Insights: General
Cultural awareness, expat life and practical guides for anyone building a life or career in the Middle East.
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UNITED ARAB EMIRATES | Immigration Changes Affect Work Permits and Residence Visas
With the Middle East’s second largest economy behind only Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) relies heavily on foreign workers to sustain its economic growth. According to United Nations’ estimates, over 90 percent of its private market labor force is comprised of foreign workers. So any changes in immigration policies and processes always have
UAE’s hotel construction pipeline set to peak in 2018
The UAE’s hotel construction pipeline is forecast to peak in 2017 and 2018 as the country gears up for the World Expo event in 2020. According to a new report by TOPHOTELPROJECTS, there are 183 hotel projects and 54,000 hotel rooms in the UAE pipeline. The hotel construction report prepared for The Hotel Show Dubai
“I find it almost unbelievable, the amount of progress Qatar has made in the past 20 years”
Interview with Ambassador Nguyen Hoang, ambassador of Vietnam to Qatar What is your understanding and experience of living in Qatar? From the moment I first landed here in Doha until now, I have a very good impression about Qatar and its people. It’s not only the top-level Qatari officials who I find to be personable, but
Top 10 expat nationalities buying property in Dubai
149 nationalities invest Dh57bn in emirate’s real estate sector: DLD The biggest investors in Dubai property market have been UAE nationals followed by Indians in the first six months of 2016, according to Dubai Land Department (DLD). UAE nationals (Emiratis) invested a total of Dh14.523billion, through 4,543 investments, while Indians poured in Dh7.27billion during the
Expat Pakistanis remit $10bn from UAE, Saudi in past year
Remittances from overseas Pakistanis hit a record high of $19.9 billion in the year to June 2016, helped by large amounts sent from Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Statistics released earlier this month by the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) showed that Saudi Arabia contributed 30 percent of total remittances amounting to just under $6
Dubai’s Damac says phase 1 of Akoya Imagine villas sold out
Damac Properties announced on Monday that phase one of Akoya Imagine villas has been sold out, and the launch of the second phase is planned for the end of July. The villas, which are designed and priced to attract professionals in the under 35 age group, have proven to be popular among millennials seeking a
UAE’s appetite for digital banking services said to be soaring
New research released has found that affluent middle class customers in the UAE are more likely to interact with their bank using digital channels than ever before. According to Collinson Group, parent company of Priority Pass and ICLP, financial services brands looking to boost engagement must ensure their loyalty initiatives are aligned to their customers’
‘UAE to get 3,500 millionaires in 2016’
Dubai: The UAE will most likely add thousands of new millionaires to its existing wealthy population this year, as rising security tension in some markets have spurred a migration of affluent tycoons. The UAE is one of the top destinations for moneyed citizens from various countries around the world, with 3,000 super-wealthy individuals (HNWIs) or
Bahrain’s new foreign ownership law ‘to boost property markets’
The decision by the Bahraini government to allow foreign investors 100 percent ownership in various sectors of the market is likely to have a positive long term impact on the kingdom’s property markets, according to Cluttons. According to the government, the new law will allow 100 percent ownership in residency, real estate, administrative services, health
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