The Bulgari Resort and Residences on Jumeirah Bay Island. Photo: Driven Properties
The Bulgari Resort and Residences on Jumeirah Bay Island. Photo: Driven Properties
The Bulgari Resort and Residences on Jumeirah Bay Island. Photo: Driven Properties
The Bulgari Resort and Residences on Jumeirah Bay Island. Photo: Driven Properties

Dubai property sets record for price per square foot


Ian Oxborrow
  • English
  • Arabic

An apartment at the Bulgari Resort and Residences in Dubai has set a new record for the highest price per square foot in the city.

The three-bedroom property on Jumeirah Bay Island sold for Dh40 million ($10.9m) – which equates to Dh12,624 per square foot – against the backdrop of a surging real estate market, according to figures from Dubai Land Department's database.

Dubai registered 25,972 property transactions in the first quarter of this year, the highest number of quarterly deals since 2010, according to Mo’asher, the emirate’s official sales price index issued by the Dubai Land Department in partnership with Property Finder.

The January to March period recorded sales transactions worth Dh55.51 billion, the report found.

The Bulgari Resort is one of the most coveted addresses in Dubai, with other properties in April selling at an average price of more than Dh8,000 per sq ft, said Kianoush Darban, associate partner at Driven Properties, who brokered the deal.

"Everything about the project is the perfect choice, from its location on the beautiful man-made island in the shape of a seahorse, to the amazing design inspired by the grandeur of ancient Italian architecture and the exceptional facilities offered by the project," he said.

"It’s the secluded retreat you dream of in the heart of Dubai.”

The property market in the UAE, the second-biggest Arab economy, has made a strong recovery from the pandemic-driven slowdown as the country’s economy improves on the back of fiscal and monetary measures.

The recently announced overhaul of the UAE visa residency system will also “hugely benefit” the country's real estate market and bring a “significant influx in buyers”, brokers said.

The luxury property market, in particular, has recorded strong interest from investors.

Prices of luxury homes in Dubai increased 41 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2021, compared with the previous quarter, according to analysis by Luxhabitat Sotheby’s.

Earlier this month, the emirate also posted another record in the property market with the completion of the highest value residential sale yet recorded.

A villa on Palm Jumeirah was sold by Belleview Real Estate's Conor McKay for Dh280m, eclipsing the previous record held for more than seven years by real estate broker Chris Boswell, who sold a Palm Jumeirah beachfront palace for Dh185m in 2015.

_____________________

Dubai's version of St Tropez: Inside a Dh20 million Bulgari Mansion

  • The villa is reached via a 300 metre bridge from the mainland. Courtesy LuxuryProperty.com
    The villa is reached via a 300 metre bridge from the mainland. Courtesy LuxuryProperty.com
  • The open-plan living area is spacious. Courtesy LuxuryProperty.com
    The open-plan living area is spacious. Courtesy LuxuryProperty.com
  • Primary home or second residence? It would work well as either. Courtesy LuxuryProperty.com
    Primary home or second residence? It would work well as either. Courtesy LuxuryProperty.com
  • The kitchen is on the snug side. Courtesy LuxuryProperty.com
    The kitchen is on the snug side. Courtesy LuxuryProperty.com
  • To the rear of the property is a pool and decked area. Courtesy LuxuryProperty.com
    To the rear of the property is a pool and decked area. Courtesy LuxuryProperty.com
  • A big brown pillar dominates the lounge. Courtesy LuxuryProperty.com
    A big brown pillar dominates the lounge. Courtesy LuxuryProperty.com
  • There's marble finishes in the bathrooms. Courtesy LuxuryProperty.com
    There's marble finishes in the bathrooms. Courtesy LuxuryProperty.com
  • Greys and blues fill out the living space. Courtesy LuxuryProperty.com
    Greys and blues fill out the living space. Courtesy LuxuryProperty.com
  • The property comes with three bedrooms. Courtesy LuxuryProperty.com
    The property comes with three bedrooms. Courtesy LuxuryProperty.com
  • It sits on a 10,525 sq ft plot. Courtesy LuxuryProperty.com
    It sits on a 10,525 sq ft plot. Courtesy LuxuryProperty.com
  • The horseshoe-shaped island includes facilities such as a fitness centre, yacht harbour, spa and cigar lounge. Courtesy LuxuryProperty.com
    The horseshoe-shaped island includes facilities such as a fitness centre, yacht harbour, spa and cigar lounge. Courtesy LuxuryProperty.com
  • One of the three bedrooms. Courtesy LuxuryProperty.com
    One of the three bedrooms. Courtesy LuxuryProperty.com
  • The dining area with a festive theme at the time of shooting. Courtesy LuxuryProperty.com
    The dining area with a festive theme at the time of shooting. Courtesy LuxuryProperty.com
  • As well as the family bedrooms, pictured, there are staff quarters. Courtesy LuxuryProperty.com
    As well as the family bedrooms, pictured, there are staff quarters. Courtesy LuxuryProperty.com
Dubai Bling season three

