When content creator Saher Iftikhar Mansoor, 39, and her family moved out of their sprawling townhouse in Serena Villas and into a three-bedroom apartment in Dubailand, they knew life would change.
While they no longer had a backyard, roomy kitchen and as much storage space, Mansoor, her husband, who is an entrepreneur, and their two children did not feel like they had less, either. Rather, they found themselves gaining something unexpected – more time together, a stronger bond and a newfound appreciation for their home.
“We used to have so much space that we barely crossed paths,” says Mansoor, whose children are aged 12 and 15. “We used to have two living rooms and two television sets, one upstairs and another down. The kids used to be on their own most of the time, and I keep having to to call them down for lunch or just to see their faces.
“Here, we are always close to each other. We cross paths in the corridor all the time and are sharing one TV now, so we do a lot of family movie nights."
It is important for Mansoor to be constantly doing things around her children. “I believe children learn from what they see,” she says. “It helps that there are no up and down levels in the home any more. Even if they are in their rooms, I'm still in close proximity.
“When I'm in the kitchen and they're watching TV, they are still seeing me do things whether subconsciously or not. When I'm praying, or when me and my husband are discussing something, household budgets for example, they can hear us."
Financial necessity meets lifestyle gains
Most people who downsize their homes in the UAE, including Mansoor, refer to financial reasons as the catalyst. Rocketing rents and increased costs of living have made sprawling villas and large apartments unattainable and unsustainable for some. According to data from Bayut, rental rates for budget homes have grown between 12 per cent and 38 per cent, while mid-tier apartments have seen rental increases of up to 45 per cent.
I have to wake up earlier now, but saving money is more important
Pearl Bautista,
HR executive
Pearl Bautista, 36, who works in human resources, recently swapped her 71-square-metre one-bedroom apartment in Dubai Sports City for a 45-square-metre studio space in Jumeirah Village Circle. “Downsizing allows me to save a bit more,” she says. “I initially moved to a bigger place because I had a lot of family members visiting, but I realised I don't really need it for myself in the long run.”
Moving neighbourhoods was the biggest shake-up to her routine, because JVC tends to be more congested. “I have to wake up earlier now, that's the most significant change. But saving money is more important.”
For some people, extra sleep (and extra furniture) aren't the only things they are willing to give up. Sarika Sijimon, 32, a sales manager, currently lives in a one-bedroom apartment with her husband and two children. Although she's expecting a third baby, the couple are planning to move to a shared family villa to cut costs.
“Ideally we should be moving to a bigger space, but increase in rentals is making it challenging for us to do that,” she explains. “We will have to the share the space with others and give up our privacy, but we are positive that we can save more in this set-up.”
Finding community in close quarters
Another Dubai resident, Minh-Ngoc Nguyen, 25, who lives alone, also recently moved out of her studio in Al Jaddaf to a room in a sharing villa in Jumeirah 3.
A smaller space means rethinking layouts and investing in smart storage solutions
Saher Iftikhar Mansoor,
content creator
She had to give up her own kitchen, as well as some amenities that came with apartment living, such as a gym and a pool – but says what she's gained is so much more.
“Sharing has been better for me than having my own apartment. Having people around me who are helpful and whom I can depend on, it creates a very good sense of community,” explains Nguyen, who works as a government consultant.
“I think Dubai can be a lonely place for some people, and it's nice having that community element,” says Nguyen, who quickly found her pace at the new place.
“I go to the beach every day to walk and it's been wonderful. This villa is also closer to my workplace, so that's a plus. Maintenance service is really quick, like people actually fix things that break on the same day. If there's a leak, I can go to my landlady who lives next door and ask for help.”
Nguyen says she's also “very happy” about paying less now that she's in a shared villa. “I can save more or I can spend more on my social life.”
Making small spaces work
While downsizing homes brings about changes in terms of space, Mansoor says it allowed her to embrace a more intentional lifestyle. Her family spent about Dh250,000 on renovating the apartment to make it feel like home.
“We transformed the house the way we wanted it – from floor to ceiling, down to the smallest details,” she says. “In a smaller space, you have to make every inch work, and that often means rethinking layouts and investing in smart storage solutions.”
They added built-in shelves, as well as repurposed the maid's room into a pantry and the storage room into an office space.
“We had to utilise every single corner in this house to create space. We worked with a contractor for the renovation, but the designers were me and my husband,” she says.
“We took references from everywhere, including YouTube and Pinterest, for tiles, doorknobs, taps – you name it. We literally changed everything in the house, and it took us around seven months.”
Mansoor says it's important to have the proper mindset when downsizing – whether it's about letting some things go or training your mind to see the positive side of the move.
“It's not just about letting go of the material things, either. I used to love my backyard – the greenery and the sounds of birds every morning. We also had a good community back in the villa, and here we barely see our neighbours.
