There is no doubt that the UAE is home to some spectacular properties. From penthouse apartments to plush villas with sprawling gardens and incredible pools, it’s a real estate haven.
Each week, The National showcases some of the finest homes on offer in its Property of the Week. Here, we take a look at a villa in Dubai Hills Estate.
The key details
Where do we begin? The property has nine bedrooms and is set across a 41,433-square-foot plot of which 37,500 square foot is built up. It is located within one of Dubai's most prestigious neighbourhoods and has golf-course views.
The asking price is available to interested buyers upon application, but is above Dh100 million.
What's the story?
Houses for sale can generally be judged by the length of their description on the online portals – short and sweet and it's likely a carbon-copy new build. If it's had some upgrades, then expect to spend a minute or so reading.
This property is another beast entirely, with a love letter-esque outpouring from its broker well worth a read.
The features are seemingly endless, while the rooms, of which there are so many you could easily lose count, contain their own tales of creation and passion. It's like a whole street's worth of style within the same home.
Or, as one observer put it when taking in the quite extraordinary staircase, it's like inhabiting a remarkably upmarket cruise ship.
However you perceive this home – be it museum, work of art or something more transcendental – it wows on every level.
As going from room to room, or even floor to floor, would take forever, here are the highlights:
- Two life-sized horses on the front patio.
- The as-mentioned cantilevered staircase complete with gold rail.
- Artwork everywhere (though it doesn't come with the house).
- Kitchens designed by Goettling of Germany.
- A private lift to reach the first floor.
- The master suite has a sitting room, two balconies – one with a Jacuzzi – and a walk-in closet.
- Every bedroom has a walk-in closet, and one has a professionally equipped audio production studio.
- A safe room with three safes weighing a total of 500 kilograms.
- The basement has a bar, separate men's and women restrooms, and a seven-seat home cinema.
- The garage can double as a nightclub.
- There are two gyms, plus a massage parlour.
- More than 35 varieties of marble have been used throughout, as well as 200 solar panels and 110 trees in the backyard.
What the brokers say ...
Is this the most extraordinary property on the market in Dubai right now?
The short answer is yes. This house has it all, from a recording studio to a nightclub, a spa and a gym, plus a great expanse of living and entertaining space. Rarely do homes of this nature come to market. This has the unique presence of being an imposing and incredible work of architecture, as well as a gorgeous and comfortable family home.
The interior must have taken some time to design and implement …
This home is a work of art and, as with all great masterpieces, time and care has been taken with every single part of the design process. Such precision, attention to detail and design flair has produced something that is mesmerising – a priceless piece of art.
They say that art is the irreplaceable way of understanding and expressing the world. This home expresses the world through the homeowner's inspirations from Bali to New York, London to Paris. The globe truly has been the canvas for this mansion.
Does it come furnished?
Yes, this home is sold furnished and ready for families to start living in. Just bring your toothbrush, your children and don't forget the family dog. The artwork in the home can also be purchased separately.
Have you seen anything comparable to this in Dubai in terms of "wow" factor?
Not really. This home is so eclectic, so very unique, so truly wonderful that there really is no other home that is comparable to it.
It must be worth more than D100m?
The asking price is indeed in excess of Dh100m and it is worth every single dirham. Enjoying incredible golf course and city views and a private location, it is one of a kind.
If you had to pick one room as the most remarkable which would it be?
I personally love the private study – French grey wood panelling, coffered ceilings complemented by marble flooring with veins of red tying back to the colour of the sofas. This room is reminiscent of private members' clubs in London. It is just waiting for deals to be struck and meetings of great importance to be held, followed by late evening coffees enjoyed through the thick haze of cigar smoke.
– Liam Jeffrey, associate director, LuxuryProperty.com
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
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BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES
Saturday (UAE kick-off times)
Cologne v Union Berlin (5.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Borussia Dortmund (5.30pm)
Hertha Berlin v Eintracht Frankfurt (5.30pm)
Paderborn v Werder Bremen (5.30pm)
Wolfsburg v Freiburg (5.30pm)
Bayern Munich v Borussia Monchengladbach (8.30pm)
Sunday
Mainz v Augsburg (5.30pm)
Schalke v Bayer Leverkusen (8pm)
How to keep control of your emotions
If your investment decisions are being dictated by emotions such as fear, greed, hope, frustration and boredom, it is time for a rethink, Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at online trading platform IG, says.
Greed
Greedy investors trade beyond their means, open more positions than usual or hold on to positions too long to chase an even greater gain. “All too often, they incur a heavy loss and may even wipe out the profit already made.
Tip: Ignore the short-term hype, noise and froth and invest for the long-term plan, based on sound fundamentals.
Fear
The risk of making a loss can cloud decision-making. “This can cause you to close out a position too early, or miss out on a profit by being too afraid to open a trade,” he says.
Tip: Start with a plan, and stick to it. For added security, consider placing stops to reduce any losses and limits to lock in profits.
Hope
While all traders need hope to start trading, excessive optimism can backfire. Too many traders hold on to a losing trade because they believe that it will reverse its trend and become profitable.
Tip: Set realistic goals. Be happy with what you have earned, rather than frustrated by what you could have earned.
Frustration
Traders can get annoyed when the markets have behaved in unexpected ways and generates losses or fails to deliver anticipated gains.
Tip: Accept in advance that asset price movements are completely unpredictable and you will suffer losses at some point. These can be managed, say, by attaching stops and limits to your trades.
Boredom
Too many investors buy and sell because they want something to do. They are trading as entertainment, rather than in the hope of making money. As well as making bad decisions, the extra dealing charges eat into returns.
Tip: Open an online demo account and get your thrills without risking real money.
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Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed
Rating: 1/5
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
