The Middle East

After nearly five years of decline, rents in Abu Dhabi’s real estate market are stabilising, with prices for grade-A office space holding steady and prime residential rents rising for the first time since 2008-09. Driven by government investment in infrastructure and economic and social development projects, along with increased regional...

Traffic on Abu Dhabi’s roads has increased rapidly over the course of the past decade, driven by population growth, a rise in visitor numbers and greater economic activity throughout the emirate. Consequently, most of the road and highway networks – and particularly those in the capital – have become increasingly congested in recent years....

The power and water sector in Abu Dhabi has changed dramatically in the past 15 years. With partial privatisation at the end of the last century, the provision of utilities in the emirate has improved significantly, while disruptions and inefficiencies in both networks have also been greatly reduced under the new model. However, with the growth...

As of mid-2013 the city of Al Ain, Abu Dhabi’s second-largest urban area, was in the early stages of an industrialisation drive that could completely transform the local economy. Under Plan Al Ain 2030 and the government’s long-term development strategy, the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030, the city is slated to become a regional centre for...

Home to some of the UAE’s most prominent Islamic banks and takaful (sharia-compliant insurance) operators, Abu Dhabi has long been a regional centre for Islamic financial services. Strong capital bases have raised the possibility of international expansion in recent years,...