“But I can really feel that this house has brought us closer as a family – and that's priceless.”
Company%20profile
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Race 3
Produced: Salman Khan Films and Tips Films
Director: Remo D’Souza
Cast: Salman Khan, Anil Kapoor, Jacqueline Fernandez, Bobby Deol, Daisy Shah, Saqib Salem
Rating: 2.5 stars
The figures behind the event
1) More than 300 in-house cleaning crew
2) 165 staff assigned to sanitise public areas throughout the show
3) 1,000 social distancing stickers
4) 809 hand sanitiser dispensers placed throughout the venue
AT%20A%20GLANCE
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Key fixtures from January 5-7
Watford v Bristol City
Liverpool v Everton
Brighton v Crystal Palace
Bournemouth v AFC Fylde or Wigan
Coventry v Stoke City
Nottingham Forest v Arsenal
Manchester United v Derby
Forest Green or Exeter v West Brom
Tottenham v AFC Wimbledon
Fleetwood or Hereford v Leicester City
Manchester City v Burnley
Shrewsbury v West Ham United
Wolves v Swansea City
Newcastle United v Luton Town
Fulham v Southampton
Norwich City v Chelsea
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Tonight's Chat on The National
Tonight's Chat is a series of online conversations on The National. The series features a diverse range of celebrities, politicians and business leaders from around the Arab world.
Tonight’s Chat host Ricardo Karam is a renowned author and broadcaster with a decades-long career in TV. He has previously interviewed Bill Gates, Carlos Ghosn, Andre Agassi and the late Zaha Hadid, among others. Karam is also the founder of Takreem.
Intellectually curious and thought-provoking, Tonight’s Chat moves the conversation forward.
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Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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%3Cp%3EDungeons%20%26amp%3B%20Dragons%20began%20as%20an%20interactive%20game%20which%20would%20be%20set%20up%20on%20a%20table%20in%201974.%20One%20player%20takes%20on%20the%20role%20of%20dungeon%20master%2C%20who%20directs%20the%20game%2C%20while%20the%20other%20players%20each%20portray%20a%20character%2C%20determining%20its%20species%2C%20occupation%20and%20moral%20and%20ethical%20outlook.%20They%20can%20choose%20the%20character%E2%80%99s%20abilities%2C%20such%20as%20strength%2C%20constitution%2C%20dexterity%2C%20intelligence%2C%20wisdom%20and%20charisma.%20In%20layman%E2%80%99s%20terms%2C%20the%20winner%20is%20the%20one%20who%20amasses%20the%20highest%20score.%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
'The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas are Setting up a Generation for Failure'
Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt, Penguin Randomhouse
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Rugby World Cup (all times UAE)
Third-place play-off: New Zealand v Wales, Friday, 1pm
Final: England v South Africa, Saturday, 1pm
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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SUZUME
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Makoto%20Shinkai%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStars%3A%20Nanoka%20Hara%2C%20Hokuto%20Matsumura%2C%20Eri%20Fukatsu%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%204%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MATCH INFO
AC Milan v Inter, Sunday, 6pm (UAE), match live on BeIN Sports
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EJune%202022%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMohammed%20Alnamara%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDubai%20%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EMicrofinance%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E16%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESeries%20A%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFamily%20offices%0D%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Timeline
2012-2015
The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East
May 2017
The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts
September 2021
Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act
October 2021
Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence
December 2024
Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group
May 2025
The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan
July 2025
The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan
August 2025
Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision
October 2025
Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange
November 2025
180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE
Small Victories: The True Story of Faith No More by Adrian Harte
Jawbone Press
MATCH INFO
Chelsea 1
Alonso (62')
Huddersfield Town 1
Depoitre (50')
Company%20profile
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The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
if you go
The flights
Flydubai offers three daily direct flights to Sarajevo and, from June, a daily flight from Thessaloniki from Dubai. A return flight costs from Dhs1,905 including taxes.
The trip
The Travel Scientists are the organisers of the Balkan Ride and several other rallies around the world. The 2018 running of this particular adventure will take place from August 3-11, once again starting in Sarajevo and ending a week later in Thessaloniki. If you’re driving your own vehicle, then entry start from €880 (Dhs 3,900) per person including all accommodation along the route. Contact the Travel Scientists if you wish to hire one of their vehicles.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
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How to apply for a drone permit
- Individuals must register on UAE Drone app or website using their UAE Pass
- Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
- Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
- Submit their request
What are the regulations?
- Fly it within visual line of sight
- Never over populated areas
- Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
- Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
- Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
- Should have a live feed of the drone flight
- Drones must weigh 5 kg or less
More on Quran memorisation:
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The specs: 2018 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross
Price, base / as tested: Dh101,140 / Dh113,800
Engine: Turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder
Power: 148hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 250Nm @ 2,000rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed CVT
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.0L / 100km
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
