Author: Dr Issac PJ

Aldar Properties has once again demonstrated the allure of Yas Island, announcing that its latest project, Yas Living, sold out within days of its launch — generating over Dh1.3 billion in sales.  The overwhelming response underscores the island’s growing stature as one of the UAE’s most desirable lifestyle and investment destinations, drawing strong interest from both expatriate residents and international buyers. Situated on the northeast edge of Yas Island with panoramic canal views, Yas Living marks the latest addition to Aldar’s “living collection” — a series of contemporary, community-focused urban developments designed for the next generation of homebuyers. The project’s three residential…

Al Mal Capital REIT (AMCREIT), a subsidiary of Dubai Investments and listed on the Dubai Financial Market, has expanded its healthcare holdings with the acquisition of NMC Royal Hospital in Dubai Investments Park (DIP), reinforcing its position as one of the UAE’s most active real estate investment trusts.Although financial details were not disclosed, the deal brings AMCREIT’s total portfolio value to around Dh1.4 billion across six assets, underlining its strategy of acquiring high-quality, income-generating properties.  The transaction follows a Dh210 million capital raise completed in August through a follow-on public offering, with the proceeds directed toward portfolio expansion and diversification.The newly…

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is reportedly open to allowing Dubai-based Emirates NBD to acquire a controlling stake in RBL Bank, marking a potential breakthrough in India’s efforts to attract foreign capital into its mid-sized private banking sector.According to multiple media reports, Emirates NBD — the UAE’s largest lender — is in advanced discussions to buy up to a 25 per cent stake in RBL Bank. Under India’s takeover regulations, such a purchase would trigger a mandatory open offer for another 26 per cent from public shareholders, potentially giving Emirates NBD control with a 51 per cent stake.People familiar…

One in four UAE adults planning to live or retire abroad are not confident about their financial plans, while nearly one in ten have no plan at all, a new HSBC-commissioned survey has revealed. The findings underscore a growing need for smarter, more holistic wealth management — a gap the bank hopes to bridge through its revamped HSBC Premier offering, featuring the first-of-its-kind Future Planner tool.The survey, conducted by YouGov for HSBC, highlights that 25 per cent of UAE residents who envision life beyond the Emirates feel financially unprepared, with 28 per cent citing the complexity of managing multi-country finances as…

Dubai’s property market continued its remarkable run through 2025, shrugging off the traditionally slow summer months to post one of its strongest quarters on record.Residential sales rose 22.7 per cent year-on-year, while commercial transaction values surged 31 per cent in the third quarter, according to Engel & Völkers Middle East.The results underline Dubai’s growing reputation as one of the world’s most resilient and mature real estate markets — driven by robust investor confidence, a steady influx of new residents, and deep-rooted end-user demand.”Dubai’s property market has reached a new level of maturity,” said Daniel Hadi, CEO of Engel & Völkers…

Etihad Airways is sharpening its growth strategy with a renewed focus on India — one of its top three global markets — as the Abu Dhabi-based carrier doubles down on premium service, strategic partnerships, and smart capacity management to sustain momentum amid limited room for seat expansion.Operating 185 flights a week across 11 Indian cities, Etihad has fully utilised its 50,000-seat weekly allocation under the bilateral agreement between India and the UAE.  With the cap restricting additional flights, the airline is now exploring “smart ways” to deepen its India business through differentiated customer experience and targeted segmentation, said Javier Alija,…

The Gulf job market is undergoing one of its biggest transformations in decades, with employment surging and women’s participation steadily climbing — trends that analysts say mirror the UAE’s success in creating a more dynamic, diversified, and inclusive workforce.According to the latest data from the Gulf Statistical Center, the total number of workers across the GCC rose from 28 million in 2020 to 34.9 million in 2024 — a gain of nearly 7 million employees and a cumulative growth of 24.8 per cent over five years. Employment across the region expanded at an annual rate of 5.7 per cent last year,…

Al Ghurair Foods, a division of the Al Ghurair Group — one of the UAE’s most diversified and pioneering business conglomerates — has announced the phased completion of the nation’s first-ever corn starch plant at Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (Kezad) by the first quarter of 2026.The landmark project marks a major step toward strengthening the UAE’s industrial self-sufficiency and boosting the circular economy.Speaking at the inauguration of Propaper 2025 — the region’s leading B2B paper industry event in Dubai — Hamad Al Ghurair, vice-president of Al Ghurair Foods, said the project’s major civil and mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP)…

Funding raised by start-ups within the entrepreneurship incubator in5 has crossed Dh9 billion since its inception, reinforcing Dubai’s position as a global seedbed for innovation under its pro-start-up policy regime.The figure was announced during the 10th-anniversary edition of Expand North Star 2025 — the world’s largest event for start-ups and investors being held in Dubai Harbour from October 12 to 15. It represents growth of roughly 14 per cent over the total funding raised as of October 2024.Speaking on behalf of in5, Majed Al Suwaidi, senior vice president at Tecom Group, said: “The remarkable journey of in5’s start-ups past the…

When the first GITEX — then known as the Gulf Computer Exhibition — opened in December 1981 at the Dubai World Trade Centre, it was a small yet momentous event for a young city eager to embrace the digital age.I was among the 3,000-plus visitors who walked through that single exhibition hall as a budding journalist, curious about the promise of personal computers and the mysterious new world of ‘Information Technology’.The venue buzzed with excitement as 46 exhibitors displayed the early wonders of the computing era — IBM’s first personal computer, dot matrix printers, and floppy disks—then symbols of futuristic…