Insights: General
Cultural awareness, expat life and practical guides for anyone building a life or career in the Middle East.
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Nakheel opens first phase of expansion at Dubai’s Ibn Battuta Mall
Nakheel chairman Ali Rashid Lootah on Wednesday officially opened a 300,000 square foot extension at Ibn Battuta Mall in Dubai. The opening marked the completion of the first phase of a huge expansion at the world’s largest themed retail complex. The extension adds 60 new shops, restaurants, cafes and services to the mall – which
Saudi Arabia urged to adopt ‘welcoming’ visa policies to attract tourists
The head of a global travel council has urged Saudi Arabia to revise its visa policies if it wants to attract more tourists. Prince Sultan bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, the Saudi culture minister, revealed plans last month to boost tourism revenue as part of the kingdom’s plans to diversify its economy. “We have
Katara: Doha’s cultural village and international tourist attraction
Katara Cultural Village is considered to be the principal cultural destination in Qatar. In an exclusive interview with The Edge’s Sanae Bougria, Katara’s general manager Dr. Khalid bin Ibrahim Al Sulaiti discusses the various aspects of Katara and its efforts to introduce the country’s cultural traditions to the world and its dedication towards the objectives
Opportunity Bahrain
Our new analysis takes a look at the smallest country in the GCC but one which is undergoing a multi-million dollar infrastructure investment programme. Bahrain will make investments of more than $20bn over the coming years in large scale construction and infrastructure projects. Our new analysis takes a look at the smallest country in the GCC
May 18, 2016
Read more about Opportunity Bahrain
Entire expat workforce in Dubai to be trained in culture and law
Under a recently launched scheme planned to operate in three stages, all expat workers in Dubai will have to undergo compulsory education in their rights, duties and Dubai laws. Four of the Emirate’s government departments are involved in the newly introduced Workforce Training programme, with the first stage involving blue collar workers now ongoing. The
Sharjah rents slump 5.7% in Q1, set to fall further this year
Rents in Sharjah’s residential property market are set to continue to decline throughout 2016, following an average fall of 5.7 percent during the first quarter of the year, according to Cluttons. Its Spring 2016 Property Market Outlook report said the Q1 slump has dragged the annualised rate of change in rents down to 8.3 percent.
Dubai institute ‘to train expats on labour rights’
Expat workers in Dubai are to be educated on labour rights and duties, under a government training initiative launched this year. The Workforce Training Institute was set up in 2014 by Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Crown Prince of Dubai. It is managed by the ‘Orange Team’, which comprises representatives from
Global tourism body hails Saudi efforts to diversify economy
The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has praised the Government of Saudi Arabia for adopting tourism as a key sector to help diversify the economy away from oil income. Saudi Arabia last month announced a plan to diversify its economy in order to overcome reliance on crude oil exports by 2030. The ‘Saudi Vision
Employers in Bahrain to pay additional $800 for extra expat workers
Employers in Bahrain will have to pay an extra $800 (BD300) for every expat worker that exceeds their regular quota in addition to the regular two-year $530 (BD200) tax and monthly fees for each foreign employee. Officials at the Labour Market Regulatory Authority (LMRA) met with representatives of leading companies last Thursday to introduce them
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