The Ministry of Interior in Saudi Arabia announced on April 23 a fine of up to SR50,000 and six months of imprisonment for any sponsors who fail to report the departure of expatriate workers under their sponsorship after the expiry of their entry visas.

According to a report in the Saudi Gazette, the sponsor (a foreigner) will be deported from the country after serving the jail term and paying the fine.

Read-Travelling for Hajj? Here’s what you need to know

The ministry also announced a similar penalty on Tuesday, April 22, for overstaying expatriates. Those who fail to leave Saudi Arabia after their entry visas expire may face a fine of up to SR50,000, imprisonment for up to six months, and deportation.

Previously, the ministry had announced a maximum fine of SR100,000 for Hajj and Umrah service providers and establishments that fail to report any pilgrim who overstays their visa.

Makkah Permit Rule for Expats

In another announcement, the Directorate of Public Security in Saudi Arabia stated that expatriates without an official permit are banned from entering Makkah. This rule came into effect on Wednesday, April 23.

Residents who hold a work permit or a residency permit (iqama) issued in Makkah, or a Hajj permit, are exempt from the ban. Expatriates without the required permits will be turned back at security checkpoints at Makkah’s entry points.

Purpose of the Regulation

The ban aims to regulate access to Makkah during the Hajj season and ensure the smooth movement and security of pilgrims.

Permits for entering Makkah during the Hajj season are issued electronically through the ‘Absher Individuals’ platform and the ‘Muqeem’ portal, in coordination with the unified digital platform for Hajj permits, ‘Tasreeh’.

The Ministry of Interior also reiterated its warning that it is prohibited to enter or remain in Makkah for holders of all visa types—except those arriving with a Hajj visa—starting April 29.

Dubai Holding Asset Management has announced the official opening of Nad Al Sheba Mall, a 500,000 square feet mixed-use lifestyle destination in the heart of the Nad Al Sheba community, further expanding its extensive retail portfolio in the emirate.

The mall features more than 100 outlets across categories including fitness, retail, food and beverage, entertainment, healthcare, and supermarkets.

Nad Al Sheba Mall tenants

Early tenants include high-profile names such as Home Bakery, Joud Coffee, PDL Café, Parka, Homer Lobster, % Arabica, Fun City, Spinneys, GO Sport, and SALT.

Fitness-focused brands FitnGlam and Fitcode, along with Union Coop, are scheduled to open in May 2025, with additional brands set to launch in the coming months.

Dubai Holding Asset Management expands retail offering

Dubai Holding Asset Management, which operates 10 malls, 15 lifestyle destinations, and 18 retail centres across the city, said the new mall underscores its strategy of delivering community-centric destinations that promote convenience and an enhanced quality of life.

Nad Al Sheba Mall joins a portfolio that includes Nakheel Mall, Ibn Battuta Mall, Dragon Mart, and The Outlet Village, as well as major destinations such as Bluewaters, JBR, and West Beach.

The mall is open daily from 10am to 10pm on weekdays and until midnight on weekends.

Read: Emaar offers rent relief to F&B tenants hit by Dubai Fountain closure

Dubai’s real estate market continues to thrive, demonstrating remarkable resilience and growth in the first quarter of 2025.

The Betterhomes Q1 market report reveals that total sales transactions surged by 23 per cent year-on-year, with the total value of sales increasing by an impressive 29 per cent to Dhs114bn.

Read-Dubai: Off-plan sales dominate 63% of residential sales in 2024

While apartments remained a significant segment, the villa market emerged as a standout performer, with transactions soaring by 65 per cent and value up by 56 per cent. Off-plan sales continue to drive market activity, accounting for 59 per cent of all transactions. However, a notable shift is emerging, with rising interest in completed, ready-to-occupy luxury units.

These are just some of the key insights from the comprehensive Betterhomes Q1 2025 Dubai Real Estate Market Report.

Meanwhile, Q1 insights from Property Finder also reveal a bullish UAE real estate market, with both Dubai and Abu Dhabi experiencing a robust start to the year—albeit for different reasons.

Dubai achieving historic highs

Dubai recorded historic highs in both the number and value of transactions, marking its strongest first-quarter performance in over a decade. The city registered 45,474 transactions worth Dhs142.7bn, reflecting a 22 per cent increase in volume and a 30 per cent increase in value compared to the same period in 2024. This surge was primarily driven by record activity in off-plan sales and existing property transactions.

