分类： business

Dubai’s property market achieved unprecedented milestones in 2025, registering a historic Dh546.8 billion in residential sales across 202,349 transactions according to Engel & Völkers Middle East’s Annual Market Report. This remarkable performance not only broke previous records but also signaled a fundamental transformation in market dynamics toward sustainable, fundamentals-driven growth.

The market’s extraordinary expansion was characterized by broadening demand across all property segments and locations. Apartments continued to dominate transaction volumes, comprising 83% of all deals with 167,841 transactions valued at Dh328.5 billion – representing a 31.8% increase from 2024. This growth was fueled by robust off-plan activity alongside sustained demand in established communities, reflecting confidence in Dubai’s ongoing development pipeline.

Off-plan sales emerged as a particularly significant driver, accounting for 64.8% of all residential transactions. This trend highlighted both persistent investor appetite and constrained availability of ready properties in the secondary market. Engel & Völkers emphasized that secondary market activity remained limited by supply constraints rather than weak demand.

The villa segment demonstrated substantial growth with total sales value reaching Dh141.2 billion, a 30.5% year-on-year increase. Demand proved especially strong in the Dh4 million to Dh8 million price bracket, with families and long-term investors increasingly committing to new master-planned communities beyond traditional prime neighborhoods.

Townhouses achieved record transaction volumes with 22,904 deals, increasing 4.6% from 2024, while sales value climbed to Dh74.4 billion. This performance underscored sustained demand for family-oriented housing options amid Dubai’s growing population and evolving lifestyle preferences.

Dubai’s luxury property market remained exceptionally strong with 6,765 transactions exceeding Dh10 million. Palm Jumeirah maintained its leadership in the ultra-prime segment, while Jumeirah and La Mer consolidated their positions as key luxury hubs. The year witnessed several landmark transactions, including a Dh550 million off-plan penthouse at Bugatti Residences in Business Bay and a Dh425 million villa sale in Emirates Hills.

Industry executives attributed Dubai’s market success to fundamental strengths including political stability, competitive tax environment, world-class infrastructure, and clear long-term vision. According to Daniel Hadi, Chief Executive of Engel & Völkers Middle East, 2025 represented a defining year that demonstrated both exceptional scale and evolving market maturity.

Looking forward to 2026, market analysts anticipate a more selective phase characterized by consolidation and differentiated performance across segments. The overall outlook remains positive with expectations of stability, depth, and continued opportunity as growth becomes increasingly driven by sustainable fundamentals rather than transient momentum.

In a significant advancement for regional connectivity, the primary tower of the Shiziyang Bridge has exceeded the 300-meter construction threshold following the successful installation of a critical bridge segment on Thursday. This engineering marvel forms an integral component of the Shiziyang Link initiative within the rapidly developing Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

Project engineers revealed exceptional precision in the construction process, with current alignment measurements registering minimal deviation of under 3 millimeters. According to Zhang Jian, deputy manager of the T8 section at CCCC Second Harbor Engineering, the structure requires only 40 additional meters to achieve its planned summit of 342 meters.

Upon completion, the monumental tower spanning the Pearl River estuary will approximate the vertical scale of a 110-story skyscraper, as confirmed by the Guangdong Transportation Group. The engineering team employs an innovative assembly technique, constructing each tower leg from 62 massive steel shell segments manufactured to exacting specifications.

Chief Engineer Zhang Taike provided additional timeline details, indicating the tower is projected to reach its full height around April, with catwalk construction scheduled to commence during the latter half of the year. This infrastructure project represents a critical transportation link designed to enhance economic integration throughout China’s most dynamic regional economic zone.

The Odia expatriate community in the United Arab Emirates has voiced significant distress over IndiGo Airlines’ apparent decision to terminate its exclusive direct flight connection between Dubai and Bhubaneswar. This strategic aviation link, operating tri-weekly on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, represents the only non-stop service bridging the Gulf region with the capital of Odisha in eastern India.

Current booking data on IndiGo’s digital platforms indicates the suspension will take effect in late March, with no reservations being accepted beyond this period. This development has generated considerable anxiety among frequent travelers, families maintaining transnational connections, and business professionals who rely on this direct routing.

The Dubai-Bhubaneswar route, inaugurated with considerable ceremony in May 2023 after nearly a decade of community advocacy, has evolved into a vital transportation artery. It dramatically reduces travel duration between the regions while eliminating the necessity for multiple transfers through other Indian aviation hubs.

Amiya Kumar Mishra, President of Odisha Samaj UAE, characterized the potential discontinuation as profoundly disappointing. “The launch culminated seven to eight years of persistent effort and represented a monumental achievement for our diaspora,” Mishra stated. “Its termination would adversely impact families, professionals, and commercial enterprises simultaneously.”

Contrary to the airline’s apparent rationale, passengers report consistently high demand for the service. Dubai-based media professional Sudhashisee Dash, who recently traveled on the route, confirmed the flight operated at full capacity—a pattern she described as typical. This robust passenger load appears inconsistent with the commercial justification for route termination.

The suspension follows the recent discontinuation of the Abu Dhabi-Bhubaneswar service last month, compounding connectivity challenges for the Odia community across the UAE. Collectively, these developments have severed direct air links between Odisha and two major Emirates.

