Month: December 2022

Object 1 wishes you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Let 2023 be a year of harmony, inspiration, and movement forward for you. Allow yourself to be ambitious. To dream BIG. To dream beautifully. After all, behind all progressive ideas are visionary dreamers. And good business planning 😎

We enter the new year 2023 with confidence and concrete plans: more unique objects for the Dubai contemporary architecture gallery.

At this very moment, our new grand projects in the JVC area continue to be created.  In the near future we plan to initiate construction in one of the top business districts of Dubai.

And this is just the beginning. 

Join our contemporary and aesthetic development.

Dream beautifully — we will build it!

Dubai draws attention all year round but is a really out-of-this-world experience on New Year’s Eve. We’ve picked out several locations for you to enjoy New Year’s Eve at its most. 

1. Burj Khalifa

Dubai is well-known for fireworks you’ll never forget. The most anticipated firework event will take place at an iconic place in Dubai — Burj Khalifa.

On December 31 the tallest building in the world will host a cutting-edge laser light and fireworks show on and around its famous facade. The concept idea is “turning the iconic tower into a shining beacon of hope, happiness, and harmony for 2023”.

2. Atlantis The Palm Resort

World celebrities love giving concerts in Dubai. This year you can attend the Kylie Minogue concert at the Atlantis The Palm Resort. A famous pop singer will perform her most beloved tracks as the headline act at the legendary New Year’s Eve gala dinner at one of the most popular 5-star resorts in Dubai.

This year’s theme is ‘A Night With The Stars’, and alongside a Kylie Minogue performance guests of the gala dinner can expect live music, a buffet that boasts more than 65 desserts, and free-flowing premium Champagne drinks.

3. Dubai Opera

One of the famed sights of Downtown Dubai has something special on its program to celebrate the beginning of 2023. Dubai Opera will dazzle you with New Year’s Eve Gala, Disco till Dawn-themed party, Britain’s Got Talent finalists Jasmine & Aaron, a 3-course menu, and free drinks. 

As a spectacular bonus —at midnight you can watch the Burj Khalifa fireworks from the best spot in the city — Dubai Opera Boardwalk.

4. The Global Village

The Global Village is a unique multicultural family holiday destination, one of Dubai’s top attractions. On New Year’s Eve, you’ll have the opportunity to get acquainted with the traditions of celebrating the New Year among residents of different countries of the world.

5. Dubai Marina

If you fancy dining out with a twist or planning a romantic getaway on New Year’s Eve, you can take a short cruise with a gala dinner on a yacht. This will help you escape from the crowds and at the same time immerse yourself in the New Year festive atmosphere. Imagine watching all these fireworks reflecting in the water! 

6. The Pointe 

The Pointe is Dubai’s popular coastal area on the famous artificial island of Palm Jumeirah.

At this location you can welcome 2023 by celebrating with exclusive food and beverages at Dubai’s best waterfront restaurants and cafes, shopping at luxury stores, and enjoying the breath-taking atmosphere of live DJs, spectacular firework displays, and magnificent fountain shows.

7. The Desert

New Year’s Eve in the desert can be an experience to remember. Dubai travel companies offer desert tours on New Year’s Eve. They can include such festivities as dune trekking, sunset watching, live performances (belly dancing, fire shows, DJs), buffets, and a gala dinner under the stars.

8. The Dubai Shopping Festival

What is winter holiday fun without shopping? Especially, if you’re in the city of the biggest shopping malls in the world. 

The Dubai Shopping Festival will take place from December 15, 2022, to January 29, 2023. It’s not only about discounts in stores but also about having fun. The Dubai Shopping Festival offers a lot of entertainment, activities, and cultural events. You can win prizes, get various special offers from hotels, and visit gastronomic and musical events.

TOP-3 locations that you don’t want to miss are The Dubai Mall, The Mall of the Emirates, and the Dubai Marina Mall.

The end of 2022 is just around the corner. Now is a perfect time to look over the challenging year and embrace its results. Dubai surely has a lot of exciting projects to brag about: from new districts to new skyscrapers, from to be completed developments to open to public wonders.  