Off-plan sales

Off-plan sales accounted for 56 per cent of all transactions in Dubai, rising to 25,440 transactions—a 24 per cent year-on-year increase—with a value of Dhs55.2bn, up from Dhs44.5bn in Q1 2024. The ready market also delivered a breakout performance, with 20,034 transactions worth Dhs87.5bn, marking a 21 per cent increase in volume and a 34 per cent surge in value. These are the highest-ever quarterly results for this segment.

Dubai’s numbers reflect sustained demand from both end-users and investors, likely supported by a growing shift from renting to owning, as rising rental prices increasingly encourage residents to explore homeownership.

Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi saw a surge in the ready property market, posting a 9 per cent increase in volume and a 75 per cent rise in value, driven by large commercial deals and growing demand for completed homes. Residential-ready transactions rose by 5 per cent in volume and 33 per cent in value, signalling buyer preference for move-in-ready options.

Dubai property market: Key insights

Off-plan market

Dubai

• Dubai’s real estate market remains one of the top-performing globally, with Q1 2025 witnessing a significant surge in total sales transactions. The 45,474 transactions marked a 22 per cent year-on-year increase, with total value rising by 30 per cent to Dhs142.7bn—the highest volume for any first quarter on record.
• In Q1 2025, Dubai’s off-plan market recorded its strongest first-quarter performance in a decade, accounting for 56 per cent of the total transaction volume. Off-plan transactions reached 25,440, up from 20,557 in Q1 2024—a 24 per cent year-on-year increase—driven by growing long-term confidence among medium- and long-term investors.
• The value of the off-plan segment also saw robust growth, with a 24 per cent year-on-year increase to Dhs55.2bn, compared to Dhs44.5bn in Q1 2024. This represented 39 per cent of the total transaction value in Q1 2025, underlining the ongoing appeal of Dubai’s future development pipeline.

Abu Dhabi

• Abu Dhabi’s real estate market registered approximately 2,496 transactions in Q1 2025, with a total value of Dhs9.6bn.
• The off-plan market recorded approximately 1,332 sales transactions, valued at Dhs4.9bn.

Existing/ready property market

Dubai

• A new quarterly record was set, surpassing the average quarterly volume and value of 2024. Volume exceeded the 2024 average by 12 per cent, and value rose by 19 per cent—affirming the market’s ongoing momentum into 2025.
• Existing property transactions rose by 21 per cent year-on-year, with approximately 20,034 transactions valued at Dhs87.5bn. This marks a 34 per cent increase in value compared to Dhs65.3bn in Q1 2024.
• Ready property transactions made up nearly half (44 per cent) of the total sales transaction volume.

Abu Dhabi

• The existing/ready market in Abu Dhabi recorded 1,164 transactions in Q1 2025, representing around 47 per cent of total transactions—up from 1,066 transactions in Q1 2024.
• These transactions contributed to 49 per cent of the total transaction value, reflecting a 9 per cent increase in volume and a substantial 75 per cent rise in value compared to the same period last year.
• Residential transactions accounted for 88 per cent of the total existing market volume and 60 per cent of the total value in Q1 2025. Compared to Q1 2024, residential-ready transactions increased by 5 per cent in volume and 33 per cent in value, indicating sustained demand for completed properties.

One of the most common questions professionals are asking today is about the fear surrounding AI and job security—a conversation that has become global.

History shows that technological revolutions often render certain jobs obsolete, but they also give rise to entirely new industries. When Henry Ford popularised the automobile, blacksmiths and horse-related trades declined—but mechanics, gas stations, and car factories emerged. Similarly, when Edison commercialised electric lighting, lamplighters lost work, but electricians, engineers, and power plant operators gained new roles.

Read-The AI imperative: 5 steps to transforming public sector services

In the 1980s, no one could have imagined their children growing up to be web developers, digital marketers, or data scientists. These roles didn’t exist then—technology created them, and it continues to create new ones today.

Upskilling, reskilling, and adapting

The need of the hour is for individuals to reskill and adapt. People must embrace new tools, shift career paths, and find their place in an evolving economy.

Some governments and cities are experimenting with Universal Basic Income (UBI) as a potential safety net during these transitions. However, UBI is only part of the solution. What’s truly needed is deep investment in training, upskilling, and education.

AI is replacing tasks, not entire jobs

“AI will not replace 50 per cent of jobs, but it will replace 50 per cent of the tasks within many jobs,” said Alaa Dalghan, Managing Director of Cognit DX, during a session titled “Will AI Take My Job? Navigating Careers in the AI Era” at Dubai AI Week.

