cup match-day flights to Qatar October 3, 2022
Real Estate Dubai’s latest property craze: luxury underground bunkers A Swiss design firm is tapping into the latest must-have property desire for the UAE’s super rich – luxury underground bunkers. Prices start from $10 million and the developments are used for everything from pools and garages to panic rooms and secure meeting rooms. Oppidum, a design firm established in 2015 in Lucerne by entrepreneur […] October 2, 2022
Exclusive Tech Metaverse will boost online home sales ‘five-fold’, says Damac One of Dubai’s largest real estate developers is already close to $500 million in property sales each year online – and the metaverse is expected to help this grow more than five-fold when it is fully utilised as a selling channel. Many observers may be sceptical about the nascent Web3 sector, but Damac Properties is […] September 30, 2022
Construction Nakheel sold 29 homes on stalled Palm Jebel Ali, official data shows Palm Jebel Ali, the Dubai mega project set to be relaunched soon by developer Nakheel, sold a total of 29 homes before work on the project was halted in 2009. State-owned developer Nakheel has confirmed it was set to relaunch the manmade, palm-shaped, island project, which is said to be one-and-a-half times the size of […] September 28, 2022
EXCLUSIVE Economy ‘Everyone’s attacking Truss but her plan will attract foreign investors’, says Damac exec The British government's plans to reduce taxes and planning red tape will attract Gulf investors, says Damac executive Ali Sajwani September 28, 2022
EXCLUSIVE Construction Nakheel confirms relaunch of Palm Jebel Ali Dubai state-owned developer Nakheel has confirmed it is planning to relaunch the Palm Jebel Ali master project, as it looked to take advantage of record demand for real estate in the emirate. Palm Jebel Ali is one of a series of manmade, palm-shaped island projects off the coast of Dubai. Launched in 2002, it stalled […] September 28, 2022
Opinion Tourism Dubai hospitality: poolside luxe versus Gen Z entertainments The future of Dubai tourism could evolve towards more carefree, young travellers who crave new experiences on holiday September 27, 2022
Dubai warehousing costs rise to among the highest in the world Warehousing costs in Dubai rose by 7.7 percent in the 12 months to June 2022, making it one of the most premium warehousing markets in the world. Across 52 global markets monitored by Savills for its 2022 Impacts programme, Dubai was ranked fourth due to strong demand and lack of Grade A stock, leading to occupancy […] September 22, 2022
Dubai aims to create $9.5bn robotics industry Dubai today launched an initiative to turn robotics and automation into a $9.5 billion sector. Under the plan announced by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, the use of robotics and automation (R&A) will be accelerated in key economic sectors in a bid to increase the sector’s contribution to […] September 21, 2022
Analysis Real Estate ‘Jury’s still out’ on hybrid working, says top fund manager “The jury’s still out” on the post-pandemic model of working partly in the office and partly at home, according to a leading UAE real estate investment trust (REIT) manager. Thierry Leleu, CEO of Equitativa, told AGBI that the “office sector is a sector that we are confident in here in the UAE.” Equitativa is manager […] September 21, 2022
Analysis Injection of interest in beauty industry as men turn to ‘Brotox’ Botox injections are becoming increasingly commonplace among men in the business world, but could they really prove the difference in securing that big, career-defining deal? It may sound far fetched but businessmen in the Middle East are turning to botulinum toxin type A, as the pressure to look good in the “Zoom Boom” era continues […] September 18, 2022
Markets Salik’s $1bn IPO target ‘easily achievable’ after stake boost Dubai toll gate operator Salik’s decision to increase the number of shares offered in its initial public offering will yield lower stock price volatility, and the $1 billion the government aims to raise “seems easily achievable”, analysts have predicted. Salik Company announced on Friday that it has increased the size of the stake it is […] September 17, 2022
Analysis Real Estate Rents near record levels in Dubai as interest rates bite House price growth in Dubai fell to its slowest rate in 18 months in August, with experts saying that the rising cost of mortgages is starting to impact the market. While the city’s real estate sector is hitting record highs, rising interest rates are putting the squeeze on some landlords. As a result rents are […] September 15, 2022
Aviation Emirates boosts Algiers flights as Algeria rebounds from Covid Dubai’s Emirates is increasing its flights to Algeria, as the country enjoys a marked improvement on its path to post-pandemic economic recovery. The Dubai airline will add a fifth weekly flight to Algiers from October 7, using a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Emirates began operations to Algiers in 2013. It resumed services in November 2021 after […] September 14, 2022
Real Estate Burj Khalifa broke its sales record in 2021 – and is set to do it again The Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, recorded its highest residential sales in volume and value last year – and is on track to break that record in 2022. Data from property consultancy Knight Frank and real estate analytics portal REIDIN shows that the volume of residential transactions at the Dubai skyscraper hit 106 in […] September 14, 2022
Real Estate Dubai on alert as distressed assets become a real possibility Dubai’s real estate sector may be hitting record highs but rising interest rates are putting the squeeze on some landlords, leading to increased opportunities to snap up distressed assets in the coming year. “I had that conversation actually a couple of days ago with one of the local banks,” Thierry Leleu, chief executive officer of […] September 12, 2022
Retail Dubai Duty Free rehires 2,000 staff Dubai Duty Free has recalled nearly 2,000 staff who were laid off during the global pandemic as the recovery in the regional aviation industry gathers pace. After announcing that sales have more than doubled in the first eight months of 2022 compared to the same period last year, the airport retailer said it has recovered […] September 6, 2022
Tourism Dubai hotel rates surge by up to 75% during World Cup Dubai Marathon has been forced to move its upcoming race in December 2022 to February 2023, as organisers said the massive demand by football fans to base themselves in the emirate has resulted in a lack of hotel rooms, with average daily rates during the tournament rising by as much as 75 percent. “Thousands of […] August 30, 2022