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I’ve wanted to be an entrepreneur for as long as I can remember. Even as a child, I was fascinated by the world of business, which appeared to offer endless opportunities to build immense structures, develop ingenious products and do

You can argue that history, quality, reputation and style are all key reasons why we’re drawn to luxury brands. But I believe, ultimately, we all desire high-end brands because of the heightened levels of customer experience. There’s something special about

It’s my business to follow the trends in the global uber-luxury market, and recently I’ve been analysing if this sector is truly recession proof. It’s certainly true to say during times of economic uncertainty, history shows us that people prefer

Those of you who read this blog often will realise I am proudly Emirati, and my culture is very important to me and my family. I’ve had the privilege of travelling extensively, and during my travels, seen globalisation first-hand. I

While the concept of luxury can vary depending on cultural, regional and individual preferences, in all my time spent studying the luxury market closely, I’ve come to realise there are certain characteristics – architecturally speaking – that many luxury properties

We live in exciting times and enjoy a strong, growing economy. We’ve weathered the economic woes of the pandemic, and all indicators suggest moderate economic growth this year, compared to many nations which are teetering on recession and seeing economic

If, like me, you enjoy and admire luxury brands, you’ve probably considered how hard it might be to build your own luxury brand. I’ve often considered what exactly it is that creates the ‘luxury’ association, and here, I’d like to

Luxury brands and high-end real estate properties have long been associated with each other, particularly in the UAE – where they have seen tremendous growth in recent years. These two industries share several similarities, including their focus on exclusivity, quality

We all understand that the global real estate market is certainly not immune to market shocks and is certainly affected by economic woes, wars and other geopolitical factors.  Savvy property investors (and their advisors) must keep a keen eye on

Travel and tourism, as I’ve said before, have had a rough ride during the last two years. While Expo 2020 showed that the appetite for travel and leisure is still there, things have changed pretty rapidly and the sector must

When we look at growing our property portfolio, it’s easy to simply ‘follow the crowd’ or the latest online trends, buying in the current hotspots or where it has been widely reported there will be future growth.  But a wise

The dust has settled on Expo 2020, and as it evolves into an exciting new district, I believe it’s important to pause for a moment to think of the event’s legacy.  Technology  Every aspect of the Expo had a technology element,

The UAE tourism sector has experienced dramatic growth over the past decade. According to Dubai’s Department of Economy and Tourism (DET), there were more than 14.36 million international overnight visitors to Dubai in 2022, surpassing global and regional tourism recovery levels.  Tourism

Dubai’s latest raft of new visa options makes the emirate more accessible to a wider audience than perhaps ever before, but I’m interested in examining those options through the lens of luxury real estate investments.  The gear shift in visa

In an area where there are uber luxury properties such as the Palm Jumeirah or Emirates Hills perhaps, the surrounding districts and even city benefits.  That’s because uber-luxury in real estate often indicates an area which offers the greatest lifestyle benefits, the

Late last year, a survey from Standard Chartered Bank revealed that 74% of UAE investors would like to leave a positive legacy through sustainable investments – a figure that compares favourably to the global average of 65%.  As Marc Van de Walle,

By Abbas Sajwani  The UAE’s uber-luxury real estate segment appeals to HNWIs for several good reasons, in my opinion. It offers a diverse range of properties, favourable tax regime, and a raft of investor and property owner-friendly government initiatives, to

A recent survey in Saudi Arabia, the 2022 Knight Frank Saudi Arabia Residential Survey, revealed many people are looking for a second home, as a weekend getaway, a holiday home or as an investment.  For many of us, the motivation behind

Here in the UAE, we are blessed with abundant natural resources – oil and gas – to help fuel the global economy. But, as we all know, these resources are finite, and we must also move towards more sustainable, renewable

All the signs are there – Dubai’s property market is booming. We’ve witnessed some record-breaking sales already this year, and it looks like the market isn’t cooling off anytime soon.  According to a property market analysis from JLL, robust demand and abundant

As we all know, Dubai and the UAE are great places to launch a business, with an environment designed to support innovation, ideas and entrepreneurship.  But, as with everywhere else, unique ideas can be few and far between. And even

Dubai has gained a strong reputation as a perfect location to invest in real estate after a host of factors have come together to create the ideal conditions.  While many investors from all over the world are looking to get

When we think of luxury, we often think of rare and beautiful materials, decorations, and elaborate features involving lighting and water, for example.  Luxury has always been synonymous with scarcity, but what’s becoming increasingly apparent is that energy is scarce,

I’ve been writing and reading a lot lately about the luxury property market, especially right here in Dubai. What truly makes luxury properties luxurious is scarcity. Think of the fronds of the Palm Jumeirah – only a certain number of

Let me start by making a confession: I’m biased. For me, when it comes to ultra-luxury real estate, Dubai – and the UAE in general – tick all my boxes as an investor.  Our nation boasts a wide array of

We are seeing such growth in entrepreneurship right now. Of course, the UAE has always been a place that fosters the perfect conditions for new businesses, but the current global trend is towards younger and younger entrepreneurs.  A decade of Forbes’ magazine’s ‘30

There are more than one billion people of determination globally – those whose hearing, visual, cognitive, mobility, speech or neural functions are impaired – making them the largest minority group in the world. Ergo, inclusivity is vital in modern society.

