Travel destinations: Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Part 3
November 20, 2009 by admin
Filed under Restaurants
Dubai has come a long way from the fishing settlement it used to be. This desert city is now among the most multicultural cities in the world 82% of its population is made up of expatriates from over 100 countries.
Dubai is used to catering to the upwardly mobile even the locals have a relatively high standard of living. But where does it all come from? Primarily from oil; but as the oil reserves are going to run out eventually, the country has diversified into other areas namely tourism.
Yes, Dubai has made catering to tourists especially rich tourists an art form. So dropping 50 grand in three days should be relatively easy. Here is a three-day guide to spending money in Dubai lots of it. So pack your Louis Vuitton luggage, throw on your D&G shades and don’t forget your credit cards.
All prices are listed in U.S. funds.
Day 1: Shopping in Deira district
Dubai is used to catering to wealthy foreigners and oil barons, so the city has no shortage of exclusive hotels and services. Your first order of business, before you even arrive in Dubai, is to contact Diamond Lease Car Rental to have them meet you at the airport with your own chauffeur-driven Bentley. With advance notice, your chauffeur can be at your disposal to take you around Dubai in style for your entire stay for $1,752 per day. Remember: Book your ride early; they only have six Bentleys available.
Have your chauffeur take you to your hotel to check in. The Al Maha Desert Resort, set in the desert among mountains and dunes, is the only upscale ecotourism resort in the country where $3,000 per night gets you the tres chic Emirates suite.
Dropping cash on designer duds and eating like royalty
Once you’ve dropped off your bags, hit the streets for some upscale shopping. Start your day in Dubai’s Deira district, home to the city’s old center. Shopping in Dubai is tax-free and known for its gold and carpet markets. The famous Deira gold souk (market) carries bars of 24-karat gold in any form and weight, as well as bullion coins in 22 karats and 24 karats. In Deira Tower’s shopping mall, you’ll find carpet traders from Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan who sell their wares prices can go up to a few thousand dirhams. Feel free to drop about $12,000 on an imported rug for your pad.
Now, head to the BurJuman Centre in the Bur Dubai district where they have Saks Fifth Ave, Tiffany & Co., Donna Karan, and other designer goods. Don’t leave BurJuman Centre without making a quick stop
The Rising Cost of Dubai Properties
November 19, 2009 by admin
Filed under Tourists Attractions
There’s no doubt about it – Dubai is hot. It’s attracted a lot of attention in the last several years, becoming a symbol of wealth, luxury, and innovation. Tourists, and those seeking to relocate, have been flocking there in droves, which led to rapid growth and rapid increase of property values and prices.
Yet, when something seems too good to be true, it usually is. Even Dubai, which saw a 79% increase in property price since January 2007, is now facing a bit of a housing slump. In fact, one source predicts that property prices will fall by 10% by 2010. Overall, though, that’s still a gain of nearly 70% in just three years! That’s an incredible increase by any standards.
So what drives this increase in price? Several things: good old supply-and-demand, greed, and escalating costs of construction. Similar to other places in the world, the high prices of gasoline and oil (originally a boon to Dubai) are now being felt more deeply as products they need are increasing due to those same high oil prices.
Supply-and-demand has affected property prices because of that same skyrocketing interest in Dubai mentioned earlier. It has gained so much attention in the last several years that even they underestimated how many people would want to invest in their real estate—which only became available to foreigners in 2002.
Knowing that the demand is high for their work, some contractors and others with low integrity are being greedy and inflating prices, trying to make the most off the Dubai property boom. Unfortunately, those who are greedy are also short-sighted. If they get away with these inflated prices now, they’re only working themselves out of business sooner. Others, less greedy but who can provide excellent work, will do well to under-bid their greedy counterparts and get the jobs.
Some protective measures are now being taken in Dubai, thanks to these rising property costs. Some buyers are being asked to hold on to their properties for a set period of time before trying to sell them again. This will hopefully bring some stability to Dubai and not merely make it an investment flip market for owners.
Some believe oversupply in Dubai will occur sometime in 2009, which will help fuel the predicted 10% price fall by 2010. It is hoped that no matter what occurs, Dubai will not encounter a massive hit such as Singapore did in the 1990s.
For now, many investors in Dubai property remain optimistic and confident. They were able to build up a bit of a profit nest egg and some security before things started to shift. They don’t have as much construction to worry about and some of their properties are leased out or otherwise bringing in income, if not yet profit.
