Author: Dr Issac PJ
India’s economy is on a super-charged trajectory, accelerating at a pace few large nations can match and placing it firmly on track to cross the $5 trillion threshold and overtake Germany to become the world’s third-largest economy within the next few years. The milestone will carry immense symbolic weight, reinforcing India’s arrival as a major global economic force. Yet behind the celebratory headlines lies a more demanding question: can this surge in national output translate into higher incomes and better living standards for more than 1.4 billion people? The uncomfortable arithmetic is that “third-largest” can easily coexist with “low income per person”…
Gold blasted through the $5,000-an-ounce barrier for the first time, extending an extraordinary rally that has gripped global markets as investors seek refuge from geopolitical turmoil and financial uncertainty. Bullion climbed as much as 2 per cent to above $5,085, propelled by a softer dollar and persistent fears over fiscal sustainability and policy volatility.In the UAE, retail gold prices followed suit – with 24-carat gold trading around Dh601 per gram and 22-carat at about Dh556.50 per gram on Monday, reflecting the strongest global cues driving local markets. These levels underscore the relentless ascent in bullion demand as buyers weigh jewellery purchases against…
Investor capital is becoming more targeted in Dubai’s commercial property market as rising rents, tighter supply and regulatory stability reshape portfolio strategies for 2026.Off-plan offices, logistics hubs and community retail centres are emerging as the preferred asset classes, reflecting a shift toward income stability and long-term fundamentals rather than speculative volume-driven buying.Dubai Land Department (DLD) data shows the emirate’s total real estate transactions crossed Dh760 billion in 2025, with commercial and industrial assets accounting for an estimated Dh90 billion to Dh100 billion of deal value, underscoring growing institutional and private investor interest beyond the residential segment. Transaction volumes in business…
A looming seat shortage on the UAE-India air corridor is setting the stage for sustained airfare pressure, threatening to leave millions of travellers unserved and slow the economic momentum generated by one of the world’s busiest international aviation markets.Rising demand is on track to outstrip available capacity over the next decade, according to new analysis by Tourism Economics, an Oxford Economics company. If current limits remain unchanged, about 27 per cent of forecast passenger demand between the two countries could go unmet by 2035. That would translate into a cumulative shortfall of roughly 54.5 million passenger journeys between 2026 and…
India and the European Union are closing in on a long-elusive free trade agreement that leaders on both sides have branded the “mother of all deals”, a mega-pact they hope will anchor market access and strategic trust as President Donald Trump’s tariff threats inject fresh volatility into global commerce.European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa are in New Delhi ahead of the 16th EU-India Summit on January 27, when officials expect an announcement that negotiations are being concluded — even if signatures come later.EU officials have said the objective is to complete talks, but…
Institutional and high-net-worth investors are now driving more than two-thirds of cryptocurrency trading volumes across the Middle East and North Africa, underlining a decisive shift away from speculative retail activity towards a more mature, regulation-led digital asset market, according to BitOasis.The Dubai-based platform said in its newly released 2025 annual report that the regional crypto ecosystem reached a turning point last year as clearer regulatory frameworks, rising institutional participation and more disciplined retail behaviour reshaped market dynamics. Globally, digital assets also gained momentum, with total market capitalisation surpassing $4 trillion for the first time in 2025 and Bitcoin hitting fresh…
Arada tripled its annual home sales in 2025, riding the UAE’s red-hot property market to cross Dh17.3 billion in transactions, as demand for master-planned communities and branded luxury developments continued to gather pace across Dubai and Sharjah. The master developer sold 5,140 homes during the year, more than double the 2,171 units recorded in 2024, marking year-on-year growth of 199 per cent in the UAE market.The strong sales momentum translated into sharp financial gains for the group. Total revenue jumped 170 per cent to Dh6.7 billion, while earnings before interest, depreciation and amortisation rose 174 per cent to Dh1.6 billion,…
Sobha Realty wrapped up FY2025 with Dh30 billion in sales, marking a strong 30 per cent year-on-year growth and reinforcing its position as one of the Gulf’s leading luxury real estate developers, as premium residential demand across the UAE continued to accelerate.The developer said the record performance was driven by robust off-plan activity, new masterplanned communities and rising international investor interest. A major contributor to growth came from Umm Al Quwain, where the company generated Dh8 billion in sales from Downtown UAQ | Sobha Realty and Sobha Siniya Island, highlighting the growing appeal of emerging northern emirate destinations.Dubai’s luxury residential…
Oil prices are set to remain under pressure in 2026 despite rising geopolitical tensions, as modest demand growth is being overwhelmed by rapid supply expansion and swelling inventories.The International Energy Agency (IEA) expects global oil demand to rise by about 930,000 barrels a day this year, driven almost entirely by non-OECD economies, but warned on Wednesday that production growth is running nearly three times faster — creating a surplus that is likely to cap any sustained rally and keep crude trading in a volatile $60 to $70 range.Global oil supply is projected to increase by around 2.5 million barrels a…
Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank (ADIB) capped another standout year with an 18 per cent rise in full-year net profit before tax to a record Dh8.1 billion in 2025, underlining strong balance-sheet expansion, accelerating customer activity and industry-leading profitability as the UAE’s banking sector continued to benefit from robust economic momentum.Net profit after tax climbed 16 per cent year on year to Dh7.1 billion, while fourth-quarter net profit before tax surged 25 per cent to Dh2.05 billion, reflecting sustained business momentum across retail, corporate and treasury operations. The bank’s return on equity stood at a sector-leading 28.8 per cent, reinforcing ADIB’s…