Question: With property prices climbing and rents at record levels, many tenants I know are rushing to buy now “before it’s too late”. Is this fear justified? Are we seeing a “buy now or regret later” mindset? PH, Sharjah
Answer: My advice would always be not to panic. The time to buy your home is always now, be that today, tomorrow or whenever. It is all about the reason you are buying in the first place.
If it’s to live in, then the timing doesn’t matter. If the purchase is for investment purposes, I can say that the same applies but the exit or sale of the asset comes into the equation, so this would need to be considered.
There does seem to be a sense of urgency among tenants and with good reason. Dubai’s property market is seeing sustained demand from both end users and investors, with transaction volumes remaining high. In fact, 75 per cent of tenants have been reported to state that they intend on buying within a six to 12-month period, adding to the buyer pool currently looking to invest.
However, buyers should not make decisions driven purely by fear of missing out. Prices in many communities have already peaked or are close to doing so. For example, prime areas such as Palm Jumeirah, Jumeirah Beach Residence and Downtown have seen double-digit price appreciation since 2021.
My advice to tenants considering the move from renting to owning is this: buy for lifestyle, not speculation, especially if you are buying to live in. If you plan to stay in Dubai for at least three to five years, owning makes financial sense. You’re effectively paying yourself instead of the landlord, not forgetting you will also be the recipient of capital appreciation as long as this real estate bull run continues.
On the other hand, if your employment or residency status is uncertain, or you may need to relocate, it’s better to wait. Interest rates, while currently stable, can still influence affordability if they go up.
Dubai remains a city of opportunity, but smart buyers look for value, not hype. The coming launches of various off-plan communities also means better options are on the horizon, not forgetting the choices available to you in the secondary market, too.
Q: My landlord says he can increase my rent above the limit set by the Real Estate Regulatory Authority because he’s “improving the property”. He has neither shown any proof nor carried out any works yet. Can landlords bypass the rent cap this way and increase rents unilaterally? FH, Dubai
A: This is a question many tenants are asking, and the short answer is no.
The Dubai Land Department Smart Rental Index is clear: unless a property is newly registered (for example, after construction completion or a change in ownership through eviction for sale or self-use), the permitted rent increase must follow the index’s percentage bands. The percentage increase for rent will depend on how far below the current market the amount is.
Landlords sometimes cite “upgrades” – perhaps new flooring, kitchen units or appliances – as justification to charge more. However, under Dubai Decree No 43 of 2013, cosmetic improvements do not enable rent increases outside the regulated limit.
If a landlord insists, the tenant can file a complaint at the Rental Dispute Settlement Committee, which will assess whether the works truly constitute a “substantial improvement”. In most cases, they do not.
The Smart Rental Index takes into consideration the rating of the apartment building. So, as long as the index states that an increase is allowed by taking into consideration the star rating, a landlord can go ahead and apply the increase.
My advice to you would be to ask for proof of any upgrade costs and refer to the index before accepting any rent adjustment. The system exists to ensure both fairness and transparency, regardless of market volatility.
The landlord must give you at least 90 days’ notice of any changes to the contract at renewal and this includes the rent. If this is not done, there will be no rental increase even if the Smart Rental Index states one is allowed.
Mario Volpi is senior vice president of investment advisory at Allegiance Real Estate. He has worked in the property sector for more than 40 years in London and Dubai. The opinions expressed do not constitute legal advice and are provided for information only. Please send any questions to mario@allegiance.ae
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate’s increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
Sources: Jayanti Maitra, www.adach.ae
How Alia’s experiment will help humans get to Mars
Alia’s winning experiment examined how genes might change under the stresses caused by being in space, such as cosmic radiation and microgravity.
Her samples were placed in a machine on board the International Space Station. called a miniPCR thermal cycler, which can copy DNA multiple times.
After the samples were examined on return to Earth, scientists were able to successfully detect changes caused by being in space in the way DNA transmits instructions through proteins and other molecules in living organisms.
Although Alia’s samples were taken from nematode worms, the results have much bigger long term applications, especially for human space flight and long term missions, such as to Mars.
It also means that the first DNA experiments using human genomes can now be carried out on the ISS.
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
Sweet%20Tooth
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECreator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJim%20Mickle%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EChristian%20Convery%2C%20Nonso%20Anozie%2C%20Adeel%20Akhtar%2C%20Stefania%20LaVie%20Owen%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
More on Quran memorisation:
THE%20SWIMMERS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESally%20El-Hosaini%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENathalie%20Issa%2C%20Manal%20Issa%2C%20Ahmed%20Malek%20and%20Ali%20Suliman%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champioons League semi-final, first leg:
Liverpool 5
Salah (35′, 45 1′), Mane (56′), Firmino (61′, 68′)
Roma 2
Dzeko (81′), Perotti (85′ pen)
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
What is blockchain?
Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.
The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.
Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.
However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.
Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.
2024%20Dubai%20Marathon%20Results
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EWomen%E2%80%99s%20race%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%0D%3Cbr%3E1.%20Tigist%20Ketema%20(ETH)%202hrs%2016min%207sec%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Ruti%20Aga%20(ETH)%202%3A18%3A09%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20Dera%20Dida%20(ETH)%202%3A19%3A29%0D%3Cbr%3EMen’s%20race%3A%0D%3Cbr%3E1.%20Addisu%20Gobena%20(ETH)%202%3A05%3A01%0D%3Cbr%3E2.%20Lemi%20Dumicha%20(ETH)%202%3A05%3A20%0D%3Cbr%3E3.%20DejeneMegersa%20(ETH)%202%3A05%3A42%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
In-demand jobs and monthly salaries
- Technology expert in robotics and automation: Dh20,000 to Dh40,000
- Energy engineer: Dh25,000 to Dh30,000
- Production engineer: Dh30,000 to Dh40,000
- Data-driven supply chain management professional: Dh30,000 to Dh50,000
- HR leader: Dh40,000 to Dh60,000
- Engineering leader: Dh30,000 to Dh55,000
- Project manager: Dh55,000 to Dh65,000
- Senior reservoir engineer: Dh40,000 to Dh55,000
- Senior drilling engineer: Dh38,000 to Dh46,000
- Senior process engineer: Dh28,000 to Dh38,000
- Senior maintenance engineer: Dh22,000 to Dh34,000
- Field engineer: Dh6,500 to Dh7,500
- Field supervisor: Dh9,000 to Dh12,000
- Field operator: Dh5,000 to Dh7,000
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The%20pillars%20of%20the%20Dubai%20Metaverse%20Strategy
%3Cp%3EEncourage%20innovation%20in%20the%20metaverse%20field%20and%20boost%20economic%20contribution%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDevelop%20outstanding%20talents%20through%20education%20and%20training%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDevelop%20applications%20and%20the%20way%20they%20are%20used%20in%20Dubai’s%20government%20institutions%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EAdopt%2C%20expand%20and%20promote%20secure%20platforms%20globally%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EDevelop%20the%20infrastructure%20and%20regulations%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UAE’s role in anti-extremism recognised
General John Allen, President of the Brookings Institution research group, commended the role the UAE has played in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.
He told a Globsec debate of the UAE’s “hugely outsized” role in the fight against Isis.
“It’s trite these days to say that any country punches above its weight, but in every possible way the Emirates did, both militarily, and very importantly, the UAE was extraordinarily helpful on getting to the issue of violent extremism,” he said.
He also noted the impact that Hedayah, among others in the UAE, has played in addressing violent extremism.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
