The United Arab Emirates’ most populous city Dubai and capital city Abu Dhabi have both moved up the ranking in Mercer’s 2019 Cost of Living report over the span of past 12 months (1). Compared to 2018 report, Dubai has jumped five spots from 26 to 21, while Abu Dhabi has moved up by sev...

The parameters to assess the stature of countries have traditionally been confined to GDP growth, demographics and even military arsenals. However, there is a growing consensus that these metrics are sometimes inadequate in conveying the bigger picture. For instance, GDP as the sole measure to deter...

Shortly after moving into a new rented apartment in San Francisco in 2007, roommates Brian Chesky and Joe Gebbia found themselves at the wrong end of a high rent. To mitigate the burden, they put down an air mattress in the living room and turned it into a bed and breakfast service. Fast forward ten...

The discordance between conventional bonds and Islamic beliefs was the basis for the launch of Sukuk – a sharia compliant financial bond or certificate. In view of the fact that earning interest—or ‘riba‘ in Arabic—is prohibited under sharia, Sukuk offers a way around the regul...

Seasoned real estate agents sometimes witness adventurous souls surprising their spouses with million-dollar properties, in exotic locations. While some react to the unexpected investment shedding tears of joy, some are appalled. Agent Gary DePersia of the Corcoran Group believes that taking the spo...

PropTech is a buzzword, currently disrupting the status quo of global real estate. It has garnered attention from some of the most vaunted venture capitalists around the world. Investment in Proptech was around $1.3 billion in 2012 and, at that time, was projected to escalate to $5.2 billion by 2018...

As innovations in the use of built spaces and infrastructure introduce entirely new models of their utilization, avenues are emerging that the real estate industry can employ to widen its activities. Until very recent times, the sector has largely been focused on residential and commercial propertie...

Theoretical physicist and futurist, Michio Kaku, once remarked that America’s greatest ‘secret weapon’ is that nation’s H-1B visa, which facilitates temporary residency for foreign employees, in specialized occupations. Of course, the US isn’t the only economy that has benefitted from the ...