Business Bay, Al Barsha South, International City, Al Karama and Dubai Marina will remain popular communities for apartments on rent in 2022

Arabian Ranches 2, Damac Hills, Jumeirah Islands are expected to remain popular villa communities for rent this year while Business Bay, Al Karama and Dubai Marina are likely to dominate apartments segment due to their prime locations in affordable price range, according to a survey.

The Zoom Property Insights said Dubai’s first-ever official Residential Rental Performance Index (RRPI), launched by the Dubai Land Department (DLD) recently, will help tenants to find a suitable residential place according to their budget. Based on this index, areas for apartments and villas forecasted to remain in-demand among tenants, and will set the market trends in terms of price and accommodation shifting.

Referring to the CBRE Dubai Residential Market Snapshot latest data, the Zoom Property Insights said average rents in the Emirate increased 10.1 per cent in the year to January, with apartment and villas increasing 8.3 per cent and 22.8 per cent, respectively.

“The rents are expected to sustain a steady upward trend during the first half of 2022 due to busy event calendar, brisk economic activity and higher tourists’ arrival following ease in travel restrictions. The increase in rents for apartments may experience a slowdown during the second half while villa rents will continue to rise,” according to the Zoom Property Insights.

Popular villa communities

Despite the increase of 4.01 per cent in rent, the premium villa community, Arabian Ranches 2, will continue to attract tenants this year. It is expected to retain its supremacy in 2022 as more people are looking for bigger and spacious houses in Dubai.

Damac Hills and Jumeirah Islands, with 1.58 per cent and 5.95 per cent rent increases, respectively, are also expected to remain popular with villa renters in 2022.

The transition of Expo 2020 into District 2020 that will be opened for tenants towards the end of the year will help Dubai South to retain its high momentum. The area recorded a 3.39 per cent increase in the villa segment last month.

The recent decrease in the average rent of Palm Jumeirah’s Garden Homes of 1.34 per cent will attract tenants looking for ultra-luxury homes with splendid waterfront views.

“Jumeirah Village Circle, The Springs, Jumeirah Village Triangle, Dubai Sports City and Dubailand are other communities that are predicted to perform high in the villa market,” according to the Zoom Property Insights.

Popular areas for apartments

Business Bay, which recorded 1,317 rental contracts registration for apartments in January as per the RRPI index, is forecasted to continue its high performance throughout the year, attracting singletons and couples seeking upscale lifestyle.

Al Barsha South, Jabel Ali First, and Al Karama produced promising results in January as per the RRPI, and it is expected that these communities will remain in demand for rental apartments throughout the year.

Downtown Dubai witnessed a significant increase of 5.95 per cent for apartments in February 22. Despite the high rent, the area is expected to attract renters.

Maintaining their high performance, JBR, Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Golf Estates, International City and Jumeirah Lake Towers are other communities that are forecasted to remain popular among apartment renters in 2022.

According to Ata Shobeiry, chief executive of Zoom Property, the launch of the first-ever rental index in Dubai will not only help tenants make an informed decision but stabilise the market as well.

“This strategic move will provide tenants with insightful data about the performance of various communities in Dubai so that they can save money on rent or switch locations for a better lifestyle that caters to their needs,” Shobeiry said.

Speaking about the areas that will remain in demand based on this rental index, he said, the index has provided real insights on the rental market performance.

“Areas like Jabel Ali First, Naif, Al Karama, and Al Warsan First have emerged as top choices among tenants. I believe they will continue to be in demand during the year along with other popular communities, such as Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina, Business Bay, and International City,” he said.

The first-ever official rental index showed registration of more than 51.452 rental contracts in Dubai during January 2021, indicating the year has started on a high note. As per the Zoom Property Insights, the market will continue its upward trend throughout the year.

Key highlights of the survey

• Arabian Ranches 2, Damac Hills, Jumeirah Islands will dominate the villa segment for popular destinations for rent in 2022.

• Dubai South, Palm Jumeirah, JVC, The Springs, JVT, Dubai Sports City and Dubailand will also rank among the top villa communities for rent.

• Business Bay, Al Barsha South, International City, Al Karama and Dubai Marina will remain popular communities for apartments on rent in 2022.

• Other popular communities predicted to remain in demand for rental apartments include Downtown Dubai, JBR, Jumeirah Golf Estates, Jumeirah Lake Towers and Al Nahda.

• Dubai’s official Residential Rental Performance Index (RRPI) launched by DLD will help tenants to find a suitable residential place.

Choosing a unique date as that of palindrome, US-Iraqi beauty mogul Mona Kattan tied the knot with her beau and Dubai-based businessman partner Hassan El-Amin.

The duo got married on Tuesday in Dubai and celebrated their special day with an intimate party, that was attended by close friends and family, at Dubai’s luxurious Raffles The Palm hotel.

Kattan, who is a beauty mogul and co-founder of Kayali fragrances and sister of entrepreneur and renowned makeup artist Huda Kattan (Huda Beauty) chose the special day, dated February 22, 2022, also known as Twos day, to become husband and wife.

Set amidst a beautiful décor, she chose two dresses from Dubai-based label Esposa Couture for her big day. The first was a white mermaid body-hugging gown designed by US fashion designer Vera Wang, elected from bridal boutique Esposa Prive. The off-shoulder attire was completed with a puffy tulle train.

The second dress was a custom-made lace dress for her Katb El-Kitab ceremony by Esposa Group’s artistic director Kristie Romanos.

The duo had been dating for some time and they got engaged on December 4, 2021, following a surprise proposal during a romantic staycation at Abu Dhabi desert resort Qasr Al Sarab.

Kattan has been sharing glimpses of her wedding preparations with her 2.5 million followers on Instagram through stories and posts. She has also been documenting her wedding preparations on YouTube and filmed multiple vlogs including videos of her shopping for her dream gown, favourite fragrances etc.