Let’s look into the megaprojects of Dubai in 2022.  

1. Al Quoz Creative Zone

Al Quoz Creative Zone One is planned to be one of the world’s largest creative hubs. It is set to be a residence for more than 8,000 people and a point of attraction to about 33,000 people a day. 

2. Mohammed bin Rashid Solar Park

It is the largest single-site solar park in the world. Upon completion, it will eliminate more than 6.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually.

3. Dubai Urban Tech District

The project is 140,000 square meters of built-up area in the Al Jaddaf district and aimed to create 4,000 jobs in green urban technology, education, and training.

4. Dubai Islands

The project’s idea is “to redefine the concept of waterfront living”:

• 5 islands with a total square area of 17 sq km
• more than 20 km of beaches
• 2 sq km of parks and open spaces
• premium golf courses overlooking the Arabian Gulf 
• more than 80 resorts and hotels

5. Uptown Tower

Uptown Tower is the 14th tallest tower in Dubai. It plans to be 340 m high on completion. 

6. Mohammed bin Rashid Library

The Mohammed bin Rashid Library is a magnificent project which finally opened its doors to the public on June 16, 2022. It has 7 floors and 9 thematic libraries.

7. Royal Atlantis Resort

The second Royal Atlantis project is eye-catching, too. The 43-story hotel has 2 wings that are linked by an infinity swimming pool that is 90 meters above the ground.

The right-wing will house 231 residences while the left will be made up of 795 guest suites. The hotel will also feature 90 swimming pools. 

8. District 2020

Expo 2020 Dubai becomes District 2020. This project is to be open to its first corporate tenants very soon.

As District 2020, it will become the UAE’s first 15-minute city, a cycle-friendly, traffic-free suburb of the growing metropolis.

It will include: 

• a route for self-driving vehicles
• a 10-kilometer cycling track
• interconnected pedestrian pathways
• a 5km jogging track
• space for 85 start-ups and small businesses

9. Meydan One Mall

This project is more than shopping and restaurants. It’s about a living, breathing experience, including:

• a 1km-long indoor ski slope and winter village
• a 400-meter Central Canyon
• football and cricket amenities

10. One Zaabeel

One Zaabeel consists of 2 towers connected by a 7,700-tonne bridge “The Link”. 

The Link will host restaurants and an observation deck. 

The project is located next to Dubai’s Trade Centre and when completed will feature luxury residences, a hotel, offices, and retail spaces.

Dubai is well-known as a business hub and the entertainment center of the world. Hardly anything can top that but we try.

Dubai is home to the most international schools in the world. At the end of 2022, there are more than 200 private schools to be acknowledged in Dubai.

They all may have different curriculums and tuition fees, but it is a common trend that the tuition rises higher with the age of a student. So, the older are your kids — the more you’ll have to pay for their education in Dubai. The most popular curriculums for private schools are British, IB (International Baccalaureate), American, and Indian. 

The UAE Ministry of Education is the official accrediting body of schools in Dubai. To say more, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) is responsible for the quality of private education through inspections and licensing.

KHDA has its own scale of evaluation from Outstanding to Very Weak schools.

Where Outstanding schools stand for: Quality of performance substantially exceeds the expectation of the UAE. 

And Very Weak is: Quality of performance is significantly below the expectation of the UAE. 

To make your adjusting to life in Dubai a bit easier, we created a list of private schools in the JVC area or near that are ranked Outstanding (the highest rank) or Very Good (the second best rank) by KHDA. 

JSS International School

Location: Jumeirah Village Circle

Average Annual Fees: AED 26,031

KHDA rating: Very good

Curriculum: Indian

Few facts about the school

1. The JSS International School, Dubai is part of the JSSMVP trust that runs more than 300 institutions across India, the US, Mauritius, and the UAE (Dubai)

2. Science is an essential component of the JSS International School’s syllabus. To support the curriculum, the school has physics, mathematics, chemistry, and biology laboratories. 

