Author: Dr Issac PJ

Waterfront property in the UAE is riding an unprecedented wave of demand, with new analysis from international developer MERED revealing that Abu Dhabi’s seaside districts have outpaced the wider market by a striking margin.Between the fourth quarter of 2021 and the third quarter of 2025, off-plan projects across the capital posted a weighted average price increase of 47 per cent, supported by a 429 per cent jump in sales volume. Yet it is the emirate’s prime waterfront zones that stand out, delivering a 69 per cent surge in values — more than triple the 22 per cent rise recorded in…

[Editor’s Note: Find out the latest gold prices here.]Gold’s record-breaking run in 2025 is setting the stage for an unusually uncertain year ahead, with the World Gold Council (WGC) forecasting that prices in 2026 will remain broadly rangebound but exposed to significant upsides — and equally sharp downsides — depending on how global risks unfold.In its Gold Outlook 2026, the council highlights a metal propelled this year by a combination of relentless geopolitical stress, a weaker US dollar, softer interest rates and the strongest official-sector buying spree in more than half a century.So far in 2025, gold has risen 26 per cent in US-dollar…

Fifty-four years after its founding, the UAE’s incredible growth story is far from finished. It is still being written — boldly, confidently, and with limitless possibility. The Arab world’s most vibrant nation stands as one of the most remarkable nation-building stories of the modern era — an extraordinary journey of unity, resilience and visionary leadership. What began in 1971 as a federation of young emirates with limited resources has evolved into a global powerhouse of innovation, cultural vitality and sustainable development. The UAE’s transformation — from a subsistence economy and scattered desert communities to a centre of global commerce, advanced technology…

The Indian rupee’s plunge beyond 90 to the dollar and its slide past 24.50 against the dirham — levels that currency traders describe as “structurally significant” — has opened one of the most favourable remittance windows for non-resident Indians in years. With forecasts pointing to further weakness extending into 2026, analysts say the current phase marks a rare alignment of macroeconomic stress in India and supportive global conditions that amplify remittance gains for millions of NRIs in the Gulf.The rupee, down about 5 per cent year-to-date, is now the worst-performing Asian currency and is heading for its sharpest annual decline since…

Bitcoin’s plunge below $85,000 this week has sent a shudder through global cryptocurrency markets, erasing billions in value and reigniting concerns over the sector’s fragility.The world’s largest digital asset, which only two months ago traded above $126,000, has now shed nearly one third of its value, dragging major altcoins down with it and triggering a broad risk-off shift among traders from Singapore to New York.The selling has been swift and unforgiving. Trading volumes remain elevated, yet liquidity is thinning as investors retreat from leveraged bets. Ethereum, Solana and BNB have followed Bitcoin’s slide, contributing to a market-wide wipeout of roughly $1…

In a landmark move positioned to reshape early-stage entrepreneurship in India, Dubai-based NRI business leader Siddharth Balachandran, executive chairman and CEO of Buimerc Corporation, has announced a Rs10 billion investment initiative into India.The initiative, to be deployed over the next five years, aims to cultivate a dynamic, accountable, and innovation-driven startup ecosystem—an essential foundation for India’s long-term goal of emerging as a $30 trillion economy.This initiative will entail entering into strategic partnerships with leading early-stage investment firms and platforms. As a first major step that kick-starts this investment initiative Buimerc Corporation Limited, has invested into the second VC Fund -…

Faced with evolving consumer preferences and tightening regulations worldwide, global tobacco giants are investing billions to develop what they term “reduced-risk products,” positioning scientific innovation as their path to survival.This strategic pivot, however, unfolds against a backdrop of varying perspectives from public health authorities who raise questions about whether this represents genuine change or merely the industry’s latest reinvention. Some public-health experts say this shift is less about harm reduction and more about protecting long-term profits in the face of tightening regulations and declining cigarette sales. Japan Tobacco International (JTI), one of the world’s largest tobacco manufacturers, is among those channelling…

A new international analysis by a leading consultancy places the UAE among the world’s most desirable destinations for vacation homes, ranking fourth globally with a Vacation Score of 65.4 out of 100.The Property Finder study highlights the UAE’s exceptional accessibility, investor-friendly environment and strong lifestyle value — qualities that are increasingly defining the preferences of global second-home buyers.Property Finder evaluated 32 countries across metrics such as affordability, transport infrastructure, rental yield, tax burdens and lifestyle appeal. While the top three positions are held by countries long associated with tourism heritage and natural charm, the UAE’s ascent into this elite group…

The UAE is “setting an impressive regional benchmark in cultivating the next generation of scientific leaders,” a spokesman for the Hong Kong Laureate Forum (HKLF) said. Describing the UAE’s expanding ecosystem of research training, specialised talent programmes and open-access research facilities as “highly innovative”, he aligned those with the HKLF’s own mission to nurture curiosity, excellence and global collaboration among young scientists.”The spokesman noted that the UAE’s growing network of national talent-development initiatives — including the National R&D Leadership Programme, the Open Labs platform and the Mohammed bin Rashid Academy of Scientists — reflects a national strategy that “recognises the long-term value of scientific leadership…

The UAE is preparing to roll out a major reboot of its tax procedures on 1 January 2026, aiming to make life easier for taxpayers while giving the Federal Tax Authority (FTA) stronger tools to ensure compliance. At the heart of the reform is a push for clarity: clearer rules, clearer deadlines, and clearer expectations for both taxpayers and the FTA. The changes come through new amendments to the Tax Procedures Law—issued under Federal Decree-Law No. 17 of 2025—and related tweaks to the VAT Law. Together, they mark one of the most significant updates to the country’s tax framework since VAT was…