GCC nationals will live only in detached villas. So runs the conventional wisdom, and if we look around the region today, developers are building almost nothing but detached villas for them.
Yet if the region is to create the 500,000 or so homes that it needs, as estimated by Jones Lang LaSalle last year in a report titled Why Affordable Housing Matters, we have to go beyond villas, and that means diversifying supply and redirecting demand.
Desire for villas is almost universal. As the University of Illinois professor Robert Bruegmann wrote in his book Sprawl: "Polls consistently confirm that most Europeans, like most Americans, and indeed most people worldwide, would prefer to live in single-family houses on their own piece of land rather than in apartment buildings."
Similarly, 80 per cent of American respondents said that is what they wanted, according to a survey last year by the US organisation the National Association of Realtors.
The reasons for this desire are easy to identify. People perceive a villa as private and quiet, with outdoor spaces in which children can play. Also, villas may be expandable as families grow and are often associated with a higher social status.
Why then is it so important to consider other housing choices, such as semi-detached houses, terrace houses, duplexes and apartments?
Simply, it is because the health of our cities, and hence of our economies and our nations, depends on diversifying beyond the detached villa.
To begin with, there is cost. As more people live in cities, land prices rise, and villas that would be affordable far from towns and jobs will be unaffordable closer in. However, spreading out raises the cost of ancillary infrastructure - roads and utilities - that has to be covered directly or indirectly by house prices, driving detached residences out of the reach of most people.
Detached villas are also ecologically stressful, adding to our rate of land and energy consumption.
Villas mean several cars for each household, which in turn contributes to rising levels of greenhouse-gas emissions, air pollution, traffic congestion, and obesity, as shown by studies such as the US-based Urban Land Institute's 2010 study titled Land Use and Driving.
Conversely, higher density resulting from greater diversity of housing types can reduce average costs, which means younger people can buy into their own homes earlier. Townhouses, walk-ups and well-designed high-rises also mean scale economies, less extensive infrastructure, and greater compatibility with public transport, all of which make cities healthier and more lively.
That diversity also enhances social cohesion. People in different stages of their lives can move to larger or smaller homes without leaving their communities.
What then can governments and private developers do to promote other types of housing?
Here are a few ideas. First, recognise that people make trade-offs between size, price, location and convenience. Offer diversity of options, for instance with lower-cost, smaller housing that is accessible to work, parks, shops, schools, public transport and other local amenities. Households, especially smaller ones, may be willing to compromise the detached villa for a more central location.
Second, offer incentives. Make it more affordable to live in housing other than villas. Incentives can include letting people move in through a rent-to-own scheme and thus start enjoying their new home while saving to buy it, or offering cash rebates, where people are given a choice to consume less and be financially rewarded.
In every other market we have encountered, when faced with such a choice, some voluntarily consume less.
Third, show people alternatives by using open-source consultation sessions. Let people from the community consult on unit design, programmes and planning.
Elsewhere in the world, such transparency has made remarkable changes in the public's attitude to new ideas, and can ensure that the project meets the needs of its residents and increases pride in the project, which, in turn, encourages high-quality maintenance and adherence to community rules and policies.
Fourth, do not take short cuts on the details.
Smaller does not mean inferior quality. Use good finishes, plus durable and attractive materials. Be clever in floor plans, layouts and room options that are culturally appropriate, fit into the surrounding environment, and fulfil the aspirations of diverse types of families.
Finally, emphasise the sociability of proximity living by adding convenient shops and services, restaurants and coffee shops and small mosques in the overall complex, so that living closer together means making new relationships and reviving old ones, and strengthening lively cultural activity.
Really, it is all about choice. Give people more choices of price point, configuration and tenure options, and they will surprise you.
Introducing new price points and configurations will accelerate the development of a truly diversified inventory of affordable housing in the GCC, reducing the waiting lists and backlogs much faster than a unitary model that relies only on developing detached villas.
Maysa Sabah Shocair is the Middle East and North Africa adviser for the Affordable Housing Institute
Honeymoonish
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The specs: Aston Martin DB11 V8 vs Ferrari GTC4Lusso T
Price, base: Dh840,000; Dh120,000
Engine: 4.0L V8 twin-turbo; 3.9L V8 turbo
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic; seven-speed automatic
Power: 509hp @ 6,000rpm; 601hp @ 7,500rpm
Torque: 695Nm @ 2,000rpm; 760Nm @ 3,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 9.9L / 100km; 11.6L / 100km
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
NO OTHER LAND
Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal
Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham
Rating: 3.5/5
Company profile
Name: Dukkantek
Started: January 2021
Founders: Sanad Yaghi, Ali Al Sayegh and Shadi Joulani
Based: UAE
Number of employees: 140
Sector: B2B Vertical SaaS(software as a service)
Investment: $5.2 million
Funding stage: Seed round
Investors: Global Founders Capital, Colle Capital Partners, Wamda Capital, Plug and Play, Comma Capital, Nowais Capital, Annex Investments and AMK Investment Office
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Skewed figures
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Why your domicile status is important
Your UK residence status is assessed using the statutory residence test. While your residence status – ie where you live - is assessed every year, your domicile status is assessed over your lifetime.
Your domicile of origin generally comes from your parents and if your parents were not married, then it is decided by your father. Your domicile is generally the country your father considered his permanent home when you were born.
UK residents who have their permanent home ("domicile") outside the UK may not have to pay UK tax on foreign income. For example, they do not pay tax on foreign income or gains if they are less than £2,000 in the tax year and do not transfer that gain to a UK bank account.
A UK-domiciled person, however, is liable for UK tax on their worldwide income and gains when they are resident in the UK.
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
