Property sales in Abu Dhabi and Dubai surged in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period a year ago as the UAE’s property market continues to rebound strongly from the coronavirus pandemic.
Abu Dhabi’s total sales transactions value for the three months to the end of March surged more than three times to Dh11.6 billion ($3.15 billion) compared to Dh3.6 billion for the same period last year, real estate listings website Property Finder said in its latest market watch report.
Off-plan sales transactions rose to 1,345 from 713 deals in the first quarter of last year, representing 66.4 per cent of the total transactions.
Masdar City emerged as one of the most searched areas in Abu Dhabi, with the average price for one, two and three-bedroom apartments at Dh745,000, Dh1.1 million and Dh1.8 million, respectively, the report found.
Al Reem Island, Yas Island, Al Raha Beach and Saadiyat Island were also preferred by buyers to own an apartment, according to Property Finder.
Asking prices for apartment as well as villas rose by seven per cent during the quarter amid high demand from buyers.
Yas Island, Saadiyat Island, Al Reef, Al Reem Island and Khalifa City were top picks for affordable luxury villas and town houses among home buyers, the latest data shows.
Rental prices also rose in the capital. Apartment rents were up seven per cent in the first quarter, while villa rents grew by two per cent.
Al Reem Island, Al Raha Beach, Khalifa City, Corniche Road and Al Khalidiya remained the preferred choices for apartment rentals in the quarter. Demand for renting a villa was high in Khalifa City, Mohammed Bin Zayed, Yas Island, Al Reef and Saadiyat Island.
“2022 ended on a good note with a heightened flow of foreign investment, and Q1 2023 ensured a sustained momentum — keeping up the trend,” Scott Bond, UAE country manager at Property Finder, said.
The UAE property market has continued to recover from the coronavirus pandemic on the back of government initiatives, higher oil prices and other measures to support the economy.
Property transactions in Dubai and Abu Dhabi surged last year amid higher demand from buyers.
Dubai property market's performance last year was described as "exceptional" by Crown Prince Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, as the value of deals reached a new high of Dh528 billion, up 76.5 per cent annually.
The number of transactions, at 122,658, rose 44.7 per cent year on year, a Dubai Media Office statement said in January.
Property sales transactions also grew in Dubai, the commercial and tourism hub of the Middle East.
Dubai’s real estate sector performance reached a total transaction value of Dh157 billion in the first quarter of 2023, marking an 80 per cent annual increase, the Dubai Media Office said on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the total registered sales in Dubai for the first quarter reached 30,952, up 52 per cent compared to the same period last year as off-plan sales almost doubled to 15,948 during the period, according to Property Finder.
The average asking price for apartments surged by 25 per cent annually, while villa prices rose 16 per cent in the three-month period.
Business Bay, Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Village Circle and Palm Jumeirah were the top choices for owning an apartment in Dubai, while in the villa category, it was Dubai Hills Estate, Palm Jumeirah, Arabian Ranches, Damac Hills and Mohamed bin Rashed City.
Rental prices for apartments increased by 18 per cent and villa rents rose by about 29 per cent in Dubai.
Dubai Marina, Downtown Dubai, Jumeirah Village Circle, Business Bay and Jumeirah Lakes Towers remained the preferred choices for renting apartments.
Dubai Hills Estate, Damac Hills 2, Al Barsha, Jumeirah and Damac Hills emerged as renters' top choices for villas, with Damac Hills as the area with highest rental yields.
“For those who are actively home searching, UAE’s real estate sector has much more to offer now than ever, with significant returns and wider options across some of the city’s top areas and future-ready communities,” Mr Bond said.
HIJRA
Starring: Lamar Faden, Khairiah Nathmy, Nawaf Al-Dhufairy
Director: Shahad Ameen
Rating: 3/5
World Cup final
Who: France v Croatia
When: Sunday, July 15, 7pm (UAE)
TV: Game will be shown live on BeIN Sports for viewers in the Mena region
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
Results
2pm: Handicap (PA) Dh80,000 1,600m; Winner: AF Al Baher, Bernardo Pinheiro (jockey), Ernst Oertel (trainer).