How do you define ‘uber-luxury’ in property terms? I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately, trying to discover the elements that make a property a cut above others.  I’ve surveyed global markets – even though there’s a remarkable amount

As the world moves back to being able to take holidays and travel again, global competition to win back tourism dollars has perhaps never been so heightened.  And I’ve been thrilled by the UAE’s efforts to attract people back. You may have

It’s that time of year when it’s a useful exercise to consider where the luxury property buying and investment trends are heading. It’s fascinating to see how certain places fall in and out of favour with investors and buyers; and

While there’s a global air of doom and gloom regarding the economy, looming recession and geopolitical turmoil, I believe the outlook for uber luxury real estate remains positive in 2023.  Statistics reveal that the number of High Net Worth Individuals

I’ve spent my life in and around the UAE’s real estate sector, both due to my family’s involvement in DAMAC Properties and, more recently, my uber-luxury venture, AHS Properties. I’ve witnessed numerous changes within the prime and super-prime sectors, but

I’ve been extremely lucky to have gained enormous business acumen from my father, Hussain Sajwani, Founder of DAMAC Properties, and most grateful for education. But I still treat each and every day as a learning experience.  Like many of us,

A big US e-commerce solution provider, Channel Advisor Corporation, recently released the results of a major survey into US consumer spending habits, which revealed some interesting trends.  More than half of those surveyed (52%) predicted they will shop online in future more

Like many of us, I’ve been wondering what will happen to the beautiful, inspiring Expo 2020 Dubai site when the event sadly closes its doors next March.  Well, perhaps unsurprisingly, the enormous (4.38 square kilometre) site is set to be transformed with

Food is at the heart of every culture, and a lot of our celebrations revolve around sharing food with family and friends. But access to information means we are learning more about the food we eat, where it comes from,

We’ve all been reading lately about the rising number of High-Net-Worth Individuals moving to and investing in the region, but I’ve been considering how this notable influx is actually shaping the GCC’s luxury markets.  But firstly, it’s useful to look

What a month it’s been! Since launching my latest venture, AHS Properties, at Cityscape Global 2021, my life has seemed like a nonstop whirlwind of phone calls, messages and meetings.  Not only have I had fun interacting with people from across

No one could have predicted what the long-term effects of the pandemic were, but as we move further away from the height of the virus’ hold, I’m keen to know how Dubai’s economy will fare.  The analysis and economic indicators

We are seeing a surge of interest in luxury homes in Dubai – which has long been a global capital of uber-luxury – and even though true luxury is characterised by scarcity, we can all take steps to create a

Expo 2020 got me thinking about the enormous number of people who will shift their workplace to Dubai for at least six months. Such an influx of global talent is exciting, interesting and will do wonders for the economy, too!  The

A message for Team Gen Z.  If like me, you were born anywhere between 1995 and 2015 chances are you have already been labeled – we are Generation Z, which is ironic because we all know how much we hate labels,

We all know that luxury real estate is described as such because it is scarce. Luxury properties command a higher price, but let’s not forget that an investment in a property that many others covet will always generally result in

The theme of Expo 2020 is ‘Connecting Minds and Creating the Future’ through sustainability, mobility and opportunity, so my thoughts recently turned to sustainability – and that led me to consider food production in the UAE.  We live in a nation richly

Expo 2020 Dubai has shown the world how careful planning, pandemic control and strict health and safety protocols can ensure everyone can enjoy a tourism experience.  Yet the global tourism industry’s future remains uncertain, with complex issues such as the pandemic,

The global glamping market size was valued at US$ 1.88 billion in 2020 and is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 14.1% from 2021 to 2028.  According to research by Arizton, the glamping market in the US is

I’m taking a stand with all the young entrepreneurs out there who have come up against some pushback when introducing a new business idea.  It’s a daunting prospect taking those first steps into launching a new business; however, if you’ve had the

Tourism is changing, whether it’s a pandemic-induced inclination to take domestic breaks or the rising awareness of eco-tourism.  Consumers are savvier and more aware of the impact of travelling on the environment, which has seen the emergence of new trends

The number of people suffering from ‘flu and other diseases is down, as a result of global mask wearing, hand sanitising and increased awareness of the spread of airborne viruses.  This fact has been attributed to the pandemic, mask wearing

The UAE has a long history of trading, primarily because of its desirable geographical position between Europe and the Far East. The region became an attractive place for global merchants to meet and trade, with Indian and Chinese merchants meeting

As we pivot back towards more travel – both for business and leisure – one thing that’s caught my eye in the travel sector is (loud) moves towards more sustainability practices.  If companies are leading the charge to some extent – with Virgin, Google, and IATA announcing major

According to research carried out by Nielsen last year, over half of Gen Z who were interviewed – 54% to be precise – indicated that they wanted to start their own company.  So, what made one-in-two of this demographic want to start

A quick glance at the news over the last year reveals several record-breaking uber-luxury property sales in Dubai, many of which cost tens of millions of dollars. As we all know, Dubai is peppered with uber-luxury, bespoke properties, many built