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Dubai Duty Free Tennis: Roberto Bautista Agut embraces life after losing both parents

head dubai February 24, 2020 No Comments

Dubai: Former Dubai champion Roberto Bautista Agut has insisted that he’s prepared to shrug off all obstacles while targeting a second title at this week’s Dubai Duty Free Men’s Open.

Bautista Agut won his biggest career title in Dubai in 2018 with a straight-set victory against Frenchman Lucas Pouille. After that win, the 31-year-old has been on a high with his best at a Grand Slam coming up with his semi-final appearance at Wimbledon last year, and by November, Bautista Agut had scaled a career high No. 9 on the rankings.

“Wimbledon was maybe the best tournament I played in my life. I think it was a great experience. I think I learnt a lot from it. I hope I can do the same results in the next years,” Bautista Agut told media.

“The fact is I like Dubai. I like the conditions here. I think it’s great for my game and great for my tennis.

“This is one of my favourite tournaments in the year where I feel well even though sometimes the results are a little bit off.”

Business

Dubai’s International City offers best yields in UAE

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Apartments in Dubai’s International City offer the best yields in the United Arab Emirates, according to the latest Property Finder Trends report.

The apartments offered yields of 10.6 percent in H2 2019 ahead of comparable affordable communities like Discovery Gardens (8.6 percent), Al Barsha (8 percent), Barsha Heights or Tecom (7.9 percent), Dubai Sports City (7.8 percent) and Jumeirah Village Circle, or JVC (7.6 percent).

“Overall, rental yields in Dubai are still regarded as being some of the highest around the world. More mature communities such as Dubai Marina, Downtown Dubai and the Palm Jumeirah stand at 6.3 percent, 4.8 percent and 5.3 percent, respectively,” said Lynnette Abad, director of data & research, Property Finder.

In terms of new villa/townhouse communities, Town Square yields the highest gross rental yield at 7.6 percent, followed by Mudon at 7.3 percent, Reem at 6.4 percent and JVC at 6.3 percent.

While more established villa/townhouse communities like Arabian Ranches (4.9 percent), Motor City (5.2 percent) and Barsha (5 percent) offer smaller yields.

In Abu Dhabi, the affordable community of Al Reef offers the highest gross rental yield for apartments at 8.8 percent. Apartments in Al Ghadeer (7.8 percent) and Yas Island (7.2 percent) are also sought-after by buy-to-let investors.

Apartments in Ajman’s Emirates City provided the UAE’s second best gross rental yield at 10.5 percent. Ajman Downtown (8.7 percent) and Al Hamra Village in Ras Al Khaimah (8 percent) also provided apartment buyers with very good rental returns.

Meanwhile, Al Hamra Village (6.3 percent) and Mina Al Arab (4.7 percent), both in Ras Al Khaimah, offered the best gross yields for villas/townhouses.

Average gross rental yields in London stand at 2.9 percent, Hong Kong (2.35 percent), Sydney (2.85 percent), Singapore (3.3 percent) and Toronto (3.9 percent), while Dubai properties offer over 7 percent gross returns on average.

Business

Etihad unit gets nod to train Boeing 777, 787 pilots in Europe

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Etihad Aviation Training, a division of Etihad Aviation Group, has become the first aviation company in the Middle East to gain approval from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to train Boeing 777 and 787 pilots for European carriers.

The approval to train pilots for these two wide-bodied Boeing aircraft types expands the global capabilities of Etihad Aviation Training, which in 2018 also gained approval for pilots of Airbus A320, A330 and A340 aircraft.

Paolo La Cava, vice president and managing director of Etihad Aviation Training, said continuing growth in global demand for air travel was driving increased requirements for pilot training.

“Some operators have insufficient capacity to conduct training in their own facilities while others do not have in-house capabilities,” said La Cava. “In addition to training pilots for Etihad Airways, Etihad Aviation Training also supports the requirements of many other operators for a range of aircraft types.”

