Author Archives: howesdubai

In Dreams

Nobody seems to know how many new housing units will come on line this year, with estimates of between 12k and 48k but some figure like 25k a plausible outcome. This would see a 7% increase in supply, mainly to … Continue reading

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All Shook Up

Emaar’s latest foray into the property market comes days after the release of 188 townhouses in their Mira development which brought chaos and pandemonium to Dubai’s streets, with thousands of unhappy prospective buyers on the rampage to purchase a villa. … Continue reading

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All or Nothing

Last year saw a 13.9% surge in foreign direct investment into the UAE, rising from US$ 24.5 billion in 2011 to US$ 27.9 billion. The improving economic climate and Dubai becoming more of a safe haven for overseas funds are … Continue reading

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Out of Time

With Easter fast approaching, the local hospitality industry is bracing itself for another busy period. Apart from the influx of tourists, another sector is becoming an increasingly important driver in filling Dubai’s growing number of hotels and that is the … Continue reading

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Don’t Look Back In Anger

There is no doubt that the local tourism industry is booming and latest figures from the World Travel and Tourism Council just serve to confirm this. The massive impact this sector has on the economy can be gauged from the … Continue reading

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Help!

Last year, the UAE economy grew by 6.5% with GDP rising to US$ 375 billion, mainly because of higher oil prices and increasing investment from within the region moving to a comparatively safe zone. Saudi’s GDP accounted for 43.1% of … Continue reading

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Goodbye Yellow Brick Wall

There is no doubt that tourism is a major driver for the Dubai economy, epitomised by January’s  hotel occupancy, which rose to a giddy 89.6% –  helped along by the success of the month-long Dubai Shopping Festival which this year … Continue reading

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Money For Nothing

Latest reports indicate that the tourism boom continues unabated with Dubai hotels registering an 83.6% occupancy rate last year – with more of the same on the plate in 2013. More impressive was the climb in both RevPAR (revenue per … Continue reading

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Islands in the Sun

Some believe that there are only about 920k Emirati citizens in a UAE population of an estimated 8.3 million. Of more surprise is the local unemployment rate of 14% and this is why HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum … Continue reading

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Number One

Yet another indicator of the strength of the local economic recovery is the news that Dubai Mall’s sales jumped 24% in 2012 and its footfall was 20% up at 65 million visitors / shoppers. If this is any guide for … Continue reading

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