Sharjah is experiencing a rise in residential rents, with some real estate agents reporting increases of up to 50 per cent.
Economic growth after the pandemic downturn, surging rents in other emirates, particularly Dubai, and an influx of residents from countries such as Sudan, Russia and Ukraine seeking stability, are among the reasons for this surge in Sharjah's popularity.
Rafeek Mattar, owner of Qasr Al Jazeera Real Estate Company, told The National he is seeing rental increases ranging from 30 to 50 per cent in the emirate.
“This has put considerable pressure on the housing supply, with available units insufficient to meet demand,” he said. “Escalating rental prices in Dubai have also pushed residents to Sharjah, in search of more affordable options."
“A one-bedroom apartment that used to rent for Dh18,000 to Dh20,000 now costs around Dh28,000. A studio that was Dh11,000 to Dh13,000 has risen to Dh17,000, and two-bedroom apartments that were Dh22,000 to Dh25,000 now range from Dh33,000 to Dh36,000. There’s no cap on rent increases in Sharjah. Landlords adjust their rents based on the market and the rates of nearby properties, which means prices can vary depending on the area.”
Economic benefits
According to Sharjah Municipality, the first quarter of 2024 saw a remarkable 26 per cent uptick in rental agreements, with 81,921 contracts attested, compared to 64,878 in the same period in 2023. Landlords see this as a long-awaited boost after the financial strain of the Covid-19 pandemic, when many tenants delayed or failed to pay rent.
“The pandemic left landlords in a tough spot. Many landlords I work with are still recovering, with unpaid rents totalling Dh9 million,” said Mr Mattar. “This rental surge encourages more investment in the real estate sector, boosting economic growth and creating jobs across industries, from construction to property management.”
Magdy Abdulghani, director of Al Tuhfah Memareyah Real Estate in Sharjah, said there was a growing trend of residents moving from Dubai to Sharjah due to rising rents. He said this movement began in July and had steadily increased over recent months, contributing to a surge in rental demand in Sharjah.
“Approximately 10 per cent of our clients in the last six months are individuals who left Dubai for Sharjah in search of more affordable housing options,” he said. “This trend is reshaping the real estate landscape in Sharjah.
“Of the clients we've worked with recently, 80 per cent are newcomers to the country, while the other 10 per cent are relocating from other emirates aside from those moving out of Dubai,” he added.
Tenants call for a rental cap
Under Sharjah rental law, landlords cannot raise rents for three years from the start of a rental agreement unless both parties agree. However, there is no cap on rent increases. If tenants accept a rise within three years, landlords are barred from increasing rents again for two years. After that, any increase must reflect the fair rent value. But, with no set cap, residents question how this is determined and fear landlords may consider any increase fair.
With a landlord potentially having to wait three years until they can draw up a new tenancy contract, residents fear the law encourages unreasonably high rent demands.
Mutaz Al Mousily, 29, a Jordanian living with his family in a three-bedroom apartment in Al Taawun, was recently notified that his rent would rise from Dh48,000 to Dh70,000. “It’s shocking. I understand landlords have the right to raise rents, but a jump like this – almost double – is too much,” he told The National. “We’re left with few options. Either we accept the increase or move, but moving comes with its own costs and challenges.”
“It’s a heavy burden, especially with the rising cost of living,” Reham Madgy, from Egypt, said as she shared similar concerns after her rent increased by Dh15,000 in the last two years. “Our salaries aren’t increasing, and we have school fees, utility bills, and now this huge rent hike.”
Seeing her rent increase from Dh27,000 to Dh32,000 after four years in the same building on Al Ittihad Road, Yara Elbanna, 45, from Jordan, said: “The increase seems fair compared to others we’ve heard about, but the maintenance is lacking – cockroaches, no regular cleaning, and no free parking.”
Tenants argue that managing rent increases requires greater accountability and improved property services. “Landlords should be required to justify these increases with better services and improvements,” said Mr Al Mousily.
“We hope a rent increase cap is introduced, like in Dubai, to prevent landlords from raising rents excessively without providing corresponding improvements,” the three tenants said in agreement.
Market-driven increases
Emirati Humaeid Al Mansoori, 50, who owns several buildings in Sharjah’s Al Shuwaiheen area, said rent increases are driven by market demand.
“I haven’t raised rents in my buildings because the surrounding buildings haven’t done so,” he said. “We’re seeing these increases in high-rise towers and larger complexes, not in smaller buildings.”
He highlighted the challenges landlords faced during the pandemic, with many tenants failing to pay rent, forcing legal action. “Some tenants left without paying, and I had to go through the courts to reclaim my properties, then had to cover maintenance and cleaning costs before re-renting, all while repaying loans, with interest rates rising from 4 to 9 per cent. Our financial burden has only grown,” he said.
