Dubai and Abu Dhabi have been ranked the top destinations for executive nomads, offering everything to help on-the-move corporate individuals fulfil their duties.
Dubai, the tourism and financial capital of the Middle East, retained its top ranking this year, based on internet speed, quality of life, climate, air connectivity and prime rents, the British real estate services company Savills said in its latest Executive Nomad Index.
The emirate scored on high internet speed, quality of life and especially air connectivity. It is home to Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international passenger traffic, and Al Maktoum International Airport, which is set to be the world's largest airport upon completion.
With the launch of exciting real estate projects, residential and commercial, and government policies conducive to growth, we expect the UAE to continue to be a hotspot internationally
Andrew Cummings,
head of residential agency for the Middle East at Savills
Abu Dhabi, meanwhile, jumped from fourth place last year to second this year, scoring high on internet speed and quality of life.
The two cities are able to "offer everything you need to thrive both personally and professionally" with a "real focus on creating a lively business environment", said Andrew Cummings, head of residential agency for the Middle East at Savills.
"People around the world are realising the positives Dubai and Abu Dhabi have to offer with their increasing connectivity, favourable tax regime, lifestyle, education and healthcare offerings, and growing job and business opportunities as more companies establish their presence here," he told The National.
The two emirates topped the survey of 25 cities by London-based Savills, despite lagging in the climate and prime rents metrics.
"Despite double-digit price growth over the past year for prime property – traditionally favoured by senior executives and business owners – Dubai specifically continues to offer more space and value on a price per square foot basis than other world cities such as London, Hong Kong or New York," Mr Cummings said.
"With the launch of exciting real estate projects, residential and commercial, and government policies conducive to growth, we expect the UAE to continue to be a hotspot internationally."
Rounding off the top 10 are Malaga, Miami, Lisbon, Barcelona, Palma (Spain), Barbados, Algarve (Portugal) and Saint Lucia.
Executive or corporate nomads are those who, while maintaining a full-time employment relationship with their organisations, will increasingly participate part-time in geographically dispersed initiatives and projects within their employer’s network, according to Harvard Business Review.
The concept, alongside those of digital nomads, has grown in popularity in recent years as companies transitioned to allowing remote working options, largely set off by the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
It has also been boosted by the emergence of new technologies, particularly the availability of remote working and faster connectivity, as well as co-working spaces.
Executive nomads, in particular, seek cities that provide well-rounded benefits, especially because they are more likely to bring their families along with them, Savills said.
The UAE, long home to a huge expatriate workforce, has long been an attractive destination for such a demographic on the back of its regulatory support, infrastructure and economic strength.
One such initiative is the one-year residency permit for remote workers, offered by the Emirates, since 2021. It was launched to attract more talent to the region and boost business opportunities. The visa permits foreign remote professionals to live in the Emirates while continuing to serve employers in their home countries.
“The more common digital nomad is symbolised by the young backpacker; however, executive nomads tend to be older and more likely travel with family in tow,” Kelcie Sellers, an associate director at Savills World Research, wrote in the report.
“This places a greater emphasis on the quality of life aspects that these top international locations can provide, such as safety and access to health care or education facilities. For these individuals, both physical networking and digital connectivity are important and must be accounted for.”
In addition, executive nomads also focus on the residential rental market, as they are more likely to do so with an emphasis on extra space and proximity to local amenities, Ms Sellers said.
More tenants in Dubai are renewing their residential leases despite rents continuing to rise, property consultancy Cushman and Wakefield Core said last week.
Abu Dhabi, on the other hand, introduced its first residential rental index last week, created to provide indicative rental values for both tenants and landlords across areas of the capital.
“Prime rents have risen, on average, by 5 per cent in the last year across the 25 locations monitored in the Savills index, with some urban markets seeing increases of more than 15 cent,” Ms Sellers said.
The other cities listed on the Savills 2024 Index, in order, are Grenada, Bali, San Jose (Costa Rica), Cote d'Azur (France), the Cayman Islands, Dubrovnik (Croatia), Cape Town, Malta, Antigua, Mauritius, Cyprus, Palermo (Italy), Athens, Tuscany and the Bahamas.
Dust and sand storms compared
Sand storm
- Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
- Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
- Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
- Travel distance: Limited
- Source: Open desert areas with strong winds
Dust storm
- Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
- Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
- Duration: Can linger for days
- Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
- Source: Can be carried from distant regions
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What drives subscription retailing?
Once the domain of newspaper home deliveries, subscription model retailing has combined with e-commerce to permeate myriad products and services.
The concept has grown tremendously around the world and is forecast to thrive further, according to UnivDatos Market Insights’ report on recent and predicted trends in the sector.
The global subscription e-commerce market was valued at $13.2 billion (Dh48.5bn) in 2018. It is forecast to touch $478.2bn in 2025, and include the entertainment, fitness, food, cosmetics, baby care and fashion sectors.
The report says subscription-based services currently constitute “a small trend within e-commerce”. The US hosts almost 70 per cent of recurring plan firms, including leaders Dollar Shave Club, Hello Fresh and Netflix. Walmart and Sephora are among longer established retailers entering the space.
UnivDatos cites younger and affluent urbanites as prime subscription targets, with women currently the largest share of end-users.
That’s expected to remain unchanged until 2025, when women will represent a $246.6bn market share, owing to increasing numbers of start-ups targeting women.
Personal care and beauty occupy the largest chunk of the worldwide subscription e-commerce market, with changing lifestyles, work schedules, customisation and convenience among the chief future drivers.
On the menu
First course
▶ Emirati sea bass tartare Yuzu and labneh mayo, avocado, green herbs, fermented tomato water
▶ The Tale of the Oyster Oyster tartare, Bahraini gum berry pickle
Second course
▶ Local mackerel Sourdough crouton, baharat oil, red radish, zaatar mayo
▶ One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest Quail, smoked freekeh, cinnamon cocoa
Third course
▶ Bahraini bouillabaisse Venus clams, local prawns, fishfarm seabream, farro
▶ Lamb 2 ways Braised lamb, crispy lamb chop, bulgur, physalis
Dessert
▶ Lumi Black lemon ice cream, pistachio, pomegranate
▶ Black chocolate bar Dark chocolate, dates, caramel, camel milk ice cream
Results
Stage three:
1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-43
2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s
3. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s
4. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s
5. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s
6. Mikkel Bjerg (DEN) UAE-Team Emirates, at 24s
General Classification:
1. Stefan Bissegger (SUI) EF Education-EasyPost, in 9-13-02
2. Filippo Ganna (ITA) Ineos Grenadiers, at 7s
3. Jasper Philipsen (BEL) Alpecin Fenix, at 12s
4. Tom Dumoulin (NED) Jumbo-Visma, at 14s
5. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE-Team Emirates, at 18s
6. Joao Almeida (POR) UAE-Team Emirates, at 22s
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