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K Raveendran The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is witnessing a significant demographic shift, with a growing influx of professionals replacing the previously dominant low-wage workforce. This trend is impacting various aspects of life in the UAE, most notably in the areas of housing, services, and the overall cost of living. Statistics paint a clear picture of this transformation. According to the World Bank, the UAE’s population in […]
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K Raveendran The recent decision by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) to remove the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from its “grey list” of jurisdictions under increased monitoring has significant implications for the country, both domestically and internationally. The action sends a positive signal to investors, boosting economic confidence and potentially attracting more foreign direct investment (FDI). It will help solidify the UAE’s position as a responsible […]
K Raveendran A survey undertaken by Dubai Casinos, proclaiming itself to be the vanguard in the realm of casino guidance and expertise in the UAE, about the idea of legalising casinos in the emirate has revealed that 42.2 percent of the respondents opposed such a move. The main reason cited was the potential clash between Emirati culture and the gambling scene. But 28.8 percent were neutral and […]
K Raveendran While the Dubai real estate market is undoubtedly hot, experts are predicting a possible slowdown in 2024. This could lead to price moderation and selective buying are expected, although the scope for a significant market corrections is seen unlikely. Dubai’s real estate market has been on a tear in recent years, fuelled by a surge in foreign investment, strong economic growth, and government reforms. However, […]
K Raveendran In a landmark judgement, the US SEC has approved 11 Bitcoin spot ETFs paving the way for mass adoption of digital assets. Sending you herewith, reactions from industry stalwarts on its impact and future outlook. According to experts, it is expected that the US decision would prompt financial institutions in other regions to apply for similar businesses. In view of this, other financial centres such […]
K Raveendran GCC countries could become more vulnerable to the economic and financial impacts of physical risks from climate change over the next few decades if investments in adaptation and resilience stagnate, Standard & Poor’s said in a report. According to the report titled Sustainability Insights Research: Lost GDP: Potential Impacts Of Physical Climate Risks, on average, about 8% of the GCC region’s GDP could be at […]
K Raveendran UAE’s Al Habtoor group, which has made substantial investments in Lebanon, has urged the Lebanese government to compensate for the losses suffered by GCC companies due to the reckless actions of militias, putting the Lebanese state in futile conflicts that only bring destruction and instability to the country, its economy, and its people. The Lebanese state must confront the sources of threats and take preventive […]
K Raveendran The UAE will soon have a specialist court to deal with disputes relating to bankruptcies, which will emphasise the importance of amicable solutions, broadening the scope for debtors to seek agreements with creditors. The special court will be set up under the new bankruptcy legislation that is set to come into force on May 1, 2024, replacing the 2016 bankruptcy framework. The new law will […]
K Raveendran The green, social, sustainable, and sustainable-linked bonds (GSSSB) market–including sustainable sukuk–in the Middle East (GSSSB) is set to expand further, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia likely to remain the leaders, Standard & Poor’s said in a report. The report is timing with the high-profile COP28 meeting in Dubai, which has seen a number of pathbreaking decisions by nations. GSSSB issuance in the Middle East […]
K Raveendran The increasing engagement by Gulf countries with China is raising eyebrows in Washington, with reports suggesting indicating that Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) is reviewing several multibillion-dollar deals entered into by Gulf sovereign wealth funds, particularly the UAE’s Mubadala and the Saudi Public Investment Fund. Bloomberg reported the other day that officials in President Joe Biden’s cabinet are currently reviewing more […]
K Raveendran As real estate prices continue to rise in Dubai, the risk of a cyclical reversal is mounting, rating agency Standard & Poor’s has said in a report. The agency, however, adds that the Dubai developers are well prepared for such a turn of events. S&P estimates that prices will increase 15%-18% in 2023 and by another 5%-7% in 2024 as the Dubai market gradually slows […]
K Raveendran The United Arab Emirates is among the few countries in the world to see the Rule of Law Index score increase this year. The UAE achievement is all the more remarkable as a majority of countries have seen rule of law being eroded this year. The UAE ranks 37th out of 142 countries worldwide and 36th out of 46 among the high income countries in […]
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K Raveendran Prime minister Narendra Modi and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, who is on a state visit to India, co-chaired the first leaders’ meeting of the Strategic Partnership Council, a bilateral agreement between India and Saudi Arabia signed by the two nations in Riyadh in 2019. They assessed the progress of the two ministerial committees of the Strategic Partnership Council, namely the Political, […]
K Raveendran Xi Jinping’s loss is Joe Biden’s and Narendra Modi’s gain. The Chinese president’s absence at the Delhi G20 summit under the presidency of India was used by both to mount a serious challenge to Xi’s favourite Belt and Road initiative by creating a South Asia-Middle East-Europe economic corridor. Modi announced the summit decision to establish a comprehensive rail and shipping connectivity network linking US, India, […]
K Raveendran Big financial institutions recognize the superiority of blockchain technology, but are intimidated by the prospects of bitcoin replacing them, so they will try to censor, control and manipulate it before ultimately they will be forced to accommodate it on public demand, says Grigory Rybalchenko, founder and CEO of Emirex, an exchange and a marketplace for digital assets and cryptocurrencies. Gregory will be among the top […]
