A Nakheel flag as seen outside villas on the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai. Randi Sokoloff / The National
A Nakheel flag as seen outside villas on the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai. Randi Sokoloff / The National

Dubai has done enough to curb soaring property market, says IMF



The Dubai authorities have done enough to temper the emirate’s soaring property market, an IMF official said six months after the fund warned of an “unsustainable” surge in prices.

The IMF sees no immediate need for officials to take further steps to avert a housing bubble after recent measures helped stabilise prices, Harald Finger, who headed an IMF delegation to the UAE, said in an interview in Dubai yesterday.

Dubai home prices climbed 35 per cent last year, the most of any market in the world, according to a survey by Knight Frank. That prompted the UAE Central Bank to curb mortgage lending and Dubai’s government to double the transaction tax.

“The measures that have been put in place have helped,” Mr Finger said. “At this particular moment in time, we would not recommend immediate introduction of any further measures.”

The remarks show that the IMF is becoming less concerned that Dubai will see a repeat of the 2008 property crash that brought the emirate to the brink of default a year later. Residential property-price growth in the emirate slowed in the second quarter this year, broker Colliers International said in September.

Mr Finger also commended Dubai authorities for carrying out large projects at a “much more gradual and measured pace”. As the emirate prepares to host the Expo 2020 international tourism and trade fair, it’s important that the city continues on the track of “very measured implementation in line with reasonable projections for demand,” he said.

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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
The specs

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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
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The National in Davos

We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.

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Transmission: seven-speed automatic

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The specs: 2018 Nissan Altima


Price, base / as tested: Dh78,000 / Dh97,650

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Power: 182hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque: 244Nm @ 4,000rpm

Transmission: Continuously variable tranmission

Fuel consumption, combined: 7.6L / 100km

Anti-semitic attacks
The annual report by the Community Security Trust, which advises the Jewish community on security , warned on Thursday that anti-Semitic incidents in Britain had reached a record high.

It found there had been 2,255 anti-Semitic incidents reported in 2021, a rise of 34 per cent from the previous year.

The report detailed the convictions of a number of people for anti-Semitic crimes, including one man who was jailed for setting up a neo-Nazi group which had encouraged “the eradication of Jewish people” and another who had posted anti-Semitic homemade videos on social media. 

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THE LIGHT

Director: Tom Tykwer

Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger

Rating: 3/5

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

THE SPECS

Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine 

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Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn

Rating: 3.5/5

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Alisson (Liverpool), Daniel Fuzato (Roma), Ederson (Man City); Alex Sandro (Juventus), Danilo (Juventus), Eder Militao (Real Madrid), Emerson (Real Betis), Felipe (Atletico Madrid), Marquinhos (PSG), Renan Lodi (Atletico Madrid), Thiago Silva (PSG); Arthur (Barcelona), Casemiro (Real Madrid), Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa), Fabinho (Liverpool), Lucas Paqueta (AC Milan), Philippe Coutinho (Bayern Munich); David Neres (Ajax), Gabriel Jesus (Man City), Richarlison (Everton), Roberto Firmino (Liverpool), Rodrygo (Real Madrid), Willian (Chelsea).