So, an apartment in the Burj Khalifa costs AED40k a year LESS than the market rate of my flat now - that's equivalent to RM35k. A year ago, the situation in Abu Dhabi was even worse - my flat was renting out for AED160k per year. Thankfully prices have fallen and I will need to find a new place to live very soon...
Burj Khalifa rents tumble 40%
Apartments in the Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building and arguably Dubai's most prestigious address, are now available for rent at prices 40 per cent less than when the building opened 10 months ago.
A studio apartment can be had for as little as Dh80,000, with a one-bedroom unit renting for Dh100,000 annually, said Laura Adams, sales and leasing manager for Better Homes, one of the property brokerages marketing the property.
A number of units were recently handed over by Burj Khalifa's developer, Emaar Properties, which put pressure on rental rates by increasing the supply of available apartments.
Only eight per cent of the building's 900 apartments are occupied, she said.
Also a factor is that Dubai's property slump has caused nearby buildings to slash rates dramatically, and some of them compare favourably to the Burj Khalifa in terms of amenities.
The Address, also owned by Emaar, charges rates similar to those at the Burj Khalifa, but the apartments are fully-serviced, with seven restaurants on the premises, and many of the units featuring balconies with views of the Burj Khalifa.
The service charges of Dh53 per square foot at the Burj Khalifa are also considered higher than nearby residential buildings. For an average sized one-bedroom, the service charges would be more than Dh5,000 per month.
During much of the Burj Khalifa's construction, Dubai was in the midst of an off-plan property boom and apartments sold for more than Dh10,000 per square foot at the market peak.
Most units now for sale are listed at around Dh3,000 per square foot, Ms Adams said...
Saturday, January 15, 2011
The Patriot
That's a picture of Sheikh Zayed, father of the nation, I took this while waiting in line for gas..Enough said...
Happy New Year!
I just got back to Abu Dhabi a week ago, after a wonderful time home with family and friends, to be greeted with the above sight. Driving into work in the fog after a 7 hour flight and 5 hours sleep and after a month's driving on the opposite side of the road was truly surreal. I could not see beyond 50m, and in the picture, my office building which could typically be seen in the background past the stop signs has completely vanished. Thankfully the fog lasted only 3 days, and it's back to sunny days with temperatures between 15 to 25 which is awesome..
It was great to be home, and I was reminded of all the things I loved about Malaysia and more. Being away for 1 year was tough and I feel like I had a new set of eyes when I was home. I saw how much greenery we had, how much street life there was, felt the buzz of the city and smelt the rain everyday..all things that I have missed being here in the desert.
I've also started horse riding lessons, and had my first lesson yesterday. I love the feel of the horse, and how good it feels to be outdoors..if only we had this weather all year round, Abu Dhabi would be a much better place to live!
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Cheetah brings panic to streets of Sharjah
Does this happen anywhere else in the world???
SHARJAH // A cheetah sparked panic in Sharjah yesterday afternoon when it was spotted wandering through the city’s streets at prayer time.
Worshippers saw the creature near the Radisson Blu hotel in the Al Mujjarrah area, pacing near a mosque.
A local shop owner Abu Baker Karim said onlookers were unable to identify it straight away but knew it was dangerous.
He said: “As soon as I saw it I knew it was dangerous and had to run away. People were saying it was a tiger, others said it was a leopard and others said it was a cheetah."
Sharjah Police cordoned off the area, but, according to resident Mohammed Khan, who watched from the window of his nearby apartment, officers ended up playing a game of “hide and seek” with the big cat while they tried to capture it.
“We could tell it was not an easy arrest,” he said. “For about 20 minutes they were taking positions surrounding it, and it twice jumped out the circle.”
According to Lt Col Ahmad bin Darwish, of Anjad Police, it was not clear where the cheetah came from or who owned it.
Ahmed, another local resident, said the cheetah, which was handed over to the Arabian Wildlife Centre, was first spotted swimming behind the mosque.
SHARJAH // A cheetah sparked panic in Sharjah yesterday afternoon when it was spotted wandering through the city’s streets at prayer time.
Worshippers saw the creature near the Radisson Blu hotel in the Al Mujjarrah area, pacing near a mosque.
A local shop owner Abu Baker Karim said onlookers were unable to identify it straight away but knew it was dangerous.
He said: “As soon as I saw it I knew it was dangerous and had to run away. People were saying it was a tiger, others said it was a leopard and others said it was a cheetah."
Sharjah Police cordoned off the area, but, according to resident Mohammed Khan, who watched from the window of his nearby apartment, officers ended up playing a game of “hide and seek” with the big cat while they tried to capture it.
“We could tell it was not an easy arrest,” he said. “For about 20 minutes they were taking positions surrounding it, and it twice jumped out the circle.”
According to Lt Col Ahmad bin Darwish, of Anjad Police, it was not clear where the cheetah came from or who owned it.
Ahmed, another local resident, said the cheetah, which was handed over to the Arabian Wildlife Centre, was first spotted swimming behind the mosque.
My new favourite place in Abu Dhabi
Was told of this new cafe, Cafe Arabia in Abu Dhabi - absolutely lovely, pretty and inexpensive yummy food! Now I have somewhere to go to chill and read magazines over a cuppa!
Moroccan Hammam
I went to my first Moroccan Hammam today. I was planning to go to one when I get back from Malaysia next year, but an impromptu suggestion from my friend was too tempting. This was a 'basic' place - where a hammam cost AED40 as opposed to my upcoming hammam session that I paid AED150 for, which was a 50% discount over the original AED300 price.
I was a little apprehensive at first, having heard lots of funny stories about big huge women who scrub you at parts you didn't know you had. My friend was very comforting, saying that all I needed was not to be shy given that we would all have to be naked in a steam and scrub room together!
We got there, undressed and we were whisked into the steam room. There we had to put moroccan soap all over ourselves, and wait for 1/2 hour while the steam opens the pores. Then we were put into 2 separate rooms, and my therapist put on a scrub mitten and scrubbed like there was no tomorrow. I was shocked at how much dead skin there was, especially as I do my own scrub at home once a week. It was quite gross actually, but after 1/2 hour of a real good scrub, I felt like a newborn! I have never felt this clean in my life, and while I wouldn't call the experience 'pleasant', it was interesting and I would definitely do it again, especially for AED40 (that's like RM35!)
I was a little apprehensive at first, having heard lots of funny stories about big huge women who scrub you at parts you didn't know you had. My friend was very comforting, saying that all I needed was not to be shy given that we would all have to be naked in a steam and scrub room together!
We got there, undressed and we were whisked into the steam room. There we had to put moroccan soap all over ourselves, and wait for 1/2 hour while the steam opens the pores. Then we were put into 2 separate rooms, and my therapist put on a scrub mitten and scrubbed like there was no tomorrow. I was shocked at how much dead skin there was, especially as I do my own scrub at home once a week. It was quite gross actually, but after 1/2 hour of a real good scrub, I felt like a newborn! I have never felt this clean in my life, and while I wouldn't call the experience 'pleasant', it was interesting and I would definitely do it again, especially for AED40 (that's like RM35!)
Sunday, December 5, 2010
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