Jebel Ali – A Calm Business Environment

Jebel Ali is a quiet little town just next to the main Dubai City which has all the hustle and bustle of a metro city. It is one of the busiest ports of the world and the main reason of its popularity is industry as it hosts some 5500 companies at the moment which are from different parts of the world and belong to a hundred and twenty different countries. The village gives it a serene look which attracts the peace-seekers who come here to enjoy the calm that is there in the air of this port city. It hosts thousands of employees in it as most of the companies provide the residence to their employees as well.

Though the sunshine is quite bright yet the cool sea breeze of the Arabian Gulf fights it out even nicely to give visitors a pleasant weather at the day-time and that is why numerous people are seen on the weekends who desire an escape from the scorching heat and noise of Dubai. It is one of those places where the population almost gets cut to a half of that in the morning as it is an industrial area and most of the people living here are the laborers. One is ought to have a car to visit Jebel Ali as it is at a distance of around 35 kilometers from the Dubai City but the Dubai Metro Bus service is also an equally reliable way of transportation.

Jebel Ali was developed by the Dubai administration by offering the best of amenities to the businessmen in the 1980s by evading all the income tax and all sorts of duties from imports and exports. The investors were also allowed to do business here without paying any corporate taxes for 15 years and to top it, the restriction of the limited usage of foreign currency was also lifted to make more and more investors come to this city and invest their money in it. And all these measures paid off as well as it is one of the most flowing sea ports in the entire world.

The Dubai real estate is already overflowing and the construction process is fast evolving it into becoming one of the busiest places in the world and the villas in Jebel Ali seem to be a refuge from that busy life. The people who love to have a calm and passive environment live here and they find it a place where they can lead their life in peace.

Nothing is as Comforting as Apartments in Dubai

Dubai is one of those places that an investor would always love to invest in as this city offers more than any other city could provide to the investor. The city is a duty-free zone and at the same time it is a huge attraction for the tourists that make it get an exclusive privilege of getting more investment from the international businessmen. As a result the economy is thriving in the state like the entire United Arab Emirates and the prices and rents of apartments in Dubai are rising day-by-day. The job-seekers are flocking to Dubai and the best accommodation that they find in this city is these apartments.

The property prices are always directly proportional to the amount of investment from foreign investors in coming to the city in such international cities that Dubai is one of. Dubai has provided everything that an investor would want to have if he wants to put his money on something. It is one of the best tourist spots in the world with beaches and the parties on them, some of the largest shopping malls on the face of the globe, excellent hotels and restaurants and all these facilities topped with the free market with no duties on imports, make Dubai one of the most exciting markets in the world to invest in.

The thriving hotel industry and the overall booming economy of the city make Dubai one of the largest homes for the expats. Expats make up around 84% of the total population of the city and most of them are the ones who have come here for the sake of jobs and small businesses. The best accommodation option for these people is the apartments that are available both for rent as well as sales. These apartments fulfill their needs as they can be shared by more than two people and this makes them affordable and being available all over the city, they make it easier for the employee class to find homes near their work-places.

On the other hand the luxury apartments in Dubai also allure the businessmen with their extravagant look and mind blowing locations like Dubai Marina and Downtown Dubai. These are some of the most expensive locations in the entire world and the apartments there worth millions. So the international investors and the job-seekers flock to the Dubai city where bounties in every business sector are in the offing and this makes the Dubai real estate to get the maximum attention in the entire region.

Traditional Sports of the UAE

Almost all countries in the world has some sports that are related to its culture and with time these sports turn into a tradition of the locals that they adore and feel allegiance to. They feel ownership in these games and some sports in the world are like a trademark for countries and those countries are known for them. For example when one names Olympics, the first thing that comes to mind is Greece while when Baseball is heard of, the name that flashes to mind immediately is of United States of America. Same is the case with Falconry and Camel Racing in the United Arab Emirates.

Falconry is an old art that is now used mainly for sports purposes but in the ancient era, it was one of the ways that were used for hunting. Although, even today as a sport it is used for the sake of hunting but in those times, it was no sports and was used only for the sake of hunting hares and houbara. It was a need then and an enjoyment now, that is why the government has imposed some restrictions on the game and hunting more than a limit is now prohibited because over-hunting can prove fatal for the species being hunted. Unfortunately, falcons are in a danger of extinction as their breed is being hunted a lot but the government is trying its best with the assistance of UNESCO to protect this rare species.

