Month: February 2023

Dubai is trending among world celebrities and movie stars looking for a luxury home or lush resort. But did you know that this amazing city is also a movie star?

Futuristic cityscape, out-of-this-world architecture, luxury resorts and amenities, golden desert sands — no wonder the silver screen loves to see Dubai on a movie set. For years, Dubai has been catching the attention of Hollywood’s location scouts, providing the background (and much more) for a number of blockbusters.

Let’s take a look at our favorite Top 5.

1. Syriana – 2005

It is the first major Hollywood film to use Dubai as a filming site. Many of the desert sequences in Syriana were shot in the Dubai desert. The Oscar-winning drama, which stars Matt Damon and George Clooney, mixes numerous tales, all of which revolve around the Middle East’s oil business.

The film was shot in Dubai for the most part, with some of the action sequences wonderfully reflecting the magnificence of golden deserts, the hi-tech ambiance, the large highways, and the city center area including inside a few commercial buildings.

2. Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol – 2011

Though Dubai has immensely developed last few years — even in 2011 it could offer some breathtaking scenes for the action-packed part of the Mission Impossible franchise! 

Tom Cruise, playing his iconic spy Ethan Hunt role, uses a pair of special suction gloves to reach the 130th floor of the famous Burj Khalifa from outside the building. It is above all one of the most unforgettable scenes in the film. From a height of nearly 1,700 feet, the daredevil actor executed what has become known as the “Mission Impossible Dubai” stunt himself! 

Other notable spots in Dubai featured in the film include the Palm Jumeirah, the Armani Hotel, and Zabeel Saray.

3. Star Trek – Beyond – 2016

No secret, that Dubai’s incredible architecture gives a futuristic vibe. Jeffery Chernov, the producer of Star Trek, certainly seems to think so too. While we may not yet have reached the kind of future living seen in sci-fi movies, Dubai is well on its way to becoming one of the world’s most innovative cities. 

Significant portions of the Star Trek film were shot in Dubai to simulate one of the Enterprise’s luxurious bases, Yorktown. The stunning architecture of Dubai’s JLT beachfront, Meydan racetrack, and the Burj Al Arab can be appreciated in the beloved sci-fi blockbuster. 

4. Geostorm – 2017

Dubai is one of several major cities that meet their doom in Hollywood’s disaster movie, which tells the story of a satellite designer who must save the world from a seriously epic storm. The wrath of a tsunami that rises up from the Arabian Gulf, hits the city smashing everything in its way. We can see a breathtaking view of the beachfront cityscape taken down by the power of water.

5. Vanguard – 2020

Vanguard, Jackie Chan’s latest fantasy action film follows an accountant who is threatened by a lethal organization, and the covert security firm Vanguard, led by Tang Haunting (Jackie Chan), is his last hope in life.

Vanguard is set in a stunning array of dramatic locations, including the futuristic Dubai skyline. The production team traveled to Dubai in 2019 to film sequences, which included Downtown Dubai, the Burj Khalifa, and The Dubai Mall.

Whether or not it’s worth buying commercial real estate in Dubai depends on several factors, including your investment goals, budget, and risk tolerance. We’d like to share our 9 reasons to invest in commercial real estate in Dubai. 

1. Popular Destination

Dubai has historically been a popular destination for international investors, with its strategic location, business-friendly policies, and well-developed infrastructure. 

2. Variety 

The commercial real estate market in Dubai offers a variety of options, ranging from office spaces and retail spaces to warehouses and industrial units. You can plan whatever business activity you’re interested in from retail and entertainment to childcare and education.

3. Tax-Friendly Environment

The lack of real estate purchase taxes and income taxes for individuals is a great advantage for buying commercial property in Dubai. 

4. Stability

The UAE has a relatively stable political environment, which can provide investors with a sense of security.

5. Higher Returns

Commercial real estate in Dubai offers a stable and attractive source of income for owners compared to the returns yielded by residential properties.

6. Quicker Capital Appreciation

The higher cash flow a commercial property generates, the higher its value will be, unlike that of residential real estate which is largely influenced by comparable properties.

7. Triple Net Leases

With this lease category, the tenant handles most property expenses, including service charges, taxes, facilities maintenance, and insurance, while the investor pays the bare minimum.

8. Longer Lease Terms

Residential leases in Dubai are typically signed for 12 months, while a commercial lease lasts for 3 to 5 years. If you are the investor — a long-term lease on a commercial asset ensures you have a lower vacancy rate as well as a steady cash flow.

9. Qualified Tenants

Since commercial leases are backed by a larger company, they are more likely to maintain the property and respect lease terms, while this is not always the case with residential properties.