The issue has transcended community concerns to attract political attention within Odisha. The opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has formally urged state government intervention to protect international connectivity, while Odisha Samaj UAE has petitioned the state’s Chief Secretary for immediate action to preserve this critical aviation link.

Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) has initiated an emergency shutdown of the recently recommissioned Unit 6 reactor at its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear facility in Japan’s Niigata Prefecture. The unexpected closure occurred on Thursday, merely days after the reactor resumed operations, following the activation of a critical safety alarm system.

The shutdown represents a significant setback for Japan’s nuclear energy revival efforts and raises fresh concerns about operational safety protocols at TEPCO facilities. The Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, recognized as one of the world’s largest nuclear power stations, had been undergoing gradual reactivation following extensive safety upgrades implemented after the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.

While specific details regarding the nature of the alarm remain undisclosed, TEPCO officials confirmed the automatic safety systems functioned as designed, promptly initiating the shutdown sequence. The company has launched a comprehensive investigation to determine the root cause of the alarm activation and assess whether any technical malfunctions or system anomalies triggered the safety response.

The incident occurs against the backdrop of Japan’s ongoing energy policy reevaluation, with the government seeking to balance nuclear power integration with stringent safety requirements. This development is particularly notable given TEPCO’s historical challenges in maintaining public trust following the Fukushima catastrophe, which necessitated a complete overhaul of the utility’s safety culture and operational procedures.

Energy market analysts suggest the shutdown may temporarily affect regional power supply stability and could influence broader discussions about Japan’s energy security strategy. The situation continues to develop as TEPCO engineers work to diagnose the issue and establish a timeline for potential reactor restart, pending regulatory approval.

China has achieved a remarkable agricultural milestone by setting a new national record for grain production during the 2025 harvest season, according to official data released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs on January 22, 2026.

The comprehensive annual report reveals that total grain output reached approximately 714.9 million metric tons, representing an increase of 8.4 million tons compared to the previous year’s production levels. This achievement marks the second consecutive year that China has maintained grain production above the significant threshold of 700 million metric tons.

This record harvest becomes particularly noteworthy given the substantial agricultural challenges faced throughout the growing season. Multiple regions across China experienced significant climate-related difficulties, including severe drought conditions, extensive flooding events, and unusually prolonged rainfall patterns that threatened crop viability in various agricultural zones.

The sustained agricultural success demonstrates China’s strengthened resilience in food security management and advanced farming capabilities. Technological advancements in agricultural practices, improved irrigation systems, and enhanced crop management techniques have collectively contributed to overcoming environmental challenges while maintaining consistent production growth.

Northeastern China’s Heilongjiang province, represented by the Beidahuang Group’s farming operations, exemplified the successful harvest efforts. Photographic documentation from October 23, 2025, shows agricultural professionals operating specialized equipment to manage and arrange dried corn kernels at processing facilities, highlighting the scale and modernization of China’s agricultural sector.

This sustained production growth reinforces China’s strategic position in global food security and demonstrates the effectiveness of ongoing agricultural modernization initiatives despite increasing climate volatility challenges worldwide.

China has solidified its position as the undisputed leader in clean-energy supply chains, capturing approximately 70% of both the global electric vehicle and battery markets in 2025. This remarkable dominance comes as U.S. energy policy under former President Donald Trump continues to prioritize traditional oil and gas resources, creating a stark contrast in global energy strategies.

According to the China New Energy Vehicle Industry Development White Paper (2026) jointly published by the Beijing-based Yiwei Institute of Economics (EVTank) and the China Battery Industry Research Institute, China accounted for 70.3% of global new-energy vehicle sales last year. Global sales reached 23.54 million units, representing a significant 29.1% year-on-year increase.

The report reveals divergent trends across major markets. European EV sales surged 30.5% to 3.77 million units, while the United States experienced minimal growth at just 1.72%, reaching 1.60 million units. The U.S. market stagnation was largely attributed to expired federal tax credits, with monthly sales dropping to approximately 80,000 units in the final quarter of 2025 and market penetration remaining at 9.6%.

China’s supremacy extends to the power-battery sector, where Chinese companies commanded 69.4% of global installations in the first eleven months of 2025. Data from South Korea’s SNE Research shows six Chinese firms ranking among the world’s top ten suppliers, with CATL leading at 38.2% market share, followed by BYD at 16.7%.

This shifting balance has prompted experts like Dang Wang, a research fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution, to argue that global energy and manufacturing dynamics are decisively tilting toward China. In a New York Times opinion piece titled “Trump Is Obsessed With Oil, But Chinese Batteries Will Soon Run the World,” Wang contends that China’s electrification strategy is fundamentally reshaping global competition.

The geopolitical landscape continues to evolve as nations adopt different approaches to Chinese EV imports. While the U.S. maintains 100% tariffs and the EU has implemented anti-subsidy duties ranging from 17.4% to 38.1%, Canada recently reduced its tariffs to 6.1% and increased import quotas. The United Kingdom, post-Brexit, has never imposed additional tariffs on Chinese EVs.

Market projections indicate sustained growth, with global new-energy vehicle sales expected to reach 28.5 million units in 2026 and 42.7 million by 2030, potentially exceeding 40% market penetration worldwide.