Andrew Scott

PR director Natasha Ighodaro Cunningham sees it as an investment of faith and energy, as opposed to a monetary investment.

As part of the agreement, the two sides will exchange knowledge, studies and institutional experiences.

Ten fund-supported projects are expanding through the franchise model as part of a dedicated programme.

Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah are part of a hugely strong brand but they offer very little for halal tourists, said Elnur Seyidli, the chairman of HalalBooking.com.

This Palm Jumeirah villa has been on the market for four months as the owner looks for close to Dh20 million.

Mobile platforms accounted for 60 per cent of the users on the online marketplace.

In the coming year, the group plans to add four brands to its existing 15 brands in the kingdom as it develops new food and beverage concepts.

Majority of family business owners in the GCC are relatively young – between 40 and 60 – with more than half of them transitioning from the second to the third generation.

Agthia, which manufactures Al Ain bottled water and Agrivita animal feed, is the biggest supplier of bottled water in the UAE with about a quarter of the market.

While super-prime shopping centres such as The Dubai Mall and Mall of Emirates can still command the highest rents, smaller centres face a tough time.

The UAE’s biggest electronics retailers forecast a jump in sales of up to 15 per cent from last year’s event.

A 'soft' opening of the mall is planned for November 22, with about half of the retail space currently leased.