K Raveendran There is a certain confrontation developing between Airports Council International, the umbrella boy of airports, and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) regarding what the association considers as high airport charges. At the just concluded annual general meeting of IATA, the apex body for the promotion of air travel, warned that plans to increase charges by airports and air navigation service providers (ANSPs) will stall […]
By K Raveendran The ongoing investigations into the sensational case of gold smuggling through the diplomatic channel provide a live example of the nexus between gold, drugs, dirty money and havala. All preliminary findings point to a ‘standard operating procedure’ followed across the world by the underworld, as highlighted in what has been called the FinCEN files, just published by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ). […]
|By K Raveendran| The arrest of wealthy Saudi prince Al Waleed, whose investments ranging from Citibank to Apple to Twitter, making him the most high profile Arab investor on the global stage, may involve more than internal power struggle within the Saudi ruling establishment and the new Crown Prince’s spirited fight against corruption. Al Waleed may have paid a heavy price for his spat with Donald Trump […]
|By K Raveendran| Virgin boss Richard Branson recently went on a voyage to Arabia’s past, which he claims helped him discover an incredibly exciting time in Saudi Arabia’s history. The visit also turned out to be an inspiration for him to announce a major investment in a luxury tourism project aiming to transform a stretch of Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast into a hub for high-end holidaymakers. […]
|ARABIAN POST SPECIAL|By K Raveendran| As predicted, Emaar chairman Mohammed Alabbar’s foray into e-commerce has already started creating waves in the regional and global online retailing market. In an apparent move to retain its clout, global e-commerce leader Amazon.com is reportedly in talks to acquire Dubai-based online retailer Souq.com. Amazon is reportedly considering a bid for all of souq.com, which had initially planned to sell a minority stake. […]
|By K Raveendran| With the VAT announcement already having been made, the next landmark decision business circles are keenly watching out for is the establishment of the UAE Federal Tax Authority. The new authority or department is expected to be entrusted with the task of implementing and collecting various taxes, including the proposed corporate taxes. In June last year, the Ministry of Finance (MOF) had outlined in […]
|By K Raveendran| A clear assessment of the impact of the introduction of value added tax (VAT) in the UAE is not available yet, but it is fairly clear that it will have serious adverse results for the retail industry, which is already suffering a dip in demand. Minister of State for Financial Affairs Obaid Humaid Al Tayer announced the other day after a joint press conference […]
|By K Raveendran| Going by the pace at which machinery automation is advancing, the day does not appear to be a long way off when self-working machines carry out complicated and high-skilled operations without manual intervention. The Win Eurasia Metal Working Fair in Istanbul held during 11-14 February provided clear insights into the evolving trends in this area and the rapid strides Turkish machinery manufacturing industry is […]
|By K Raveendran| Given Dubai’s fame as one of the most happening cities of the world, the international media attention to the New Year-eve fire at the Address Hotel was quite natural. At the same time, it did not escape the attention of the discerning that some sections of the media lost no opportunity to use the unfortunate incident to show things in a rather poor light. […]
|By K Raveendran| With the new Public-Private Partnership law having come into being last month, Dubai is set to witness a new phase in its development, as private investments begin to flow into further development of the emirate’s infrastructure. This would mean the private sector directly getting involved in projects like airport expansion, extension of the Dubai Metro and similar infrastructure projects and sharing the risks in […]
|TAP Special by K Raveendran| Landmark events about the development of a shopping mall generally involve major leasing deals or signing up flagship brands, or the launch of the mall itself. But Qatar’s Tawar Mall, coming up in a prime Doha locality, was the scene of a bit of fanfare this week for none of the above. The mall owners, belonging to the leading Qatari business family […]
|TAP Special by K Raveendran| Landmark events about the development of a shopping mall generally involve major leasing deals or signing up flagship brands, or the launch of the mall itself. But Qatar’s Tawar Mall, coming up in a prime Doha locality, was the scene of a bit of fanfare this week for none of the above. The mall owners, belonging to the leading Qatari business family […]
|TAP Special by K Raveendran| The UAE healthcare sector was the scene of high drama as the Al Noor Hospitals Group, being pursued by leading sectoral player NMC Group to form the country’s biggest private healthcare provider, apparently broke off and announced it has reached an agreement for a merger with South Africa’s Mediclinic International Ltd. Al Noor will also be renamed Mediclinic International. Al Noor said […]
|TAP Special by K Raveendran| The Dubai residential market continues to face downward pressure as rents and sale prices decline. It’s perhaps indicative of a systemic shift that the current phase’s first bankruptcy has just been filed. According to a JLL report citing the REIDIN indexes, the sales index dropped by 8% for the one-year period ending June 2015, with declines in apartment sale prices exceeding that […]
|TAP Special By K Raveendran| With the fuel subsidies issue having been settled, attention now shifts to the possibilities of introducing value added tax as another option to bolster the UAE’s financial resources. Starting August 1, 2015, special grade petrol across fuel stations in the UAE will cost Dh2.14 per litre, up 24.4 per cent from Dh1.72. The super grade will cost Dh2.25, up 22.9 per cent […]
