UAE: Dubai

It has been 50 years since Dubai first struck oil in the Fateh field, but in 2016 the emirate’s determination to ensure it did not become dependent on petroleum wealth is paying dividends. Although the impact on its neighbours of lower global oil prices may have an indirect impact on Dubai’s fortunes in the years to come, in the immediate...

The retail industry has played a key role in the rapid development of Dubai over the past four decades and remains a firm pillar underpinning economic growth. The interplay between retail, real estate, air transport and tourism is fundamental to Dubai’s value proposition for consumers and investors. The city has established itself as the...

The primary fuel mix in the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy includes one new ingredient that may at first sight seem to contradict the emirate’s increasingly green credentials – coal. In October 2015 Dubai Electricity and Water Authority (DEWA) announced the preferred bidders for the Hassyan clean coal generation facility, the first phase of...

Dubai’s efforts to position itself as a global centre for the Islamic economy, combined with its standing as the world’s second-largest showcase for global brands, allows it to play a pivotal role in retail development and innovation. In October 2015 Dubai played host to the Global Islamic Economy Summit, where experts gathered to consider the...

Although economic headwinds are posing challenges for Dubai’s retail sector, automotive retailers remain optimistic, buoyed by several years of strong sales growth for family saloons, sports utility vehicles (SUVs) and high-performance sports cars.

The combination of alluring destination malls and a rapidly expanding airline has created a “fly-and-buy” shopping economy in Dubai in recent years, but retailers in the emirate have found it more difficult to tap into the broader global potential of e-commerce. “E-commerce is the largest threat and the biggest opportunity,” Nisreen Shocair,...