2.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,600m; Winner: Talento Puma, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
3pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 1,950m; Winner: Tailor’s Row, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer.
3.30pm: Jebel Ali Stakes Listed (TB) Dh500,000 1,950m; Winner: Mark Of Approval, Patrick Cosgrave, Mahmood Hussain.
4pm: Conditions (TB) Dh125,000 1,400m; Winner: Dead-heat Raakez, Jim Crowley, Nicholas Bachalard/Attribution, Xavier Ziani, Salem bin Ghadayer.
4.30pm: Jebel Ali Sprint (TB) Dh500,000 1,000m; Winner: AlKaraama, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi.
5pm: Handicap (TB) Dh100,000 1,200m; Winner: Wafy, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
5.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh90,000 1,400m; Winner: Cachao, Tadhg O’Shea, Satish Seemar.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More on animal trafficking
More on Quran memorisation:
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
More from Neighbourhood Watch
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
More on animal trafficking
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
If you go
Flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh with a stop in Yangon from Dh3,075, and Etihad flies from Abu Dhabi to Phnom Penh with its partner Bangkok Airlines from Dh2,763. These trips take about nine hours each and both include taxes. From there, a road transfer takes at least four hours; airlines including KC Airlines (www.kcairlines.com) offer quick connecting flights from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville from about $100 (Dh367) return including taxes. Air Asia, Malindo Air and Malaysian Airlines fly direct from Kuala Lumpur to Sihanoukville from $54 each way. Next year, direct flights are due to launch between Bangkok and Sihanoukville, which will cut the journey time by a third.
The stay
Rooms at Alila Villas Koh Russey (www.alilahotels.com/ kohrussey) cost from $385 per night including taxes.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The years Ramadan fell in May
BRIEF SCORES:
Toss: Nepal, chose to field
UAE 153-6: Shaiman (59), Usman (30); Regmi 2-23
Nepal 132-7: Jora 53 not out; Zahoor 2-17
Result: UAE won by 21 runs
Series: UAE lead 1-0
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
ABU DHABI CARD
5pm: UAE Martyrs Cup (TB) Conditions; Dh90,000; 2,200m
5.30pm: Wathba Stallions Cup (PA) Handicap; Dh70,000; 1,400m
6pm: UAE Matyrs Trophy (PA) Maiden; Dh80,000; 1,600m
6.30pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (IFAHR) Apprentice Championship (PA) Prestige; Dh100,000; 1,600m
7pm: Sheikha Fatima bint Mubarak (IFAHR) Ladies World Championship (PA) Prestige; Dh125,000; 1,600m
8pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan Jewel Crown (PA) Group 1; Dh5,000,000; 1,600m
Results
5.30pm: Maiden (TB) Dh82,500 (Turf) 1,400m; Winner: Mcmanaman, Sam Hitchcock (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer)
6.05pm: Handicap (TB) Dh87,500 (T) 1,400m; Winner: Bawaasil, Sam Hitchcott, Doug Watson
6.40pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (Dirt) 1,400m; Winner: Bochart, Fabrice Veron, Satish Seemar
7.15pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 1,200m; Winner: Mutaraffa, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
7.50pm: Longines Stakes – Conditions (TB) Dh120,00 (D) 1,900m; Winner: Rare Ninja, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
8.25pm: Zabeel Trophy – Rated Conditions (TB) Dh120,000 (T) 1,600m; Winner: Alfareeq, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
9pm: Handicap (TB) Dh105,000 (T) 2,410m; Winner: Good Tidings, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
9.35pm: Handicap (TB) Dh92,500 (T) 2,000m; Winner: Zorion, Abdul Aziz Al Balushi, Helal Al Alawi
Seven%20Winters%20in%20Tehran
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How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