Another such sport is the camel racing which is renowned all over the world and is one of those sports that Dubai is known for. The camel race is widely followed by the Dubai locals and it is an exciting site to watch the camels racing amidst all that hue and cry that the spectators make. These sounds make the camel scared and it runs even faster. Previously kids were used for this purpose that would be boarded on the camel for the race, but this was declared illegal by the government and now only robots can be used for this purpose as a number of people riding the camels in these races lost their lives. The camels of Omani Sudania breeds normally take part in the race and they are prepared by their owners in a way that they are perfect for the race.

Sports are an integral part of human life and any sports that elevates to a level of a tradition for any country must be preserved. Falconry and camel racing are two such sports for Dubai and it is the need of the hour that these sports are preserved by the government and the locals and it is also important at the same time to save the lives of the animals and humans that lose it in these games.

Tourism Again Propping Up Dubai Real Estate

Dubai property has become one of the most demanded cities in the world today with some of the best tourism facilities as well as a shopping heaven for the lovers of shopping with its duty-free nature. The business has also thrived in the city due to the duty-free nature of the city and as a result a huge number of people from other parts of the world have come to settle here in Dubai. The property prices have also risen due to this large influx of expats and the property rent in Dubai has increased manifolds during the past few years.

Dubai is one of those places that can never be counted out as a property market because it has always survived through every thick and thin of the time. The bad patch that had hit the real estate sector all over the world some four years ago had hurt Dubai property prices as well and the realty sector in the city that was thriving till then had to face this blow. However, it is one of the first markets that showed the signs of recovery in 2011 and now the property prices are increasing with every day passing. The major stake holders in Dubai like Emaar properties and Nakheel have stated that their revenues have increased by billions and this clearly indicates that the Dubai city has finally gone through its worst patch.

The business and tourism industry has by and large recovered from that worst slump as well and as a result the outsiders have again started to come here for seeking jobs. These job-seekers and employees normally seek villas or apartments for rent in Dubai to live in an affordable and comfortable place. While at the same time the beautiful natural locations and the man-made wonders like Burj Khalifa and The Palm Jumeirah Islands have begun to attract the people from showbiz as well and every year Dubai hosts numerous film fares and award ceremonies.

All these have crystallized to make Dubai one of the most desired locations in the world and as a result the property market has again started to take advantage as it took during the first decade of the century. The tourism industry had flourished in the Dubai city because of the projects like Burj al Arab and Virgin Islands that attracted tourists from all parts of the world and consequently the real estate prices multiplied within a few years and apparently it seems that the Dubai real estate will be the ultimate gainer this time as well.

UAE – A Survivor by Nature

The United Arab Emirates that is one of the richest countries in the Gulf region was once divided into several smaller states. It was ruled by the British and the British armies were responsible for their security and used to get paid by the Arab Sheikhdoms of that era for their services. However, when in December 1971, the treaty between the sheikhdoms and the British government came to an end, Bahrain and Oman declared their independence while Dubai and Abu Dhabi joined hands with each other to form a union and decided to contact other states of the region also to be a part of the new union.

The need to join hands with each other was driven by the fact that the states were militarily quite weak and they also lacked the man-power to make an altogether new army. The borders were also vulnerable to the foreign intervention as oil had been discovered in the 1960s and the states feared that some stronger neighbor could go for an expedition to occupy the state and ultimately the rich oil fields of the world. Thus, the states formed a new union in 1972 and till date they have remained together and the relations between the sheikhdoms of all the states are quite friendly. They signed a defence contract with the US in 1994 and another in 1995 with France and this staying away from the war and battleships has certainly helped the UAE to grow.

Today, UAE is one of the most attractive tourists’ destinations all over the world. People from all parts of the world come to Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah to enjoy their vacations. The business has also thrived in the United Arab Emirates and all the big organizations have their offices in the UAE and some of them even have their regional headquarters situated in Dubai. One such example is of International Cricket council, which is the main governing body of Cricket. Although UAE does not have a strong cricket team, yet the ICC decided to shift its offices from London to Dubai because Dubai is totally tax-free and thus business has a lot better chances of expanding in Dubai than in any other part of the world.

It also gives such exciting residential and commercial opportunities in its real estate sector that hardly any other country might think of offering. For example, Burj Khalifa, that is the highest residential tower of the world, can not even be compared with any other thing as it is the highest, therefore, above everyone else. And when one looks at the unbelievable Palm Jumeirah Islands, it is almost impossible to find any parallels to the Dubai real estate.

The UAE has come a long way during the past 50 years. From a bunch of tribes ruled by small sheikhdoms and protected by British army, they have evolved into a union of seven rich states and are one of those places that have the strongest appeal for business and tourism. It was a tough journey, but the UAE has come through it and has succeeded and that is why experts still believe that it has the potential of overcoming the current problems that its real estate and overall business industry is facing. They believe that it is a global phenomenon and the day it starts to recover internationally, UAE would be among the first countries that will jump back to the fore-front of the world business face.

