UAE BIG CLEARANCE SALE: 80% OFF DESIGNER LABELS
Dubai: In a city populated with malls and shopping centres, one can’t seem to get enough of discounts.
Just a few days after the sales at the annual Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) ended, it was announced that more than 50 designer labels are clearing their excess inventory and giving away heavily discounted shoes, bags, clothes in one venue this month.
Organisers of the Big Clearance Sale announced that several premium brands have enlisted to offer more than 80 per cent off on a wide array of merchandise.
For the second time this year, the mega sale will be held for three days starting August 24, Thursday, in the halls of the Dubai World Trade Centre.
A long list of statement designer labels and beauty brands await shoppers and discounted items will also include cosmetics, jewellery, skincare and fragrances.
The deals can be availed of only at the venue and will not be available in stores or other locations.
In the previous edition of the Big Clearance Sale last March, thousands of bargain hunters crowded the halls of Dubai World Trade Centre, snapping up discounts from 100 top fashion, lifestyle and beauty brands.
Shoppers are also in for mega prizes, as there will be further competitions and raffles for two Renault Koleos cars and two cash prizes of Dh5,000.
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MOHAMMAD BIN RASHID APPROVES NEW BUILDING PERMIT PROCEDURES DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY
Dubai: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has approved the new strategy for Building Permit Procedures Development in Dubai. The strategy will ensure speeding up the process of acquiring building permits from concerned government entities to assist investors in the real estate sector.
The new strategy, set-up by Dubai’s Committee for Building Permit Procedures Development, aims to enhance Dubai’s prominent positioning as a city where the active building and construction sector plays an important role as key component of the economic development.
The strategy is built upon three pillars, first developing and streamlining building permit procedures, then unifying systems and requirement, while the last one provides a ‘one stop shop’ where all the procedures and building permits processes in Dubai can be completed. The three pillars represent a comprehensive scheme that will ensure speeding up the process of acquiring permits in all its stages.
Daoud Abdul Rahman Al Hajri, Assistant Director General of Dubai Municipality of Engineering and Planning, and Head of the Committee, said that the new strategy reflects the vision of Shaikh Mohammad, aiming to enhance customers’ happiness and save them time and efforts to create a stimulating environment that promotes Dubai’s investment climate. As for the strategy preparation process, Al Hajri noted that since its formation in February 2017, the Committee held several meetings and workshops with the concerned stakeholders to discuss the various details of acquiring building permits. The Committee also formed four teams to conduct detailed researches and studies, where the first team works on developing the new building regulations based on the feedback gathered from customers, contractors and consultancies.
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LAST FLASH SALE FOR DSS TO OFFER UP TO 90% OFF MERCHANDISE
Dubai: Before the final curtain falls on the annual Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS), shoppers will be treated to one last flash sale and this time, budget-savvy consumers can take home goodies at 90 per cent off the price.
The last hurrah of the ‘Friday Surprise’ will be a big one, according to organisers, and money-savvy spenders will be assured to snap up some really cool bargains, such as select ladies’ handbags from only Dh10. “That’s a bargain you’ll not want to miss,” an announcement reads.
Shoppers are advised, however, that the 90 per cent discount on bags is not offered across the malls in Dubai. Since the ‘Friday Surprise’ promotion is exclusive, the heavily discounted duffel bags, dome bags and clutches can be bought only at the Splash outlet at Mall of the Emirates.
The ‘Friday Surprise’ is a new fixture of the annual shopping extravaganza, providing bargain hunters a chance to enjoy once a week the biggest price discounts at one retail location.
Previous flash sales saw shoppers rummaging the racks and shelves for branded jeans priced at Dh50, as well as heavily discounted cosmetics and gowns.
But fret not if you can’t make a dash for the bags this Friday- there are still many deals to be had at other shops across Dubai.
It’s the last weekend of DSS, after all, so starting, Thursday until Saturday, shoppers can enjoy further price reductions when they visit select stores such as Harvey Nichols, Bloomingdale’s, Debenhams, Marks & Spencer, Le 66 Concept Store, Le BHV Marais and Salam Stores.
There are other brands joining in the DSS ‘Grand Finale Sale’ as well, and they are marking down their prices further and for the very last time this summer.
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THE WELLNESS OF BEING: UAE GETS ITS FIRST HOLISTIC HOTEL
Dubai: As the UAE strives to hit high on the happiness scale, wellness tourism continues to gain momentum at a time when stress-related ailments are on the upswing.
According to a report released by Colliers Experiential Travel Series earlier this year, the UAE led the charge in the Middle East wellness tourism market, with an average of 1.7 million trips generating $2.7 billion (Dh9.9 billion) annually.
Dubai rolled out a series of initiatives to tap into this growing market with the launch of its DXH (Dubai Health Experience) programme in April 2016 by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai. The programme was introduced to support its “Dubai, a Global Destination for Medical Tourism” project. DXH aims to promote Dubai as a global centre for the provision of medical tourism services with a target of attracting half a million international patients by 2020.
Lending weight to this drive is a sprawling Dh700 million wellness resort that is scheduled to open its doors on October 1 on The Palm Jumeirah, with a focus on mind-body balance.
