It’s a relatively young player in the real estate market, but Metrical Developments has already grown into a household name – and an award-winning one.
The boutique developer, which launched in 2018, shot into the limelight after its Royal Park project in Jumeirah Park won a slew of local and international property awards, including five at the Arabian Property Awards 2020-2021.
At that ceremony, the high-end, luxury residential community was deemed the Best Residential Development Dubai, Best Residential Property Dubai, Best Architecture Single Residence Dubai, Best Residential Interior Show Home Dubai and Best Architecture Multiple Residence Dubai.
Furthermore, it went on to win international awards for Best Residential Interior Show Home Arabia and Best Architecture Multiple Residence Arabia.
A sneak peek at Royal Park makes its appeal amply clear: the gated and secure community is made up of three and four-bedroom town houses. The two-storey villas feature a kitchen fitted with Italian appliances, custom-created LED-lighting and a design that flows seamlessly from within, out on to the terrace.
The villas are also hooked up to a smart home integration system, which allows residents control of their environment – from the temperature of the AC and the water, to the curtains and security cameras – via a hybrid mobile app and across all smart devices. Metrical Developments uses Google Nest in all its properties, a technology that even sends a monthly energy savings report.
Thanks to these luxury fixtures, elegant layout and prime location, the Royal Park villas sold out in 2019, which is why Metrical Developments is looking to the future with two new projects: Haven Residences and the Royal Park South project, both in Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC).
Haven Residences features one and two-bedroom apartments, where one can expect more of the same premium features and fittings. “It has already been nominated for several international property awards in 2022 and is close to being sold out off the market,” says sales director Darryl Davie. “The Haven apartments are a true hotel-standard living concept and will see rental prices 15 to 20 per cent above market value, very much like our previous projects.”
Meanwhile, Royal Park South has been created to satisfy the current demand and wait list, following the success of Royal Park. “Our ‘build your dream home’ concept is a huge hit, as it allowed property owners to customise their property as it is being built,” says Davie. The JVC project will live up to Metrical's reputation for delivering world-class facilities, and include a gym and pool, plus the developer’s signature award-winning finishes.
Designs that are straight from the heart
“Homes from the heart” is the slogan behind this boutique developer, which prides itself on its transparency, attention to detail and on-time handover rates. That latter assurance is a motto the company takes seriously, too: it promises clients a rental return for every week the property is handed over late.
“When we say we are building homes from the heart, we mean exactly that. We are building homes that we would like to live in ourselves,” says Davie. “The term most used by Metrical clients prior to purchasing is: ‘What’s the catch?’.
“We make bold promises, which are game-changing in the Dubai market and actually deliver on those – from international award-winning interior design and architecture, to guaranteed handover dates, five-year warranties and an overall five-star client experience. Check out our Google reviews; they speak volumes.”
Co-founder Gaber Nehma Kenger adds: “We do things a little different, we always complete projects on time and we give the best quality that the market deserves.
“The truth is that when you use high-quality materials and suppliers, you can give a long-term warranty. This, in turn, gives our clients peace of mind and costs less in the future. You know you won’t run into problems six months down the line.”
Another factor that has led to Metrical’s success is what Davie terms its “end-to-end process”. Everything is done in-house, starting from project selection, designing, implementation, choice of materials, sales and, finally, the handover.
This thoroughness and attention to detail is possible because the company does not appoint contractors; it is the contractor, which also explains the other motto the team stand by: “If you want a job done properly, do it yourself.”
With the onset of the pandemic, the UAE market has seen a massive shift in paradigm towards buying and renting luxury homes. In this time, Davie cites an example that demonstrates the developer’s commitment to putting its clients first. Over the last year, Metrical Developments came forward to assist families whose financial circumstances had changed due to the pandemic by waving penalties and helping them resell their properties in sold-out projects – at a profit.
“Like I said, when we say we build homes from the heart, we mean it,” concludes Davie.
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Company profile
Company: Eighty6
Date started: October 2021
Founders: Abdul Kader Saadi and Anwar Nusseibeh
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Hospitality
Size: 25 employees
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investment: $1 million
Investors: Seed funding, angel investors
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Company Profile
Name: JustClean
Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries
Launch year: 2016
Number of employees: 130
Sector: online laundry service
Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding
Wicked: For Good
Director: Jon M Chu
Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater
Rating: 4/5
The Bloomberg Billionaire Index in full
1 Jeff Bezos $140 billion
2 Bill Gates $98.3 billion
3 Bernard Arnault $83.1 billion
4 Warren Buffett $83 billion
5 Amancio Ortega $67.9 billion
6 Mark Zuckerberg $67.3 billion
7 Larry Page $56.8 billion
8 Larry Ellison $56.1 billion
9 Sergey Brin $55.2 billion
10 Carlos Slim $55.2 billion
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
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$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
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COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Letstango.com
Started: June 2013
Founder: Alex Tchablakian
Based: Dubai
Industry: e-commerce
Initial investment: Dh10 million
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 300,000 unique customers every month
The specs: Fenyr SuperSport
Price, base: Dh5.1 million
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 800hp @ 7,100pm
Torque: 980Nm @ 4,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 13.5L / 100km
Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE BIO
BIO:
Born in RAK on December 9, 1983
Lives in Abu Dhabi with her family
She graduated from Emirates University in 2007 with a BA in architectural engineering
Her motto in life is her grandmother’s saying “That who created you will not have you get lost”
Her ambition is to spread UAE’s culture of love and acceptance through serving coffee, the country’s traditional coffee in particular.
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
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Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sept 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
Results:
6.30pm: Maiden Dh165,000 2,000m - Winner: Powderhouse, Sam Hitchcott (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
7.05pm: Handicap Dh165,000 2,200m - Winner: Heraldic, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar
7.40pm: Conditions Dh240,000 1,600m - Winner: Walking Thunder, Connor Beasley, Ahmed bin Harmash
8.15pm: Handicap Dh190,000 2,000m - Winner: Key Bid, Fernando Jara, Ali Rashid Al Raihe
8.50pm: The Garhoud Sprint Listed Dh265,000 1,200m - Winner: Drafted, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson
9.25pm: Handicap Dh170,000 1,600m - Winner: Cachao, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar
10pm: Handicap Dh190,000 1,400m - Winner: Rodaini, Connor Beasley, Ahmed bin Harmash
If you go
The flights
Etihad (etihad.com) flies from Abu Dhabi to Luang Prabang via Bangkok, with a return flight from Chiang Rai via Bangkok for about Dh3,000, including taxes. Emirates and Thai Airways cover the same route, also via Bangkok in both directions, from about Dh2,700.
The cruise
The Gypsy by Mekong Kingdoms has two cruising options: a three-night, four-day trip upstream cruise or a two-night, three-day downstream journey, from US$5,940 (Dh21,814), including meals, selected drinks, excursions and transfers.
The hotels
Accommodation is available in Luang Prabang at the Avani, from $290 (Dh1,065) per night, and at Anantara Golden Triangle Elephant Camp and Resort from $1,080 (Dh3,967) per night, including meals, an activity and transfers.
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