Expatriates Making Abu Dhabi Grow Beyond Horizons

Abu Dhabi is one of those cities that have seen a sudden rise during the past decade or so. No doubt the Abu Dhabi city was famous all over the world for being the capital of the United Arab Emirates and also one of the largest oil producing cities in the world, but this new elevation was for another reason and that is the tourism. Tourism industry has certainly boosted during the past few years in Abu Dhabi and that is the reason why Abu Dhabi property prices have multiplied. The business has also shown high growth in the due course and as a result the Abu Dhabi GDP rose to 29.9% in the year 2012.

The number of expats in Abu Dhabi has also climbed in the recent years. Although this department was considered to be Dubai’s but the recent mounting of the number of expatriates in Abu Dhabi made many investors to re-think their business policies and forced them to invest in Abu Dhabi. The expatriate population of Abu Dhabi has played a huge role in this GDP growth and it is beyond any doubt that the businesses in Abu Dhabi repay the hard work of these expatriates through good monetary rewards.

This is why the state is attracting even more foreigners to come here and seek jobs and invest in its businesses. The expatriates that come to Abu Dhabi feel the need of a reliable accommodation in Abu Dhabi and the Abu Dhabi rental apartments and villas are a perfect solution for all those who come here for to live for any purpose. A large number of doctors are also coming here to earn a better living, especially from India and Pakistan, where pay scales are not that high. These doctors come here to get a better compensation of their skill and science as the Abu Dhabi hospitals are a lot better pay masters as compared to their South Asian counter-parts.

The students, artists and the skillful personnel that is entering Abu Dhabi for the past few years has really taken this city to new heights where Abu Dhabi can compete, in fact surpass most of its regional competitors in terms of business, tourism, facilities and also the property business.

Emaar to Develop Townhouses at Arabian ranches

Emaar has recently purchased some land from the Dubai Properties Group in Dubai near Arabian Ranches Development. This was disclosed by the spokesperson of Emaar who did not disclose the property’s value. However, the company has decided to develop this piece of land into a neighborhood of mixed use.

Dubailand is situated in the Gulf and was one of its best developments with extra-ordinary chances of success and it was announced after the property slump had hit the global real estate and the Dubai property market as well. The worth of the project was AED 335 billion while it was decided that it would be developed on a land double to Disney World. Residential developments, themed sectors and the Mall of Arabia were to be developed there. The project involved numerous developers who were developing it as a joint venture.

Due to the economic recession that had hit the market quite severely, this project was put on hold. However, it was revealed last month by the media that Emaar had bought the property and was to develop a townhouse project in there. The project will have 4000 single and double storey houses and this is a clear indication that the Dubai property has finally started to show signs of recovery as the dead projects are being taken up, though in a different manner. The high quality properties of the city are showing an upwards trend and even the Emaar’s own Arabian Ranches have shown a highest quarter to quarter increase that is 16%. A 16% increase within three months indicates the strong potential of the project.

Abu Dhabi and Dubai – A Matchless Combination

Abu Dhabi and Dubai are two biggest cities of the United Arab Emirates and also two of the richest states of the union. These are the only states among the total of seven in the UAE that have the veto power in the matters of foreign affairs and strategy and policy formulation. These two cities are also the main business hubs of the country and that is why they are the most developed as well. The two states have been extremely helpful for each other in the hours of crises and one such moment was when the state of Dubai needed help of the Caliph, who has the seat in Abu Dhabi, for the completion of Burj Dubai and the Caliph was generous enough to lend his arm, while Dubai re-paid the Caliph by naming the Burj Dubai as Burj Khalifa.

Since the union of the seven states, Dubai had been the business and tourism hub of the country while Abu Dhabi took the back seat by only basing its economy on the mineral oil which is the largest export of the UAE. However, in the recent years, Abu Dhabi has also fast developed itself into tourists’ favorite spot. The main reason behind the decision was that the administration wanted to shift their economy to tourism and business instead of the oil export only because oil based economy might be able to sustain the economy after a certain point in time.

Dubai, on the other hand, has been developing itself further and has reached beyond the land space and into the sea, where they have developed The Palm Jumeirah Islands. They are certainly a man-made wonder of the modern era and for the first time in the world; islands were carved out in the sea artificially. Burj Khalifa was also established in Dubai and was inaugurated on January 4, 2010. So Dubai is expanding both horizontally and vertically and is certainly one of the leading property markets in the region.

The two states are moving fast towards becoming the global leaders in the fields of tourism and business and the time is near when both of them will surpass all the regional competitors in these two indutries.