Cast: Loujain Adada, Zeina Khoury, Farhana Bodi, Ebraheem Al Samadi, Mona Kattan, and couples Safa & Fahad Siddiqui and DJ Bliss & Danya Mohammed 

Rating: 1/5

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ON%20TRACK
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About Proto21

Date started: May 2018
Founder: Pir Arkam
Based: Dubai
Sector: Additive manufacturing (aka, 3D printing)
Staff: 18
Funding: Invested, supported and partnered by Joseph Group

German intelligence warnings
  • 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
  • 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
  • 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250 

Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution

Brief scores:

Kashima Antlers 0

River Plate 4

Zuculini 24', Martinez 73', 90 2', Borre 89' (pen)

Herc's Adventures

Developer: Big Ape Productions
Publisher: LucasArts
Console: PlayStation 1 & 5, Sega Saturn
Rating: 4/5

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

Tips to avoid getting scammed

1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday

2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment

3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone

4) Try not to close the sale at night

5) Don't be rushed into a sale 

6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour

WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?

1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

The National photo project

Chris Whiteoak, a photographer at The National, spent months taking some of Jacqui Allan's props around the UAE, positioning them perfectly in front of some of the country's most recognisable landmarks. He placed a pirate on Kite Beach, in front of the Burj Al Arab, the Cheshire Cat from Alice in Wonderland at the Burj Khalifa, and brought one of Allan's snails (Freddie, which represents her grandfather) to the Dubai Frame. In Abu Dhabi, a dinosaur went to Al Ain's Jebel Hafeet. And a flamingo was taken all the way to the Hatta Mountains. This special project suitably brings to life the quirky nature of Allan's prop shop (and Allan herself!).

The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbo

Power: 258hp from 5,000-6,500rpm

Torque: 400Nm from 1,550-4,000rpm

Transmission: Eight-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.1L/100km

Price: from Dh362,500

On sale: now

TEST SQUADS

Bangladesh: Mushfiqur Rahim (captain), Tamim Iqbal, Soumya Sarkar, Imrul Kayes, Liton Das, Shakib Al Hasan, Mominul Haque, Nasir Hossain, Sabbir Rahman, Mehedi Hasan, Shafiul Islam, Taijul Islam, Mustafizur Rahman and Taskin Ahmed.

Australia: Steve Smith (captain), David Warner, Ashton Agar, Hilton Cartwright, Pat Cummins, Peter Handscomb, Matthew Wade, Josh Hazlewood, Usman Khawaja, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Matt Renshaw, Mitchell Swepson and Jackson Bird.

The specs

Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel

Power: 579hp

Torque: 859Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh825,900

On sale: Now

Company profile

Company: Verity

Date started: May 2021

Founders: Kamal Al-Samarrai, Dina Shoman and Omar Al Sharif

Based: Dubai

Sector: FinTech

Size: four team members

Stage: Intially bootstrapped but recently closed its first pre-seed round of $800,000

Investors: Wamda, VentureSouq, Beyond Capital and regional angel investors

COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Switch%20Foods%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202022%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Edward%20Hamod%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EIndustry%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Plant-based%20meat%20production%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2034%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%246.5%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFunding%20round%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Seed%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Based%20in%20US%20and%20across%20Middle%20East%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill

Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.

Company%C2%A0profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3Eamana%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2010%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Karim%20Farra%20and%20Ziad%20Aboujeb%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EUAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERegulator%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDFSA%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFinancial%20services%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E85%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ESelf-funded%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Specs

Engine: 51.5kW electric motor

Range: 400km

Power: 134bhp

Torque: 175Nm

Price: From Dh98,800

Available: Now

Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.

Based: Riyadh

Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany

Founded: September, 2020

Number of employees: 70

Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions

Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds  

Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices

Our legal consultant

Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais

Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.

Updated: May 05, 2022, 6:44 AM