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shop, jewellery

Indians buy homemade jewellery for less in Dubai

Indians are travelling to Dubai to purchase jewellery made in their home country as it costs less in the emirates. Import duties, previously at 5 percent, were waived for jewellery exported from India to the UAE under the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (Cepa) signed between the two nations last year. “The prices are better,” said […]

Glove, Clothing, Portrait

Diamonds (from a lab) are the Gulf’s best friend

Basma Chaieri began her business after watching the season two finale of Netflix’s hit series Explained. The November 2019 episode, which explored the growing popularity of lab-grown diamonds, prompted the Dubai resident to quit her travel job and enrol in gemology school to study the trade. “I thought why would anyone buy a real diamond […]

Jacinda Ardern to step down as New Zealand leader

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern on Thursday made a shock announcement she had “no more in the tank” to continue leading the country and would step down no later than early February and not seek re-election. Ardern, holding back tears, said that it had been a tough five and a half years as prime minister and […]

Saudi Arabia’s bid to be the next global fashion powerhouse

It will not be long before Saudi Arabia produces a global fashion powerhouse brand to rival Louis Vuitton and Chanel, according to the man tasked with fulfilling the kingdom’s catwalk ambitions. “I have no doubt about that, the sky is the limit,” Burak Cakmak, CEO of the Saudi Fashion Commission told AGBI as designers from […]

Dubai's alcohol tax

Dubai’s alcohol tax cut met with some cheers but more booze

Dubai’s move to suspend the 30 percent tax on alcohol has triggered differing views about its impact on retail and hospitality businesses and their customers. Some experts say it will result in a short term boost in sales and will deter residents from travelling to other emirates to buy cheap liquor. But industry insiders disagree […]

The “inflationary increase in the cost of living" is thought to have prompted the focus on personal savings

Mena professionals vow to build up their savings in 2023

Saving money is the top new year’s resolution for Mena professionals, a survey has found. In the poll by jobs site Bayt.com, almost two-thirds (63 percent) of the 2,988 respondents said building a nest egg was their No 1 priority for 2023. Keren Bobker, a Dubai-based independent financial adviser and senior partner at Holborn Assets, […]

Arab buyers are looking for top-end ski chalets to work from

Ski chalets are hot property for Middle East buyers

Demand for high-end ski chalets from affluent Middle East buyers has surged, even though the price of a home on the slopes is rising at its fastest rate for almost a decade. Despite the pandemic’s impact on international travel, the specialist property market has benefitted from an influx of remote workers looking for semi-permanent bases […]

Person, Man, Adult

Kemal Yazici, founder, Bedia Gallery

Kemal Yazici is founder of Bedia Gallery, an art gallery and studio located in Al Khayat Avenue, Al Quoz, Dubai.  What does your company do? Currently Bedia Gallery is exhibiting my artworks. However, in the very near future we will work together with Turkish and German artists and curators. Also, in the long term we […]

Tariff hike squeezes struggling Lebanese as reforms stall

Every time a part of his old grey Mercedes breaks, 62-year-old Beirut cab driver Abed Omayraat faces a tough choice: go into debt to import an expensive car part, or raise fares for customers whose wallets are already drained by a severe economic crisis. It’s a dilemma he says has become more acute in recent […]

Time running out for Gulf’s luxury watch investors to cash in

After a boom in haute horology over the past few years, with reports of shortages that even put royals on the waiting lists, prices for Rolex watches have started to fall. But some coveted pieces will always command a premium, collectors have said. The value of Swiss watch exports to the Middle East in 2021 […]

Hotdesk co-working space

Dubai co-working startup eyes new funding as it goes global

Hotdesk, an on-demand workspace booking platform based in Dubai, is preparing to launch a Series A round of funding as the startup continues to enjoy exponential growth throughout the region and globally. The company, which provides access to co-working spaces at the click of a button, was launched in 2021. It has since expanded into […]

Smile, Person, Face

Katie Wachsberger, co-founder, Dana Global

Dana Global is an Abu Dhabi-based venture builder for women-led startups in desert technology: agtech, foodtech, water solutions, circular economy, and renewable energy specifically geared for the unique desert climate of the Middle East.  What does your company do? We work closely with our portfolio companies – early-stage businesses and entrepreneurs – to guide them […]

Sheikh Mohammed launched phase 2 of the Dubai 2040 plan on Monday

Sheikh Mohammed reveals phase 2 of Dubai 2040 plan

Agricultural industry, heritage preservation and the “20-minute city” concept are key planks of the second phase of the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, the government said on Monday. The plan – whose first phase was published in March 2021 – sets out a strategy for Dubai’s urban development over the next two decades. It is […]

Proposal Boutique

Caroline Ralston, founder, Proposal Boutique

Proposal Boutique is a Dubai-based luxury marriage proposal planning company, helping couples enjoy an unforgettable “will you marry me?” experience. What does your company do? We work closely with men from all over the world to help them deliver the most romantic and unforgettable proposal. We source the venue, flowers, decorations, musicians, fireworks, and much […]

Saudi Crown Prince in Qatar for World Cup opening ceremony

Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman arrived to Doha late on Saturday to attend the 2022 Qatar World Cup’s opening ceremony on Sunday in a show of Gulf solidarity after a three-year regional dispute ended last year. Sheikh Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Thani, the deputy of Qatar’s Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, was at […]

Black Panther stars say film changed perceptions of Africa

Cameras flashed as stars of the highly-anticipated sequel to Marvel’s ‘Black Panther’ walked the red carpet at the ‘Wakanda Forever’ premiere in London. Set in the fictional African land of Wakanda, ‘Black Panther’ became a global hit and was hailed as a milestone for racial diversity in Hollywood when it came out in 2018. Released […]

Giant new mural celebrates ‘warrior’ Maradona in Argentina

An Argentine artist has painted a giant mural of late soccer legend Diego Maradona in Buenos Aires to commemorate what would have been the World Cup winner’s 62nd birthday at the end of October. Muralist Martín Ron filled the 1,600-square-metre wall in the heart of the city with a depiction of Maradona, based on a […]

Person, Human, Appliance

UAE hybrid working leads to 90% rise in demand for home cleaners

The rise of hybrid working during the coronavirus pandemic has seen Gulf residents spending more time at home, leading to a surge in demand for domestic cleaning services. This has spurred growth in the wider on-demand home services industry, but investments in technology and manpower and rising business costs in the UAE has resulted in […]