Etihad Aviation Training has 11 full motion training simulators, including five for Boeing 777 and 787 training, as well as fixed base devices, and training teams include senior pilots actively flying for Etihad Airways.

La Cava said the Boeing 777 and 787 were two of the most in-demand aircraft in service today, and as their deployment increased so too did demand for pilot training.

He said Etihad Aviation Training soon would also add training capability for the newest wide-body aircraft in airline service, the Airbus A350.

Business

UAE developer says new tourist visa to create opportunities

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The UAE’s new five-year multiple entry tourist visa policy will add stability to the real estate market, according to the CEO of Lootah Real Estate Development.

Saleh Abdullah Lootah said the new policy would be a game changer for more than just the tourism industry and will have a positive impact on the country’s property markets.

He said it will bring an opportunity to create a new segment to the UAE’s real estate sector – with developers encouraged to build new projects for the frequent visitor.

“The substantial growth of tourism, starting with the 25 million visitors expected at the Expo 2020 will create a new market segment of frequent visitors,” he said.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai recently announced the new visa for all nationalities to support the country’s tourism economy and position itself as the preferred destination in the region.

Stabilisation

Lootah said that the outcome of the new visa policy of the UAE will result in the stabilisation of the real estate market as well as having a positive long-term effect.

The CEO also said that visitors who will capitalise on the 5-year multiple entry visa can start planning to look for convenient investment options for properties that will match their experience, usage and leisure.

He said it will be an investment that will “appreciate in value over time that they can capitalise when they want to sell the property”.

Dubai’s real estate industry ended 2019 strongly, as property sales transactions in Dubai hit an 11-year high.

The industry is expected to further pick up this year, especially with the upcoming Expo 2020.

For all the latest construction news from the UAE and Gulf countries, follow us on Twitter and Linkedin, like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube page, which is updated daily.

Entertainment

Seven fascinating places to shop in the UAE

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1 Central Souq, Sharjah
Known as the Blue Souq thanks to the gorgeous tiled exterior, which adorns the Dhs5 note, it makes a convincing case for a road trip to Sharjah. Hundreds of shops in two double-story halls sell a myriad of items from gold, jewels, carpets, furniture, clothing and collectables from across the Arab world. Hop in the car – it’s time for an adventure to another emirate.
Open Sat-Thu, 10am-10pm; Fri, 5-10.30pm. Central Souq, King Faisal Street, Sharjah (06 556 6777).

2 Dubai Gold Souk, Dubai
A key feature of tourist itineraries for decades, the streets paved, or at the very least lined, with gold in Deira are dazzling. Whether you are in the market for a special ring or just to give your Instagram a filter-free boost, the open-air street is packed with store-after-store selling nothing but gold. The shop windows are well worth peering into, with some having huge displays that you’ll want to take some snaps of before you leave, too.
Open daily Sat-Thu 10am-10pm; Fri 4pm-10pm. Sikkat al-Khail Street, Deira.

3 Hamdan Street, Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabians of a grumpier persuasion may tell you that this central Abu Dhabi thoroughfare is hectic, busy and a traffic nightmare. Don’t listen. It is a place of streetlife and constant fascination. Shops of all shapes and sizes line the streets and you can even walk in to archaic shopping centres if all that outdoor energy is getting too much for you.
Daily, 24hrs. Hamdan Street, Abu Dhabi.

4 Mina Markets, Abu Dhabi

We’re at a loss to explain quite why buying fruit, vegetables and fish from a market qualifies as a tourist activity. It just is, OK? In Abu Dhabi’s old port district you will find a collection of markets selling fresh produce. Keep an eye out for some of the city’s finest chef’s stocking up on seafood items for their kitchens while you’re there.
Daily. 8-2am. Mina Markets, Al Mina, Abu Dhabi. 