3. For advanced-level projects, JSS International School has a project room where students can complete their projects by performing relevant experiments.

Sunmarke School

Location: Jumeirah Village Triangle

Average Annual Fees: AED 62,690

KHDA rating: Very good

Curriculum: British

Few facts about the school

1. Best value for money education in a premium British curriculum school.

2. The curriculum has a high-impact STEAM and MultiSmart Learning Programme that nurtures all-around student development.

3. Sunmarke School has one of the largest and most innovative campuses in Dubai.

Nord Anglia International School Dubai

Location: Al Barsha South

Average Annual Fees: AED 79,697 

KHDA rating: Outstanding

Curriculum: British, IB

Few facts about the school

1. It is a short drive away from Jumeirah Village Circle. 

2. It has a strong language learning program, offering French, German, Spanish, Mandarin, and Arabic as second languages. 

3. Music is another key subject, as Nord Anglia is associated with the famous Juilliard School in New York. 

4. Other extracurricular activities include sports, art, community activities, and robotics.  

Victory Heights Primary School

Location: Dubai Sports City

Average Annual Fees: AED 43,227

KHDA rating: Very good

Curriculum: British

Few facts about the school

1. It is just a short drive away from Jumeirah Village Circle.

2. Victory Heights is considered one of the best British primary schools in Dubai. 

3. VPHS offers state-of-the-art facilities which create a nurturing and supportive atmosphere for both its students and parents.

4. A majority of the teachers in Victory Heights Primary School are British nationals.

Jumeirah English Speaking School, Arabian Ranches

Location: Arabian Ranches

Average Annual Fees: AED 66,845

KHDA rating: Outstanding

Curriculum: British, IB

Few facts about the school

1. JESS is one of the most sought-after schools in the area. It has been on the list of top schools since 2011.

2. It is one of the few schools in the city to have dedicated support and resources for students with special needs. 

3. Students who graduated from JESS have been accepted into many of the top-ranking universities worldwide.

4. There are various facilities around the campus:

• sports fields and courts
• temperature-controlled swimming pools
• a purpose-built music center with a recording studio
• dance and drama studios
• a 500-seater auditorium
• an outdoor amphitheater

5. Extracurricular activities change each term, allowing students to experience new and unique options.

Dubai British School Emirates Hills

Location: Emirates Hills

Average Annual Fees: AED 61,283

KHDA rating: Outstanding

Curriculum: British 

Few facts about the school

1. It is one of the leading British schools in the region, holding the KHDA Outstanding status since 2017.

2. DBS is a part of a big Taaleem family. Taaleem aims to launch top-notch schools that are innovative and student-centered.

3. The teaching staff at DBS strives to inspire students into becoming creative thinkers and innovators. Their motto is Enjoy, Aspire, Achieve.

4. This top British curriculum school considers itself to be a global educational community that helps students to develop the skills they require to thrive in the dynamic world.

GEMS Dubai American Academy

Location: Al Barsha

Average Annual Fees: AED 73,725

KHDA rating: Outstanding

Curriculum: American, IB

Few facts about the school

1. Is the only American curriculum school to receive an Outstanding rank from 2011 till now. 

2. The school concept is on building good character alongside a strong educational background, supported by a large variety of extracurricular activities. 

3. The school contains:

• an Olympic-sized pool
• a 400-meter running track
• a sports hall that can accommodate 3 full-sized basketball courts
• music studios
• and much more

Students can participate in sports, martial arts, drama, model United Nations, and even a Lego club.

Kings’ School, Al Barsha

Location: Al Barsha South

Average Annual Fees: AED 75,710

KHDA rating: Outstanding

Curriculum: British, IB

Few facts about the school

1. It is a short drive away from Jumeirah Village Circle.  

2. Second languages, sports, music, and even Islamic education help to round out the school’s educational offerings, and the use of cutting-edge technology makes learning easier and more fun. 

3. Students are encouraged to try everything from cooking to photography, and the school even has its own business club for budding entrepreneurs.

