UAE: Dubai

Facilities management (FM), the interdisciplinary field that has grown around the servicing of residential developments, commercial spaces, and public and private infrastructure such as schools, hospitals and hotels, is relatively new, even among developed economies. Across most of the MENA region it is in its infancy. Yet, in Dubai, the recovery...

When the global economic downturn hit Dubai’s tourism sector in 2008-09, the luxury segment, in particular, suffered substantial losses. The emirate’s extravagant high-end hotels, many of which commanded room rates in excess of $1000 per night prior to the crisis, were forced to lower their prices substantially to maintain occupancy rates, for...

As Dubai’s retail segment continues to grow, the emirate’s connection with its East Asian trade partners is becoming increasingly important. Between 2005 and 2011, the value of direct imports from East and Southeast Asia doubled from Dh58.5bn to Dh116.2bn ($15.9bn to $31.6bn), representing about 26.3% of total direct imports, according to data from...

The real estate market is poised for improvement in 2012 and 2013, as the emirate works to regain its reputation as a leading regional destination for investment.

Over the course of the past decade, Dubai has become synonymous with luxury goods. According to the Dubai Statistics Centre, the retail, wholesale and repair segment accounted for 30.7% of GDP in 2011, up slightly on 30.1% in 2010 and 29.7% in 2009, and much of which is accounted for by the high-end segment. The emirate acts as a retail centre for...

While many international retailers in North America and the EU have been forced to tighten their belts over the past three years, their counterparts in Dubai have benefitted from steady expansion. Indeed, the emirate’s international and luxury retailers recovered relatively quickly from the global economic crisis, despite falling incomes throughout...