Dubai continues to have great attractions for tourists and others wishing to see its man-made and natural Middle Eastern splendors. Dubai would do well to take advantage of its mystique now, and attract more events to it, and continue to generate interest. Perhaps they should also spend some time getting to know what happened in Singapore before the bottom fell out from them!
Furnished apartments in Dubai – an amazing living experience.
There are few amazing places on this Earth and one of them is Dubai. The world is watching Dubai’s developments with interest and is willing to be a part of its expansion. Anyone visiting this wonderful city is fascinated by the mixture of old and new, by the perplexing structures built along with Arabic traditional structures. Dubai is fascinating in its true sense and it is a major tourism destination.
Due to its constant development, more and more people keep flowing into this city. The fusion of Arabic culture with various beliefes from the rest of the world is a distinct identity of Dubai and that only makes the city more attractive for foreigners.
Dubai Marina is one of the newest places in Dubai, called the New Heart of Dubai and many people who come here consider lodging in one of the exquisite Dubai Marins Apartments. Dubai Marins apartments have a great significance for the visitors. They are affordabe, providing the extra space needed, increased privacy and more facilities when compared against hotel accommodation.
Located in an essential area of the megapolis, Dubai Marins Apartments come with amazing facilities such as high speed Internet, cable TV, DVD player, swimming pool, gymnasium; all these are offered with each property for hire.
Most people providing Dubai Marins Apartments are real estate dealers. These companies know how important it is for Dubai to keep the real estate market hot and they are highly professional. They are ready to provide accurate information about Dubai Marins Apartments, discuss with you every detail on the contract and guide you through the whole hiring process. One of the most sough-after features of one of the Dubai Marins Apartments is the breathtaking sea-shore view. This is why it is important to discuss all the feature with your real estate agent or you will end up living in the wrong place, for the wrong reasons.
Providing more accommodations in the form of Dubai Marina was a brilliant idea. This area, once called Westside, has become one of the main attractions of Dubai. Everybody wants to live here. The project includes building furnished apartments in Dubai and daring constructions such as featuring canals like in Venice. The very thought of marina living is such an exciting prospect that one cannot help daydreaming about it.
Furnished apartments in Dubai are accommodations desired mostly by business travelers who want to extend their stay. They prefer such living arrangements because they have comfort and privacy, all in a home-like atmosphere.
There are various rental services available and one must take into consideration that furnished apartments in Dubai are built up to cater to the demands of various persons and that they are always situated at prime locations.
One can easily find furnished apartments in Dubai according to his taste and needs. Most of these apartments are luxurious, not to mention that they have all it takes to live in comfort and elegance. The interiors are wonderful and the furnishing depends on the settings of each room.
The Internet offers a lot of opportunities for finding furnished apartments in Dubai. There are plenty of websites offering accurate information about Dubai accommodations; you can find details about various lodgings, best prices and special offers. Keep in mind that furnished apartments in Dubai are part of modern complexes which are built on a daring architecture. They can provide an amazing living experience along with the flavors offered of this multifaceted city.
Property in Dubai, The Rent Caps Proposed and More
July 28, 2009 by admin
Filed under Tourists Attractions
The Dubai Rent Committee has once again regulated the rental rate increases in Dubai resulting in the debate relating to rent caps and buy to let property investment in Dubai seriously raging.
There is the argument that it is necessary to cap rental rates to ensure Dubai remains an appealing place to live in terms of its economic effectiveness for the longer term; whilst on the hand you have property industry experts pointing out the fact that “Dubai’s economy actually benefits significantly from the property industry and by capping rental rates you’re effectively capping the attraction of the nation from an investor’s perspective.”
Those who are in favour of the latest 7% rent cap say that it “will make Dubai a more stable environment for the majority of people living in the emirate.”
“The vast majority of those who have committed to live, work, start a business or invest in Dubai are affected either by home or premises rental rates or perhaps both – when their ongoing rental liabilities are known, these individuals will be able to more effectively forward plan.”
This makes living in the emirate even more attractive as it removes the chance of unforeseen, in terms of costs of living increasing dramatically.
It is a fact that Dubai has to stabilise increases in the cost of living in order to maintain a grip on inflation. Accordingly, a 7% cap on the rate at which rental prices chargeable is viewed as not only a good thing, but essential to maintaining the ongoing attraction of Dubai as a place to live and work.
Directly contradicting this viewpoint is the fact that by capping rental rate increases, you inadvertently cap the attraction of Dubai.
