Author: Dr Issac PJ

Dubai’s First-Time Home Buyer Programme, launched in July 2025, is already emerging as a lifeline for long-term residents caught between rising rents and soaring property prices. By lowering the barriers to homeownership, the initiative is reshaping the path from renting to owning.For tenants, the programme provides a realistic alternative to escalating rents. With average apartment leases now at Dh85,000 and villas at Dh190,000 annually, monthly mortgage instalments—when supported by preferential pricing and flexible repayment plans—can often work out cheaper. Participating banks such as Emirates NBD, Dubai Islamic Bank, and Mashreq are offering customised mortgage products with lower rates, quicker approvals,…

Dubai’s property sector, long known for its appeal to global investors and high-net-worth individuals, is now witnessing a structural shift in the wake of the game-changing initiative.According to Dubai Land Department data, Dubai’s property sector saw transactions surpass Dh90 billion in July and August, up nearly 12% year-on-year, driven by the launch of the First-Time Home Buyer Programme in July 2025.The initiative has opened doors for Emiratis and expatriates who previously found homeownership out of reach, injecting fresh momentum into the market.Spearheaded by the Dubai Land Department (DLD) and the Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), the programme is already…

The Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries left its oil-demand forecasts unchanged after agreeing to raise production again next month, doubling down on its strategy shift in a push for market share.The Vienna-based Opec expects global oil demand to grow by 1.29 million barrels a day this year and 1.38 million barrels a day the next, supported by robust economic activity across key regions.Industry experts insist that the global oil market is at a turning point with Opec and its partners continuing to talk up a sizeable supply deficit through year-end and into 2026, independent forecasters are increasingly warning that…

Dubai’s residential real estate market once again underscored its resilience in August, weathering the seasonal slowdown with confidence as investors, end-users, and tenants continued to fuel demand across apartments, villas, and townhouses.Data from Betterhomes reveals that activity, while softer on a monthly basis, remained firmly upward compared with last year, reinforcing the city’s reputation as one of the world’s most attractive real estate hubs.According to Betterhomes, sales activity in August recorded 17,710 transactions, down 5.9 per cent from July. The total value of deals reached Dh42 billion, reflecting an 18.6 per cent dip month-on-month. Yet the year-on-year picture was brighter,…

The UAE’s expatriate population is rapidly embracing digital channels to send money home, underscoring a structural shift in one of the world’s largest remittance hubs. A new study from Visa shows that nearly two in three residents now prefer mobile apps and digital platforms over physical exchange houses for cross-border transfers, citing convenience, privacy, and speed as key reasons. The findings, part of Visa’s Money Travels: 2025 Digital Remittances Adoption Report, highlight how financial technology is transforming the UAE’s remittance landscape. According to the survey, 50 per cent of respondents said ease of use was their primary motivation for choosing…

Global oil markets are once again navigating turbulent waters, with geopolitical shocks from the Middle East and fresh trade maneuvering by Washington combining to keep traders on edge.On Wednesday, crude prices rose modestly after reports of an Israeli strike on Hamas leaders in Doha, and confirmation that US President Donald Trump had urged the European Union to impose a 100 per cent tariff on China and India to curb their purchases of Russian crude.At midday trading, Brent crude hovered at $67.09 per barrel and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) at $63.32, both slightly higher than Tuesday’s close. The gains, however, were…

Dubai has once again reinforced its reputation as a global hub for mobile professionals, taking the top spot in the Savills Executive Nomad Index for the third consecutive year. Abu Dhabi followed closely in second place, reaffirming the UAE’s dominance as the world’s most desirable destination for a new class of professionals known as “executive nomads.” An executive nomad is not the traditional backpacker-style digital worker but a senior-level professional or entrepreneur who blends remote working with an international lifestyle. Unlike younger digital nomads who often travel on a shoestring, executive nomads typically earn higher incomes, seek longer-term stays, and…

Sobha Realty has made a resounding entry into global debt markets with the successful issuance of its inaugural $750 million green sukuk, a landmark transaction that has emerged as the largest green sukuk by a real estate developer so far this year. The five-year issuance, maturing in 2030, attracted extraordinary interest from investors, generating orders worth around $2.1 billion, more than 2.8 times the issue size. The sukuk was priced at a profit rate of 7.125 per cent with an effective yield of 7.375 per cent, following a tightening of 50 basis points from initial guidance. The overwhelming demand reflected…

Abu Dhabi’s property market is entering a defining phase in 2025, with demand surging for ready homes amid constrained new supply, rising prices, and robust investor sentiment.Official figures show that real estate transactions in the capital have already surpassed Dh61.1 billion so far this year through more than 16,800 deals, underscoring the resilience of the emirate’s housing sector.The DARI platform, Abu Dhabi’s official digital real estate ecosystem, revealed that property sales accounted for Dh34.9 billion across 9,210 transactions, while mortgages added Dh23.1 billion through 7,399 deals. Usufruct contracts contributed Dh2.9 billion. Combining sales and mortgage activity, the overall value of…

Gold’s relentless surge is reshaping expectations for the future of global finance, as central banks, institutions and private investors increasingly treat the yellow metal as the ultimate hedge against uncertainty.Having already smashed records with prices above $3,647 an ounce this week, analysts now predict bullion’s trajectory could soon push it beyond $4,000 and, under the right conditions, toward the once-unthinkable $5,000 milestone.The immediate trigger for gold’s latest rally has been mounting bets on US Federal Reserve rate cuts following weaker-than-expected jobs data. Traders now expect as many as three reductions this year, beginning with a quarter-point cut at next week’s…