Home owners in Dubai will be able to rent their properties directly without having to go through an approved operator after the emirate’s tourism agency updated regulations.
Home owners in Dubai can now apply for a holiday home licence if they meet all criteria, Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism) said.
They can rent only the full accommodation. Room rentals are prohibited.
Tenants who rent a property can also lease their accommodation as a holiday home with a short-term permit, if they submit a no-objection certificate from their landlord and meet Dubai Tourism’s requirements.
The move could bring hundreds of rooms officially on to the market as the emirate aims to diversify its accommodation offerings to host an expected 20 million tourists in 2020.
The short-term home rental website Airbnb has about 300 listings for entire homes – such as two-bedroom hotel apartments and studios – on their portal for Dubai, where prices can go up to Dh3,500 a night. It also has dozens of rooms and shared rooms listed.
The supply of new hotel rooms in the market during the past year has taken a toll on room rates, especially at upscale hotels. The average room rate at Dubai’s four- and five-star hotels fell by 9.3 per cent year-on-year in January to US$312.83, according to Hotstats data.
“In addition to the pressure on hotel demand as a result of plummeting oil prices, the upscale hotel sector in [Dubai] is being equally affected by additions to supply,” Hotstats said in a note.
“In addition to an oversupply in the luxury sector, there was significant growth in development in the mid-market segment as Dubai attempts to increase its appeal to more price sensitive travellers.”
More than 1,000 hotel rooms in the mid-market sector opened last year, it said.
Dubai had about 82,760 rooms by last month, according to the research company STR.
Professional holiday home operators in Dubai have to go through more detailed licensing requirements.
Earlier, home owners had to go through them to list their homes, as per the previous regulation issued in 2014.
Dubai Tourism will now allow for online payments.
“We continue to put in place the necessary market conditions to stimulate the growth of the tourism sector in a safe, secure and controlled manner while ensuring that the high standards of quality for which Dubai is known are maintained,” said Khaled Bin Touq, the executive director of tourism activities and classification sector for Dubai Tourism, in a statement.
To become a holiday home provider, the home owners need to meet quality standards, amenities, health and safety, insurance necessities, code of conduct and wider community integration standards.
They would also be accountable for legislative requirements and complaint management policies, correct listing to visitors, proper maintenance of their properties, and need to provide all guest services.
Dubai Tourism will inspect the registered homes and classify them as standard or deluxe.
As of February, Dubai Tourism had licensed 57 holiday home operators and 1,600 properties.
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Countdown to Zero exhibition will show how disease can be beaten
Countdown to Zero: Defeating Disease, an international multimedia exhibition created by the American Museum of National History in collaboration with The Carter Center, will open in Abu Dhabi a month before Reaching the Last Mile.
Opening on October 15 and running until November 15, the free exhibition opens at The Galleria mall on Al Maryah Island, and has already been seen at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta, the American Museum of Natural History in New York, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
The specs
Engine: 4 liquid-cooled permanent magnet synchronous electric motors placed at each wheel
Battery: Rimac 120kWh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry
Power: 1877bhp
Torque: 2300Nm
Price: Dh7,500,00
On sale: Now
SPECS
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E4-litre%20V8%20twin-turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E630hp%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E850Nm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E8-speed%20Tiptronic%20automatic%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh599%2C000%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Now%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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McLaren GT specs
Engine: 4-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission: seven-speed
Power: 620bhp
Torque: 630Nm
Price: Dh875,000
On sale: now
Auron Mein Kahan Dum Tha
Starring: Ajay Devgn, Tabu, Shantanu Maheshwari, Jimmy Shergill, Saiee Manjrekar
Director: Neeraj Pandey
Rating: 2.5/5
TOP 5 DRIVERS 2019
1 Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, 10 wins 387 points
2 Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, 4 wins, 314 points
3 Max Verstappen, Red Bull, 3 wins, 260 points
4 Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, 2 wins, 249 points
5 Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, 1 win, 230 points
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
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The National in Davos
We are bringing you the inside story from the World Economic Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, a gathering of hundreds of world leaders, top executives and billionaires.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company%20Profile
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RESULTS
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UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Essentials
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly direct from the UAE to Los Angeles, from Dh4,975 return, including taxes. The flight time is 16 hours. Alaska Airlines, United Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Aeromexico and Southwest all fly direct from Los Angeles to San Jose del Cabo from Dh1,243 return, including taxes. The flight time is two-and-a-half hours.
The trip
Lindblad Expeditions National Geographic’s eight-day Whales Wilderness itinerary costs from US$6,190 (Dh22,736) per person, twin share, including meals, accommodation and excursions, with departures in March and April 2018.
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Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
Company%20Profile
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The specs
Engine: Long-range single or dual motor with 200kW or 400kW battery
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Max touring range: 620km / 590km
Price: From Dh250,000 (estimated)
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now