Of course, the decision to invest in commercial real estate in Dubai depends on your individual circumstances and investment goals. And it is always helpful to consult with a financial advisor or real estate professional to determine if this type of investment is right for you.

Earth’s population in 2022 hit the 8 billion mark. The UN expects 2/3 of the world to live in cities by 2050. Skyscrapers are no longer an architectural marvel. They are a bare necessity. Cities will continue to grow. And they will grow up. Every skyscraper will become a city within a city. Eco-friendly and sustainable. At least some recent research suggests it.

Here are a few examples to prove this opinion:

1. Shanghai Tower (Shanghai, China)

• 200 wind turbines at the top generate 10 percent of its electricity
• transparent inner and outer “skins” allow light into the building
• collects rainwater
• reuses wastewater
• combines 40 energy-saving measures
• cuts 34,000 metric tons from its annual carbon footprint
• 1/3 is a green space, including 24 sky gardens.

2. Taipei 101 (Taipei, Taiwan)

• 2,995 metric tons in reduced CO2 emissions per year
• low-flow water fixtures to save about 7.4 million gallons of water per year
• low- or no-mercury energy-efficient luminaires and lamps.
• each floor has 2 sensors to monitor and control humidity levels

3. Bahrain World Trade Center (Manama, Bahrain)

• up to 15 % of the office tower’s electricity is provided by wind power
• buffer spaces were created between the external environment and air-conditioned spaces to reduce solar gain
• high-quality solar glasses used with low-shading coefficient reduce the air temperature of the building
• sloping balconies give adequate shading
• deep gravel roofs provide kinetic insulation

4. Bank of America Tower (New York City, USA)

• saves about 100 million gallons of water per year 
• has waterless urinals and a rainwater collection facility on the roof that is used to cool the interior and flush toilets 
• the roof also collects the fresh air that is used in the building 
• highly efficient filters: the air leaves the building cleaner than it came in 
• generation plant produces 4.6 megawatts of clean, sustainable, energy 
• provides 70% of annual electrical power needs and produces all of the building’s hot water without outside energy 

5. China Resources Building (Hong Kong, China)

• a perfect model of sustainable renovation
• the façade was retrofitted with a glazing system that only allows 5 percent of solar energy to be transmitted indoors 
• naturally reduces indoor temperature and the need for air conditioning
• energy-efficient artificial lighting and air-handling units were also installed and upgraded 
• a demand control ventilation (DCV) system 
• controls the outside airflow rate based on the actual occupancy to save energy 
• saved 10 percent of energy and reduced the building’s CO2 emissions by 1,370 tonnes 

6. Curzon Wharf (Birmingham, UK)

• the world’s first net-zero skyscraper in 2029 
• the building’s total amount of energy used in a year is roughly equal to the amount of renewable energy created on the site, or nearby 
• super-insulated building fabric
• renewable energy sources 
• LED lighting and smart controls 
• low-carbon construction material

7. Wasl Tower (Dubai, UAE)

• the world’s tallest ceramic façade which helps regulate the internal temperature of the building as well as reduce the surrounding noise.
• a series of vertical gardens designed by Amsterdam-based UNStudio help to reduce carbon dioxide levels in the building.

The cost of real estate in Dubai in 2022 raised by about 20% in comparison to 2021. And this tendency will remain for the next years as Dubai has been recognized as a “leading world-class residential destination.”

Let’s look at the average residential property prices in 2022 in comparison with 2021. 

1. Price per sqft

ALL (off-plan and ready apartments and villas)

Median Price: AED 1,247

Increased by 21.8% vs. 2021

OFF-PLAN

1. Apartment — AED 2K 

    Increased by 17% vs. 2021

2. Villa — AED 1K 

    Increased by 22.8% vs. 2021

READY

1. Apartment — AED 1K 

    Increased by 13.8% vs. 2021

2. Villa — AED 838 

    Increased by 8.6% vs. 2021

2. Property Price 

OFF-PLAN

1. Apartment — AED 1.4M

    Increased by 27.5% vs. 2021

2. Villa — AED 1.9M 

    Increased by 6.6% vs. 2021

READY

1. Apartment — AED 1M

    Increased by 4% vs. 2021

2. Villa — AED 2.7M 

    Increased by 3.9% vs. 2021

As we can see the main trend in price rising is off-plan properties. 

Experts explain the phenomena — “it is no longer true to say that an off-plan home will be less expensive than a ready-to-move home. Customers today want products of a far higher caliber; while prices may be more due to organic spaces, distinctive ideas, high-quality materials, and sustainable solutions, the products themselves are of a far higher caliber.”

All data is provided by dxbinteract.