Thousands of pilgrims from the Emirates began returning to the country on Thursday following Hajj.
Last year, more than 6,200 Muslims made the journey to Makkah from the UAE, up from 4,600 in 2017.
For millions of Muslims around the world, the Hajj pilgrimage is an odyssey of huge consequence.
The five or six days of prayer and discovery to the holiest of cities in Saudi Arabia is part of the Five Pillars of Islam, and is considered mandatory.
The pilgrimage takes place each year during Dhul Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic calendar.
The ritual literally translates as “to attend a journey” and denotes both the outward act of the physical travel involved and the inward act of an individual’s contemplation of their faith.
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.
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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.