Jobs composed entirely of repetitive, routine tasks—such as copy-pasting, sorting data, or following fixed scripts—are most at risk. But roles that involve critical thinking, empathy, negotiation, creativity, or problem-solving are more likely to be enhanced by AI. It will take over the mundane tasks, giving professionals time to focus on more meaningful work.

Jobs that will thrive in the AI era

Three broad categories of jobs are expected to thrive:

1. Manual & skilled trades – Roles like farming, plumbing, construction, and manufacturing require physical dexterity and adaptability, making them harder to automate.
2. Jobs requiring soft skills – Empathy, leadership, communication, and teamwork are human-centric skills that AI struggles to replicate.
3. Innovation and complex thinking – While AI excels at pattern recognition, it struggles with true innovation. Entrepreneurs, researchers, and inventors will continue to lead here.

AI as a productivity tool

IBM has generated over $3.5bn in ROI over the past two years through AI implementation, according to Shukri Eid, General Manager of IBM Gulf, Levant, and Pakistan.

Speaking during Dubai AI Week, Eid highlighted that AI is now a strategic priority for regional organisations, driving productivity and returns. IBM supports companies in applying AI across HR, supply chains, procurement, and app development, a WAM report said.

He noted that Dubai and the Middle East are seeing significant AI investments—from infrastructure to applications and model development. Many companies have moved beyond experimentation and are seeing real value.

A study by IBM and the Dubai Future Foundation found that 26 per cent of regional organisations have appointed a Chief AI Officer. This figure is expected to rise to between 50 per cent and 65 per cent in the next two years. Organisations with dedicated AI leadership are reporting 10 per cent higher returns on their AI investments.

Eid reaffirmed IBM’s commitment to supporting the UAE’s vision to become a global AI hub, partnering with institutions like Dubai Future Foundation, Mashreq Bank, and Hamdan Bin Mohammed Smart University.

Large Language Models: The next platform

Just as the internet, mobile, and cloud technologies defined previous eras, Large Language Models (LLMs) are becoming the fifth major platform.

When the iPhone was launched, Steve Jobs didn’t invent all the components—but he created the platform. Likewise, today’s LLMs are the foundation for a wave of innovations we’ve yet to imagine.

Entrepreneurs are already leveraging AI to handle tasks like accounting, legal drafting, and customer support—sometimes with only a few human team members and multiple AI “assistants.”

Prompting: The new power skill

In this new era, prompting—how we give instructions to AI—has become one of the most valuable skills. And you don’t need to be an engineer to do it well.

Think of AI as your intelligent assistant. Clear, specific, and structured instructions yield the best results. Here’s a simple framework:

• Role: Tell the AI who to act as (“Act as a lawyer…”)
• Task: Describe what you want it to do (“…and draft this contract…”)
• Context: Provide relevant background (“…for a SaaS company operating in Europe…”)

With this approach, anyone can start using AI effectively—no coding required.

The road ahead

The most important skill in today’s job market is the ability to reskill and upskill. AI isn’t the end of human work—it’s a transformation of it. The future belongs to those who can learn, adapt, and evolve.

Global ratings agency S&P Global downgraded Bahrain’s outlook to “negative” from “stable” on Wednesday, citing ongoing market volatility and weaker financing conditions that could increase the government’s interest burden.

Lower oil prices, maintenance at the Abu Sa’fah oil field, market volatility affecting funding costs, and higher social spending are expected to keep fiscal deficits elevated.

The agency noted that fiscal reform measures might not be sufficient to reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio, while Bahrain’s foreign currency reserve position remains weak.

Bahrain’s non-oil revenue measures, including the introduction of value-added tax in 2019, which was doubled to 10 per cent in 2022, have been offset by rising social spending and interest costs, with the economy still highly dependent on oil prices.

Bahrain in 2018 received a $10bn aid package over five years from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE to help it avoid a credit crunch in a deal tied to fiscal reform.

Bahrain lacks the ample oil and financial resources of its neighbours, and its state finances are among the weakest in the region.

But its Gulf Arab allies have provided political and economic support to maintain its stability over the years due to its importance in countering Iranian influence in the region.

S&P projects the fiscal deficit will widen to about 7 per cent of the country’s GDP in 2025, compared with 5.2 per cent in 2024 and 4.9 per cent in its previous review.

Bahrain’s long- and short-term foreign currency sovereign credit ratings were affirmed at “B+/B.”

Read: Global financial markets stable, but risks loom amid policy uncertainty: IMF