The Dubai Expat Diaries

The Ruler of Dubai has issued a directive to freeze residential and commercial rents in Dubai this year. But there is a condition, if the rent is more than 25% below average for the area – with the new rental index being used as a guideline, the freeze doesn’t apply. The move is meant to [...]

Another company Istithmar World has laid off 10 percent of its workforce, adding to the growing list of companies in Dubai firing their staff as a result of the global credit crunch. It is but obvious the impact these recent job losses as well as the general state of the economy will have on an ordinary expat’s psyche. A new research by YouGovSiraj shows [...]

A report by Swiss Bank UBS estimates that the population in Dubai will decline 8 per cent this year.

It seems like there will finally be some respite for Dubai expats struggling with the huge jump in apartment rents over the last few years. According to a property firm Asteco, the average rent of a one bedroom apartment rose 4 per cent last year with no rise at all in the final quarter. “Certainly [...]

According to a recent Arabian Business news report, “the first flight operating from the new airport being built as part of the $33 billion Dubai World Central (DWC) development will take off by the end of 2009, project chiefs said on Saturday”.  Located in Jebel Ali, it is said that once ready, the Al Maktoum International [...]

There’s good news for all the UAE expats and tourists who have been eagerly waiting for the best shopping festival in the region, DSF 2009(Dubai Shopping Festival 2009) is just around the corner. It has been a big hit from its very first launch in early 1996, getting bigger and better every year. This year, the 14th edition of the Dubai Shopping [...]

There has been a new addition to the ever-growing list of shopping malls in Dubai, another one has just opened its doors in Dubai Marina. The Dubai Marina Mall boasts of a total of 160 stores, including a supermarket (the second Waitrose in Dubai), a six-screen cineplex, and a seven-storey Gourmet Tower.  Only a part [...]

The Emirates Identity Authority has announced the following schedule for the ID card registration of the expatriates in the UAE. They have been divided into four different categories based on profession/industry; each with its own time frame for registration. Residents and Professionals working for the Government and the Private Sector have been given a deadline [...]

If you still haven’t heard about the compulsory Emirates ID / Emirates Identity Card that all residents of Dubai and the UAE need to obtain, please read carefully… The official website of the Emirates Identity Authority states: As per the law of the Population Registry and the Identity Card Program, all nationals and legal residents [...]

Grand Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport is set to open on 14th Oct! Dubai has set another record with the soon to open massive Terminal 3 at the Dubai International Airport. This magnificent project with world-class facilities such as spas, hotels, swimming pools, designer lounges, and even two indoor Zen gardens, will be the [...]