The end of the year is the time to sit back and relax. Enjoy the time with your family. Especially if you’ve been working hard all year round.

It’s also the time for annual performance reports.

And according to the Brand Finance Report 2022, the UAE has been working really hard this year. It got ranked #1 globally in brand performance, with a score of 80.5 out of 100.

Congratulations!

What is Brand Finance Report

Brand Finance is the world’s leading independent brand valuation and strategy consultancy from the UK, which helps companies to measure, manage, maximize and monitor the value of their brands to drive business performance.

The Brand Finance Report measures the brand strength of a nation based on 3 components:

• investment
• perception 
• performance

The brand performance pillar takes into account how well the nation brand is performing compared with its competitors, its macroeconomic standing, and 4 key business areas where the nation brand has the most influence: 

• trade
• investment 
• tourism 
• talent

Brand Finance Report in Details

According to the report, a successful COVID-19 response, which allowed the UAE to open for business sooner than many other destinations, is one of the key drivers of the UAE’s impressive results this year. 

The UAE was named by the report a “positive exception” as brand performance has not yet returned to its pre-pandemic levels for most nations in the ranking. 

The UAE has attracted a higher volume of trade, investment, tourism, and talent than other national brands. 

Within these areas, the UAE economy has rebounded strongly on the back of the:

• tourism 
• a buoyant property sector
• higher oil prices

Let’s look at the numbers:

• Over Dh1 trillion ($272 billion) — the country’s foreign trade for the first 6 months of this year, compared with Dh 840bn for the same period before the pandemic.

• Up 116 % — increase in foreign direct investment in the UAE in the past decade, rising to $20.7bn in 2021 from $9.6bn in 2012, according to government data. 

• 76.7 out of 100 — the UAE has defended its brand perceptions position as the strongest in the Middle East and Africa.

• US$773 billion — the UAE has been proclaimed the most valuable nation brand in the Middle East and Africa.

More Positive Economy Facts

1. The UAE economy is expected to grow by 5.4% and 4.2% in 2022 and 2023, respectively, after expanding by 3.8% in 2021, according to the UAE Central Bank. 

2. Emirates NBD raised its economic growth forecast for the UAE to 7% for 2022, due to a higher estimate for the energy industry’s output and the “robust growth” of its non-oil sector, setting up the country for its fastest annual expansion in more than a decade. 

3.The latest revision from Dubai’s biggest lender compares with an earlier 5.7% estimate and would be the highest since 2011 when the economy grew by 6.9%.

Ho Ho Ho! Winter holidays are coming, and what can be a better gift to yourself (or your loved one) than a beautiful piece of property in Dubai?

Yes, buying real estate in Dubai, while sitting comfy on your couch anywhere in the world, is that easy nowadays. Easy and profitable. 

Investing in real estate in Dubai has high ROI rates. Compared to other European countries, the annual rental yield in Dubai may vary from 6% to 12%.

So, ready to invest online? You just need to accomplish this 5-step plan and get your paperwork done. 

Step 1

Choose a property

• Check out property websites and platforms
• Chose the property that matches your criteria: you can filter available properties by location, price, type, and size
• Register your interest so the real estate agents or developer’s sales department could contact you.
• After you made a decision the agent will send the necessary documents for signing first to you, and then to the registration manager via e-mail.

The required documents include:

• Completed Form A and Form B received from the agents of both parties.
• Sales contract (Form F) signed by all parties to the transaction.
• Certificate of ownership of the property (Title Deed).
• NOC from the developer confirming that there are no objections to the transfer of ownership rights.
• International passports of both buyer and seller, and Emirates ID (if available).
• IBAN – seller’s international account number.

Step 2

Register the transaction

After submitting the documents, the trustee registers the transaction and uploads it to the online system of the Dubai Land Department (DLD).

Step 3

Confirm your identity

After all the data were sent to the system, DLD initiates a video conference with both parties to the transaction to confirm the identity of the parties and their signatures in the contract.