The 255-room Retreat Palm Dubai MGallery by Sofitel is positioning itself as the “first holistic well-being resort” in the region and is an initiative by the DXH in conjunction with the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). “The Retreat is the first of its kind resort in the GCC, with a sole focus on holistic living. From our architecture which is designed around the Chinese concept of Feng Shui, right to our food and beverage needs, which is 90 per cent organic, everything is catered towards wellness.”
He explained that the property will also house the world’s first Rayya Wellness Centre, a home-grown brand that will offer wellness packages for adults and children, including weight management, along with housing a spa, a recreational centre and a nutrition clinic.
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VACANCIES DROP 14% IN UAE BUT CERTAIN INDUSTRIES POST HIRING GROWTH
Dubai: Recruitment activity across the UAE remained sluggish during the second half of the year, but there are a few industries where the number of vacancies is actually on the increase.
The latest Monster Employment Index (MEI), released on Sunday, showed that online job postings by companies in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the rest of the emirates posted a 14 per cent decline in April, May and June compared to the first three months of the year.
But while overall hiring is subdued, employers who are in the business of selling or manufacturing consumables, such as processed foods, chocolates, candies or soda, have vacancies in store for applicants in the UAE.
According to the employment index, hiring by companies in the fast-moving consumer goods industry, as well as those in the gems and jewellery business, garments, textiles and leather, went up by nine per cent from the first quarter of 2017 and 26 per cent from the second quarter of 2016.
“The consumer goods industry has been increasing online hiring across the UAE since the beginning of the year. This may be due to the typically high turnover rate seen in this industry,” said Sanjay Modi, managing director of Monster.com, Asia Pacific and Middle East.
Employers in the healthcare sector, including clinics and hospitals, offered more job openings as well, with hiring increasing by seven percent.
Hiring at companies dealing with chemicals, plastic, rubber, paint, fertilizer and pesticides looks upbeat as well, with recruitment activity jumping by nine per cent in the second quarter compared to the first quarter of the year.
“It is also very encouraging to see growth in online hiring in the healthcare industry complemented by a slight stabilisation in occupations in the industry, as the UAE continues its efforts in advancing the healthcare offerings on a global level,” added Modi.
Other businesses don’t have much to offer for professionals and fresh graduates who are on a job hunt.
This is especially true in companies in the information technology, telecommunications and internet services provider industry, which posted a 23 per cent decline in hiring, the highest among the sectors tracked by the index. Jobs for candidates who have qualifications and experience in human resources and administration also registered the steepest decline at 23 per cent. Vacancies also declined by two per cent for professionals with marketing and communications qualifications.
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UAE CONSUMER SPENDING: WHERE IS ALL THE MONEY GOING?
Dubai: With all the news headlines about companies hiring less and shutting down businesses, it may seem like consumers in the UAE are hesitant to open their wallets.
The latest consumption data collated by researchers would show otherwise. According to a new analysis, spending by consumers across the UAE has been on the rise and is expected to hit close to $200 billion (Dh734 billion) this year and more than $260 billion by 2021.
Total expenditures in UAE surged to $182.7 billion in 2016, up by nearly 15 per cent from a year earlier, led by huge expenses on rent and food.
Consumer spending is a major component in the UAE’s gross domestic product, with a 45 per cent share, compared to 39 per cent average for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, 45 per cent for developing Asia, 56 per cent for the European Union and 68 percent for the United States.
In a report released on Sunday, the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), noted that housing expenditures reached $75.7 billion in 2016, accounting for nearly half (41 per cent) of total consumer expenditure during the year.
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UAE CONSUMER SPENDING: WHERE IS ALL THE MONEY GOING?
Dubai: With all the news headlines about companies hiring less and shutting down businesses, it may seem like consumers in the UAE are hesitant to open their wallets.
The latest consumption data collated by researchers would show otherwise. According to a new analysis, spending by consumers across the UAE has been on the rise and is expected to hit close to $200 billion (Dh734 billion) this year and more than $260 billion by 2021.
Total expenditures in UAE surged to $182.7 billion in 2016, up by nearly 15 per cent from a year earlier, led by huge expenses on rent and food.
Consumer spending is a major component in the UAE’s gross domestic product, with a 45 per cent share, compared to 39 per cent average for the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region, 45 per cent for developing Asia, 56 per cent for the European Union and 68 percent for the United States.
In a report released on Sunday, the Dubai Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DCCI), noted that housing expenditures reached $75.7 billion in 2016, accounting for nearly half (41 per cent) of total consumer expenditure during the year.
Food and non-alcoholic beverages represented the second-biggest chunk of household expenses, hitting a total of $24.8 billion during the year, while transportation expenses reached $16.7 billion, the third-biggest expenditure category.
Spending on communication, which can include charges for use of internet, mobile phones and other electronic devices, also eat up a huge portion of consumer spending.
This is the fastest-growing category that is expected to post a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.2 per cent through 2021, thanks to the high penetration of smartphones and other digital devices in the country.
“The growing popularity of mobile applications, and Dubai’s adoption of smart city solutions, are also expected to boost spending in this area,” the Dubai Chamber report stated.
Purchases of health goods and payment for medical services have been strong and are also expected to ramp up fast, posting a CAGR of 8.2 per cent over the same period.