8 traditional Jamaican dishes to try at Kingston 21
- Trench Town Rock: Jamaican-style curry goat served in a pastry basket with a carrot and potato garnish
- Rock Steady Jerk Chicken: chicken marinated for 24 hours and slow-cooked on the grill
- Mento Oxtail: flavoured oxtail stewed for five hours with herbs
- Ackee and salt fish: the national dish of Jamaica makes for a hearty breakfast
- Jamaican porridge: another breakfast favourite, can be made with peanut, cornmeal, banana and plantain
- Jamaican beef patty: a pastry with ground beef filling
- Hellshire Pon di Beach: Fresh fish with pickles
- Out of Many: traditional sweet potato pudding
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Company%20profile
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Other simple ideas for sushi rice dishes
Cheat’s nigiri
This is easier to make than sushi rolls. With damp hands, form the cooled rice into small tablet shapes. Place slices of fresh, raw salmon, mackerel or trout (or smoked salmon) lightly touched with wasabi, then press, wasabi side-down, onto the rice. Serve with soy sauce and pickled ginger.
Easy omurice
This fusion dish combines Asian fried rice with a western omelette. To make, fry cooked and cooled sushi rice with chopped vegetables such as carrot and onion and lashings of sweet-tangy ketchup, then wrap in a soft egg omelette.
Deconstructed sushi salad platter
This makes a great, fuss-free sharing meal. Arrange sushi rice on a platter or board, then fill the space with all your favourite sushi ingredients (edamame beans, cooked prawns or tuna, tempura veggies, pickled ginger and chilli tofu), with a dressing or dipping sauce on the side.
SPEC SHEET
Display: 10.4-inch IPS LCD, 400 nits, toughened glass
CPU: Unisoc T610; Mali G52 GPU
Memory: 4GB
Storage: 64GB, up to 512GB microSD
Camera: 8MP rear, 5MP front
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, USB-C, 3.5mm audio
Battery: 8200mAh, up to 10 hours video
Platform: Android 11
Audio: Stereo speakers, 2 mics
Durability: IP52
Biometrics: Face unlock
Price: Dh849
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KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
Results
Stage 7:
1. Caleb Ewan (AUS) Lotto Soudal - 3:18:29
2. Sam Bennett (IRL) Deceuninck-QuickStep - same time
3. Phil Bauhaus (GER) Bahrain Victorious
4. Michael Morkov (DEN) Deceuninck-QuickStep
5. Cees Bol (NED) Team DSM
General Classification:
1. Tadej Pogacar (SLO) UAE Team Emirates - 24:00:28
2. Adam Yates (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers - 0:00:35
3. Joao Almeida (POR) Deceuninck-QuickStep - 0:01:02
4. Chris Harper (AUS) Jumbo-Visma - 0:01:42
5. Neilson Powless (USA) EF Education-Nippo - 0:01:45
Asia Cup Qualifier
Venue: Kuala Lumpur
Result: Winners play at Asia Cup in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in September
Fixtures:
Wed Aug 29: Malaysia v Hong Kong, Nepal v Oman, UAE v Singapore
Thu Aug 30: UAE v Nepal, Hong Kong v Singapore, Malaysia v Oman
Sat Sep 1: UAE v Hong Kong, Oman v Singapore, Malaysia v Nepal
Sun Sep 2: Hong Kong v Oman, Malaysia v UAE, Nepal v Singapore
Tue Sep 4: Malaysia v Singapore, UAE v Oman, Nepal v Hong Kong
Thu Sep 6: Final
Asia Cup
Venue: Dubai and Abu Dhabi
Schedule: Sep 15-28
Teams: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, plus the winner of the Qualifier
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
If you go
The flights Etihad (www.etihad.com) and Spice Jet (www.spicejet.com) fly direct from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Pune respectively from Dh1,000 return including taxes. Pune airport is 90 minutes away by road.
The hotels A stay at Atmantan Wellness Resort (www.atmantan.com) costs from Rs24,000 (Dh1,235) per night, including taxes, consultations, meals and a treatment package.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Hydrogen: Market potential
Hydrogen has an estimated $11 trillion market potential, according to Bank of America Securities and is expected to generate $2.5tn in direct revenues and $11tn of indirect infrastructure by 2050 as its production increases six-fold.
"We believe we are reaching the point of harnessing the element that comprises 90 per cent of the universe, effectively and economically,” the bank said in a recent report.
Falling costs of renewable energy and electrolysers used in green hydrogen production is one of the main catalysts for the increasingly bullish sentiment over the element.
The cost of electrolysers used in green hydrogen production has halved over the last five years and will fall to 60 to 90 per cent by the end of the decade, acceding to Haim Israel, equity strategist at Merrill Lynch. A global focus on decarbonisation and sustainability is also a big driver in its development.
Family reunited
Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was born and raised in Tehran and studied English literature before working as a translator in the relief effort for the Japanese International Co-operation Agency in 2003.
She moved to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies before moving to the World Health Organisation as a communications officer.
She came to the UK in 2007 after securing a scholarship at London Metropolitan University to study a master's in communication management and met her future husband through mutual friends a month later.
The couple were married in August 2009 in Winchester and their daughter was born in June 2014.
She was held in her native country a year later.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Simran
Director Hansal Mehta
Stars: Kangana Ranaut, Soham Shah, Esha Tiwari Pandey
Three stars
EXPATS
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Brief scores
Barcelona 2
Pique 36', Alena 87'
Villarreal 0