Step 4

Pay a down payment

After that, you will get a payment link to the DLD’s escrow account (IBAN) to pay a down payment, government fees, and realtor and trustee services.

Step 5

Get ownership documents

After all the funds were transferred to the account, the transaction will be approved and the buyer will be provided with a new document confirming their ownership (Title Deed), as well as a digital copy of the sales contract.

It is also possible to get a mortgage or a payment plan from the developer. Many Dubai developers offer affordable payment plans under the 30/70, 40/60, or 60/40 scheme for a period of 3 to 5 years.

Congratulations! You’re a property owner in Dubai. Easy-peasy.

Dubai is looking forward to becoming one of the world’s most sustainable cities.

Finally, the importance of protecting the earth is realized and sustainability is a highly developing trend right now. The current state of the global climate and the continuing depletion of natural resources is scary enough to put environmental care at the top of our thinking list.

Needless to say, sustainability should be the core of any property, both new and existing. This issue can improve life quality for residents and increase the appeal of real estate to investors.

Sustainable Investment in Real Estate

In a rapidly urbanizing world, the real estate industry lies at the center of an unprecedented level of growth and activity.

Sustainable investment is about the responsibility and potential the real estate industry holds to reach climate and environmental sustainability targets. Investors, residents, cities, as well as governments, can and have to play a key role to achieve a reduction of greenhouse gases in the context of the construction and operation of real estate. 

For example, it is estimated that the construction sector accounts for approximately 17% of GHG emissions in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

It is quite obvious that the real estate sector will remain a prime target for sustainable and comprehensive long-term policy action now and in the future. 

Sustainable Investment: Pros 

1. Sustainable property is mainstream now

Sustainable property investments have developed from a specific niche to mainstream for new real estate developments and investments over the past decade. Green buildings represent a significant share of global development projects, which is expected to further grow.

2. Sustainability rating is a must

When investors invest in new development projects, those shall have or qualify for a sustainability rating. 

3. Many properties are not “future-proof”

Experts are convinced, that many existing properties will be rated as not “future-proof” and will successively fall behind when competing for customers, occupancy rates, and investors in the mid to longer-term future. 

As a result, those properties will have a significant discount for a lack of sustainability (“grey discount”) in the future. Mindful investors anticipate and tend to reduce exposure to such long-term risks.

Sustainable Investment: Cons

1. Higher initial costs

Potentially higher initial costs for buildings are particularly obstructive when short amortization periods and high yield expectations are at the center of attention.

2. “Pay off” in the medium and long run

Investments into sustainability characteristics are expected to “pay off” in the medium and long run.

3. Sustainability costs are not symmetric

From the perspective of owners and investors, sustainability costs are not symmetric with resulting energy savings. In other words, energy-saving measures require significant one-off capital expenditures to be borne by owners and investors, but the resulting reduction of operating costs usually occurs over time and benefits mostly tenants.

Dubai: Home to Sustainable Real Estate

Dubai understands the importance of protecting the environment and ensuring that it can be enjoyed for generations to come. 

That is why the city has these sustainable initiatives to offer: 

1. Sustainability of real estate in Dubai

• Improves quality of life in the emirate
• Increases attractiveness of Dubai real estate for investors
• Reduces operating costs for developers

2. Green Building Code of Dubai Munipalicity

• Focuses on rational use of energy, water, and materials
• Promotes healthy indoor and outdoor environments 

3. Construction

• Optimizing building orientation and insulation
• Maximizing the use of daily lighting

4. Materials supplies and operational perspective

• Using environment-friendly building materials
• Having energy-efficient lighting and air-conditioning systems
• Integrating solar panels and condensate recovery systems

5. Renewable energy targets: By 2030 – 15%

We don’t know if you support sustainability, but for Dubai it seems pretty clear that the future will be low-carbon, with green infrastructure and smart buildings being a major focus. Properties will embrace environmental-friendly architecture, such as energy-efficient air conditioning units, recycled construction materials, and renewable energy systems for heating and cooling, as well as automated thermostats.