 

Fashion

Vintage Chanel at Harvey Nichols and Dubai clubs try their hand at fashion

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Exciting news for retro fans: last week Dubai was touched by vintage fashion royalty. Seth Weisser, the founder of hot US vintage haunt What Goes Around Comes Around, was in Dubai to introduce the US store’s Rue de Chambon Vintage Chanel collection at Harvey Nichols (04 409 8888). The selection includes signature quilted chain-strap shoulder bags (pictured below) and statement jewellery such as huge double C earrings and logo necklaces. Snap it up before someone else does!

Meanwhile, we’ve noticed a bit of a trend forming in Dubai of late. Following the opening of Nasimi Beach Boutique last year, two more Dubai nightspots have just launched fashion collections of their own. XL Beach Club has unveiled XL Beach Wear (055 348 5629), a line of gowns, bikinis, accessories and branded shades and caps. And the new Villa Romana Saint Tropez Dubai has opened Villa Romana Boutique (056 231 5924), selling floaty kaftans and beachy gowns.

Finally, Swedish brand Cos plans to open a store in Dubai in April. The retailer already has stores in Kuwait and will stock high-street designs and stylish basics in The Dubai Mall. Until next week: get shopping!

Science & Tech

Mubadala, Russia’s RDIF exit from rural broadband rollout programme

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Russia’s sovereign wealth fund, the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) and Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala have successfully exited from their joint investment in a project to eliminate “digital inequality in Russia, it has been announced.

The project is being implemented in partnership with Russia’s Rostelecom since the end of 2014. RDIF and Mubadala are now exiting from the project as it reaches the end of its investment period.

By the end of 2019, more than 11,100 access points providing free broadband internet were commissioned in 83 regions across Russia, for which over 85,000 km of fiber-optic communications lines were successfully laid.

The project forms part of a Russian government effort to provide rural settlements – of between 250 and 500 residents – with modern communication services.

Over the last three years, total internet traffic under the project has more than doubled every year. By the end of last year, over 66.7 million Internet sessions were recorded, with traffic amounting to 11 TB.

“The project to eliminate ‘digital inequality’ is an example of successfully focusing infrastructure investments in order to digitize the whole country, in line with the national goals and strategic objectives approved by the Russian president,” said Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF).

“Funds, attracted from foreign investors and the National Wealth Fund (NWF) to finance the project, made it possible to accelerate the process of connecting small towns to the internet,” he added.

According to the RDIF, NWF funds have a yield that is 30 percent higher than that of US treasuries.

“The success of the project to eliminate ‘digital inequality’ demonstrates the efficiency of the mechanism developed by RDIF in attracting private investments into infrastructure,” Dmitriev said.

“We will continue to use our accumulated experience to improve existing mechanisms and develop new ones to improve existing mechanisms and develop new ones for attracting private investments,” he added.

For all the latest tech news from the UAE and Gulf countries, follow us on Twitter and Linkedin, like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube page, which is updated daily.

Uncategorized

Kuwait, Bahrain confirm first cases of coronavirus

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Three cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in Kuwait and the first case has also been diagnosed by health officials in Bahrain.

Kuwait’s Ministry of Health has announced that, following initial examinations of people who had arrived from Iran, the three cases were discovered.

In a press release, the ministry said the first case involved a 53-year-old Kuwaiti citizen and the second a 61-year-old from Saudi Arabia. Although the nationality of the third person was not disclosed, authorities confirmed their age is 21.

“There are initial indications that the symptoms of the disease appeared and that all three cases are under constant observation by the medical staff,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, a Bahraini citizen arriving back in the kingdom from Iran is currently in isolation and supervision at Ebrahim Khalil Knaoo Medical Centre after being diagnosed with the virus. Individuals who had been in contact with the patient have also been referred to isolation.

The ministry said it is taking further preventive measures to ensure the virus is contained, including monitoring the health of individuals arriving from infected countries for a period of 14 days, in line with international standards set by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

“The ministry calls upon all citizens and residents who are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, including a fever, coughing and difficulty breathing, or those who have travelled to one of the countries infected with the disease or have interacted with a person traveling from any of those locations, or interacted with an infected patient, to isolate themselves, call ‪444, and follow the instructions given by the medical team, and avoid close contact with others,” the ministry said.

