Azizi Developments has begun construction of a mega-tall tower block that it says will be the second tallest in the world if it is approved.
The developer declined to say how tall Burj Azizi will be because the structure's proposed height is awaiting final approval from authorities. But the company did confirm, however, that it will be the second tallest building in Dubai.
The $1.5 billion tower, which will be on the Sheikh Zayed Road in Dubai, will feature luxury apartments and penthouses, a mall spread over several floors, a seven-star hotel, high-end F&B outlets and an observation deck.
Burj Azizi is scheduled to be completed within four years, the developer said.
“This tower will be our legacy. With Dubai having given my family and I so much – safety and abundance of opportunities – this tower, which will be the second tallest [in the world] is our way of giving back to this emirate and its remarkably hospitable and welcoming people,” said Mirwais Azizi, founder and chairman of Azizi Developments.
The 828-metre Burj Khalifa has been the world's tallest since it opened on January 4, 2010. To be the second tallest in the world, Burj Azizi will have to be taller than 679m, which is the height of Merdeka 118 in Malaysia, which opened in November.
To be the second tallest building in the city, the Burj Azizi would have to be taller than 450m, which is the height of the Franck Muller Aeternitas tower, which is currently under construction in Dubai Marina.
At present, the second tallest tower in the city, according to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat, is Marina 101, which measures 425m in height, while the third tallest is the Princess Tower, also in Dubai Marina, which is 413m.
Master community
Azizi Developments previously proposed plans to develop a landmark tower on the Sheikh Zayed Road.
The developer first announced the building of the 570m skyscraper, with 122 storeys, in March 2018.
At Cityscape in 2022, the developer's chief executive, Farhad Azizi, announced plans to build the second-tallest tower in Dubai as part of a multibillion-dollar investment plan.
Mr Azizi described the tower as being "like a master community but in one tower”. In May, it announced plans to spend up to Dh60 billion on developing a portfolio of 50 luxury hotels and resorts, including a seven-star hotel, in Dubai.
Azizi currently has about 40,000 units under construction that are due to be delivered by 2027.
In September, it launched a Dh30 billion ($8.16 billion) mixed-use development called Azizi Venice, which will include more than 30,000 homes in 100 mid-rise apartment complexes and more than 400 villas and mansions.
After a record year for developers, UAE property prices are expected to continue to rise in 2024. In Dubai, average residential prices are projected to increase by 5 per cent to 7 per cent, according to ValuStrat.
However, by the summer, “we could see an inflection point where we could see a turn in the curve and if it happens then it will hit the high-end luxury market first”, said Haider Tuaima, director and head of real estate research at ValuStrat.
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.”
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Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Desert Warrior
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Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5