In terms of the buy to let investment property market a cap is quite literally a restriction on profit, and because Dubai’s economy has been bolstered incredibly significantly since the right of foreigners to own freehold real estate in the emirate became law, the economy could now suffer if fewer investors wish to buy property in Dubai and become landlords.
Whichever side of the fence you’re on we feel it’s wise to take a step back from the intense argument that’s raging for just a moment.
By placing restrictions on rental increases, Dubai is actually ensuring it becomes more attractive as a place to commit to, to live in and to open a business or work from, meaning that the current strong flow of inward migration of professional persons that Dubai is experiencing at present will continue and demand for rental accommodation will also continue to be very strong.
This has the effect that vacancy rates for commercial and residential real estate will remain very low indeed and so an investment property bought in Dubai with the sole purpose of the investor being to let it out for an income remains an attractive investment asset simply because it will almost always be occupied and returning an income!
If rental rates were to continue spiralling upwards, more people would leave the emirate than arrive and buy to let investors would likely find it increasingly difficult to find anyone to pay their ridiculous rental rates!
In order to attract more foreign investors into Dubai, Khalid Ahmed bin Sulayem, the Director General of Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) revealed: “We want annual visitor numbers to rise from seven million to ten million by 2010. To achieve that, we are working to implement various new initiatives and strategies.”
He further commented that “The next three years will see the most dramatic developments in tourism projects, and Dubai will continue to be a ‘frontrunner’ in attracting visitors to this part of the world.”
This is good news for Dubai as a country and burgeoning economy. Apparent and clear to see is the fact that investing in Dubai – regardless of its rent caps – is still extremely lucrative and a positive venture when one considers the vast amounts of profits to be had in return.
Furnished Apartments in Dubai – an Amazing Living Experience
There are few amazing places on this Earth and one of them is Dubai. The world is watching Dubai’s developments with interest and is willing to be a part of its expansion. Anyone visiting this wonderful city is fascinated by the mixture of old and new, by the perplexing structures built along with Arabic traditional structures. Dubai is fascinating in its true sense and it is a major tourism destination.
Due to its constant development, more and more people keep flowing into this city. The fusion of Arabic culture with various beliefes from the rest of the world is a distinct identity of Dubai and that only makes the city more attractive for foreigners.
Dubai Marina is one of the newest places in Dubai, called the New Heart of Dubai and many people who come here consider lodging in one of the exquisite Dubai Marins Apartments. Dubai Marins apartments have a great significance for the visitors. They are affordabe, providing the extra space needed, increased privacy and more facilities when compared against hotel accommodation.
Located in an essential area of the megapolis, Dubai Marins Apartments come with amazing facilities such as high speed Internet, cable TV, DVD player, swimming pool, gymnasium; all these are offered with each property for hire.
Most people providing Dubai Marins Apartments are real estate dealers. These companies know how important it is for Dubai to keep the real estate market hot and they are highly professional. They are ready to provide accurate information about Dubai Marins Apartments, discuss with you every detail on the contract and guide you through the whole hiring process. One of the most sough-after features of one of the Dubai Marins Apartments is the breathtaking sea-shore view. This is why it is important to discuss all the feature with your real estate agent or you will end up living in the wrong place, for the wrong reasons.
Providing more accommodations in the form of Dubai Marina was a brilliant idea. This area, once called Westside, has become one of the main attractions of Dubai. Everybody wants to live here. The project includes building furnished apartments in Dubai and daring constructions such as featuring canals like in Venice. The very thought of marina living is such an exciting prospect that one cannot help daydreaming about it.
Furnished apartments in Dubai are accommodations desired mostly by business travelers who want to extend their stay. They prefer such living arrangements because they have comfort and privacy, all in a home-like atmosphere.
There are various rental services available and one must take into consideration that furnished apartments in Dubai are built up to cater to the demands of various persons and that they are always situated at prime locations.
One can easily find furnished apartments in Dubai according to his taste and needs. Most of these apartments are luxurious, not to mention that they have all it takes to live in comfort and elegance. The interiors are wonderful and the furnishing depends on the settings of each room.
The Internet offers a lot of opportunities for finding furnished apartments in Dubai. There are plenty of websites offering accurate information about Dubai accommodations; you can find details about various lodgings, best prices and special offers. Keep in mind that furnished apartments in Dubai are part of modern complexes which are built on a daring architecture. They can provide an amazing living experience along with the flavors offered of this multifaceted city.