Nearly 80,000 people have been infected with the coronavirus worldwide, the vast majority in China.

But official figures indicate the death rate is proportionately much higher in Iran than China, standing at nearly one in five of the confirmed infections.

Politics

UAE non-oil growth expands at slowest pace since 2011, according to central bank

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Economic growth in the United Arab Emirates is estimated to have accelerated last year, but mostly because of oil.

Excluding the hydrocarbon industry, the Middle East’s second-biggest economy expanded at the slowest pace since at least 2011, according to central bank forecasts released on Sunday. It grew 1.1% in 2020, compared with 1.3% a year ago, according to the lender’s latest quarterly review. Earlier calculations assumed there would be an acceleration to 1.8%.

The actual figures will be announced later this year.

The federation of seven emirates, dominated by oil-rich Abu Dhabi and Dubai, a hub for tourism and logistics, is struggling amid geopolitical tensions over Iran and an oversupplied property market. The coronavirus outbreak in China, the UAE’s biggest trading partner, could put a further strain on the economy.

Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, the nation’s third-largest lender by market value, reduced its non-oil growth projection for this year by 0.1 percentage points to 2.3% on the back of the virus. Its forecast for the economy as a whole is 0.6%.

The downgrade in the estimate was in large part due to the UAE’s “strong global linkages,” Monica Malik, chief economist at ADCB wrote in a research note.

Expo boost

Last month, the country’s Purchasing Managers’ Index, a snapshot of the non-oil private sector, fell into a contraction zone for the first time in more than a decade.

The overall economy probably grew 2.9% in 2019, according to the central bank’s preliminary figures, up from 1.7% a year earlier. The energy industry expanded 7.6%. According to data compiled by Bloomberg, the UAE’s crude output rose about 3% to 3.1 million barrels a day last year.

In Dubai, the largest city in the UAE, the private sector cut more jobs last month than at any point in at least 10 years. Lenders including Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank and First Abu Dhabi Bank have reduced their workforce and closed branches, prompting the central bank to say it’s “closely” monitoring whether financial institutions are following regulations.

Still, the much-awaited World Expo 2020 starts in Dubai in October and should cause “a rise in short-term employment and higher tourism,” according to Malik.

Uncategorized

Ramadan 2020: 60 days until Holy Month starts in April

head dubai February 24, 2020 No Comments

Dubai: The countdown has begun, as there are now 60 days left to go until Ramadan is observed in the UAE.

According to the Islamic calendar, February 24 corresponds to the 30 day of Jumada Al Akhira, while the Rajab month will start on February 25 and run up to March 25. This means that the first day of Sha’ban will be on March 26, which is expected to last for 29 days, until April 23.

Ibrahim Al Jarwan, member of the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences, explained that the new moon for Ramadan in 2020 will most likely occur on Thursday April 23, which means that Friday April 24 will be the first day of Ramadan.

This year, Dubai residents will be expected to fast for up to 14 hours and 48 minutes.

“Weather conditions in the western region will be favourable to witness the new crescent moon on the night of April 23, which will be seen after sunset [6.46pm]. So the first day of Ramadan will be observed the next day, on April 24,” he said.

During the month of Ramadan, residents and visitors in the UAE are expected to refrain from eat, drink or smoke in public during fasting hours. This applies to all public places, and public and private transportation. People are also encouraged to refrain from wearing revealing clothing out of respect to those observing Ramadan.

Working hours are also reduced, per the Federal Law No. 8 of 1980 which states that timings are reduced by two hours during Ramadan.

The month of Ramadan will either have 29 or 30 days, depending on the sighting of the moon.

But strong predictions indicate that the Shawwal crescent is expected to be visible on Saturday, May 23.