There is no doubt that the UAE is home to some spectacular properties. From penthouse apartments to plush villas with sprawling gardens and incredible pools, it’s a real estate haven.
Each week, The National showcases some of the finest homes on offer in its Property of the Week. Here, we take a look at a design-led villa located on Dubai's Pearl Jumeirah island.
The key details
This sleek and modern six-bedroom villa is located on Dubai's Pearl Jumeirah islands. The home is spread across a generous 1,725 square metres, located on a 980 square metre plot.
What's the story?
Offering island living in the heart of Dubai, this Pearl Jumeirah property makes the term show home sound like an understatement.
The property has been featured in Identity Magazine and won the Residential Project of the Year award at the Design Middle East Awards – and it is easy to see why.
An architectural masterpiece, the property artfully merges exterior and interior, making high design family-friendly, with focal points that include a floating bridge, floor-to ceiling fireplace sculpture and custom-designed artworks.
Stepping into the property, you look straight through the living area, across the floating bridge to the garden-length swimming pool. The top garden features the generous outdoor pool, marble walls and an intimate seating area.
Light is abundant throughout, thanks to the floor-to-ceiling windows, and the property has been fitted with sustainable lighting and air-conditioning systems.
Modern marble finishing is prevalent throughout the home, and is a particular focal point on the fireplace sculpture and in the Pedini kitchen.
The six bedrooms are split across two floors. Four, including the master suite with a spacious en suite bathroom, are located on the first floor. The final two are located in the basement, with their own en suite bathrooms and private terrace; perfect private accommodation for any guests.
Leisure and entertainment is a priority within the home. As well as the spectacular pool, it also boasts a rooftop terrace with Talenti furniture, an outdoor cooking area and views of the Arabian Gulf and Downtown Dubai skyline. There is also a private office on the roof.
In the basement, which can be accessed by elevator, there is a high‐end modern art collection, gym, billiards area, family lounge, bar, cinema and a Japanese-style garden with a banzai olive tree.
What the brokers say ...
What makes this property stand out?
The villa has been nominated for a number of awards for its streamlined architecture and modern interiors. Completely custom designed by BG Villas with in-house teams, the villa is a turn-key offer with every lifestyle amenity thought through and delivered.
What kind of buyer does a property like this attract?
High-net-worth individuals looking for a bespoke villa adorned with all the luxuries, ready to move in and enjoy the lifestyle.
What inspired the decor in the property?
Inspired by the blend of environment and family interaction, the contemporary design begins with an entrance via a floating bridge that overlooks the courtyard below, styled in earthy and white tones. Its unique features include high-gloss flooring, floor-to-ceiling fireplace sculpture, glass panelling, sustainable lighting and air-conditioning systems.
Does the property come furnished? With or without the art collection?
The house comes fully furnished. All the furniture and artworks are custom-designed for the villa.
Do you think this is the best property you can get for under Dh35 million?
The property is one of the best you can get for the price range. Designed with aesthetics that maximise space and efficiency, this villa is beautifully composed with a VIP flair that redefines the value of a property.
What attracts high-end buyers to Pearl Jumeirah?
Pearl Jumeirah is ideal for those who are looking forward to living in the seclusion of a desert island as well as remain strongly connected to the city. As one of the newest beachfront neighbourhoods in the prestigious district of Jumeirah, it's quickly becoming a resident favourite for privacy and exclusivity.
How long has the property been on the market?
Since March 2021.
How does Ramadan affect the UAE's property market?
Ramadan has not made much of a difference in the property market this year. Though Ramadan has had increasingly less of an impact on industries as the UAE community becomes more and more diverse, part of it is also to do with the surge in demand this year as the world is recovering from the Covid-19 situation of 2020.
Leigh Borg, managing director, Luxhabitat Sotheby’s International Realty
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Five famous companies founded by teens
There are numerous success stories of teen businesses that were created in college dorm rooms and other modest circumstances. Below are some of the most recognisable names in the industry:
- Facebook: Mark Zuckerberg and his friends started Facebook when he was a 19-year-old Harvard undergraduate.
- Dell: When Michael Dell was an undergraduate student at Texas University in 1984, he started upgrading computers for profit. He starting working full-time on his business when he was 19. Eventually, his company became the Dell Computer Corporation and then Dell Inc.
- Subway: Fred DeLuca opened the first Subway restaurant when he was 17. In 1965, Mr DeLuca needed extra money for college, so he decided to open his own business. Peter Buck, a family friend, lent him $1,000 and together, they opened Pete’s Super Submarines. A few years later, the company was rebranded and called Subway.
- Mashable: In 2005, Pete Cashmore created Mashable in Scotland when he was a teenager. The site was then a technology blog. Over the next few decades, Mr Cashmore has turned Mashable into a global media company.
- Oculus VR: Palmer Luckey founded Oculus VR in June 2012, when he was 19. In August that year, Oculus launched its Kickstarter campaign and raised more than $1 million in three days. Facebook bought Oculus for $2 billion two years later.
Western Clubs Champions League:
- Friday, Sep 8 - Abu Dhabi Harlequins v Bahrain
- Friday, Sep 15 – Kandy v Abu Dhabi Harlequins
- Friday, Sep 22 – Kandy v Bahrain
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
UAE players with central contracts
Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Rameez Shahzad, Shaiman Anwar, Adnan Mufti, Mohammed Usman, Ghulam Shabbir, Ahmed Raza, Qadeer Ahmed, Amir Hayat, Mohammed Naveed and Imran Haider.
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
if you go
TEACHERS' PAY - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
If you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Chicago from Dh5,215 return including taxes.
The hotels
Recommended hotels include the Intercontinental Chicago Magnificent Mile, located in an iconic skyscraper complete with a 1929 Olympic-size swimming pool from US$299 (Dh1,100) per night including taxes, and the Omni Chicago Hotel, an excellent value downtown address with elegant art deco furnishings and an excellent in-house restaurant. Rooms from US$239 (Dh877) per night including taxes.
Ticket prices
General admission Dh295 (under-three free)
Buy a four-person Family & Friends ticket and pay for only three tickets, so the fourth family member is free
Buy tickets at: wbworldabudhabi.com/en/tickets
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cylturbo
Transmission: seven-speed DSG automatic
Power: 242bhp
Torque: 370Nm
Price: Dh136,814
Liverpool's all-time goalscorers
Ian Rush 346
Roger Hunt 285
Mohamed Salah 250
Gordon Hodgson 241
Billy Liddell 228
From Conquest to Deportation
Jeronim Perovic, Hurst
