Author: Dr Issac PJ

Sharjah has posted an extraordinary first nine months of 2025 in its real-estate sector, underscoring a surge of investor confidence, a widening investor base and strategic growth credentials.Official figures from the Sharjah Real Estate Registration Department (SRERD) show that property transactions reached Dh44.3 billion, representing a striking 58.3 per cent jump compared to the same period in 2024.That sum already exceeds the full-year total for 2024, which stood at around Dh40 billion, signalling that Sharjah has not only maintained momentum but accelerated past last year’s benchmark. Transaction volume also climbed meaningfully: the number of property deals rose to 80,320, up…

BLS International Services Ltd, a global leader in government-to-citizen service outsourcing, has been awarded a three-year contract by India’s Ministry of External Affairs to establish and operate Indian Visa Application Centres (IVACs) across China.For the UAE, where BLS has operated since 2011, the award underscores Dubai and Abu Dhabi’s growing role in India’s global consular network. BLS manages visa and consular services for several missions in the Emirates, including the Indian Embassy, and embassies of Spain, Italy, and Slovakia, through a network of 23 centres. Its long-standing presence in the UAE, serving both Indian nationals and international applicants, has established…

Dubai’s bold target to attract 10,000 artificial intelligence firms by 2030 is evolving from vision to execution, signalling a new phase in the emirate’s transformation into a global technology powerhouse.  As a follow-up to earlier announcements positioning the UAE as the “Startup Capital of the World,” recent developments in AI infrastructure, capital inflows, and global partnerships show how this goal is being operationalised — potentially reshaping Dubai’s economic structure and reinforcing its competitive edge in the global digital economy.At the latest edition of Expand North Star 2025 — hosted by the Dubai World Trade Centre and the Dubai Chamber of…

Oil markets are bracing for a turbulent fourth quarter as Brent crude hovers near $61 a barrel and traders increasingly question whether prices can hold above the critical $55 floor — or collapse toward $50 if global demand softens.Analysts warn that the delicate balance between Opec+ output growth and fading consumption could soon tip decisively, setting the tone for 2026’s energy landscape.Brent crude traded around $61.2 and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) near $57.5 last week, both benchmarks down nearly 15 per cent over the year as rising supply collides with uncertain demand. Bank of America (BofA) continues to defend its…

In a landmark move poised to reshape Abu Dhabi’s investment landscape, International Holding Company (IHC) announced plans to merge three of its flagship portfolio entities—2PointZero, Multiply Group, and Ghitha Holding—into a single listed powerhouse valued at about Dh120 billion.The new entity, to be renamed 2PointZero Group PJSC, will remain listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and is designed to serve as a next-generation investment platform driving value creation across the energy and consumer sectors.The merger, expected to be completed by mid-November, marks one of the UAE’s most ambitious corporate integrations to date and underscores IHC’s role in building…

The UAE has emerged as one of the world’s fastest-growing luxury markets, with Euromonitor International projecting a robust 9 per cent growth rate between 2025 and 2030. The country’s burgeoning affluent population, appetite for experiential luxury, and expanding wellness and lifestyle sectors are turning it into a key driver of global luxury demand.According to Euromonitor’s World Market for Luxury Goods 2025 report, the global luxury industry, now valued at $1.5 trillion, remains resilient despite economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions. The UAE and wider Middle East are at the forefront of this momentum, joining the ranks of South Africa, Sweden, India, and Indonesia as…

The International Energy Agency (IEA) has significantly raised its projections for global oil supply, warning of a swelling surplus in 2026 as Opec+ and other producers boost output against a tepid demand backdrop.In its October Oil Market Report, the IEA pegged supply growth at 3.0 million barrels per day (bpd) in 2025 — up from its earlier estimate of 2.7 million — and expects a further 2.4 million bpd increase in 2026. Meanwhile, demand is forecast to underperform. The agency trimmed its 2025 demand growth estimate to 710,000 bpd, down by 30,000 bpd, and expects a similar uptick in 2026 of…

Dubai’s iconic Sheikh Zayed Road is set to welcome a new architectural marvel — Sobha SkyParks, a soaring 109-storey tower that will rank among the UAE’s five tallest developments and stand as the tallest creation in Sobha Realty’s portfolio.Rising about 450 metres, the ultra-luxury project promises to blend art, engineering, and lifestyle into a single vertical masterpiece.Sobha Realty said the launch of SkyParks represents a defining moment in its journey to shape Dubai’s next-generation skyline. Designed around the company’s philosophy of “The Art of Detail,” the tower’s striking form features five interlinked sub-towers, creating a sleek, linear silhouette framed by…

In its latest World Economic Outlook, the International Monetary Fund has sharply raised its growth projection for the UAE, underscoring the nation’s increasingly robust footing amid global volatility.The IMF now expects the UAE’s real GDP to expand by 4.8 per cent in 2025, up from its earlier estimate in April — and forecasts even stronger momentum in 2026 with 5.0 per cent growth, a figure unchanged from its spring outlook.This optimism comes against a backdrop of softening global growth. The WEO projects global expansion to ease from 3.3 per cent in 2024 to 3.2 per cent in 2025, then slip…

Comera Pay, part of Abu Dhabi’s Royal Group, has partnered with TAMM — the Emirate’s unified digital platform for government services — to enable seamless digital payments for residents and businesses, marking a major milestone in the capital’s smart government transformation.The partnership was formalised with a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed during GITEX Global 2025 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, coinciding with the official launch of Comera Pay as a direct payment option within the TAMM ecosystem. The integration allows users with an active Comera Pay Wallet to instantly and securely pay for a wide range of government services directly…