Dubai real estate entrepreneur Mohamed Alabbar said this week he will offer an “incredible award” to content creators with good ideas to promote the emirate. The stunning offer was made during the 1 Billion Followers Summit in the UAE.
Also making headlines this week were, Dubai’s most expensive school, new laws in the UAE, further real estate analysis and more.
Catch up with 10 of the biggest stories this week, as selected by Arabian Business editors.
‘Give me a good idea, I will sign the cheque,’ Emaar founder Mohamed Alabbar says at 1 Billion Followers Summit
“Create a one year campaign, creatively, with incredible content. Talk to me and I will give an incredible reward, for good ideas. Impress me – I really love my city and I really want to do it for Dubai. Give me a good idea, I will sign the cheque,” Alabbar said.
Alabbar’s comments came on the sidelines of the 1 Billion Followers Summit held at Emirates Towers, Museum of the Future and DIFC on January 13. Held under the banner Content for Good, the summit has attracted 15,000 content creators alongside 420 speakers and 125 industry leaders and specialists.
EXCLUSIVE: GEMS Education unveils $100m ‘school of future’ in Dubai with helipad for parents, NBA basketball court, Olympic running track
GEMS Education is set to launch its most expensive project to date – a $100m School of Research and Innovation (SRI) in Dubai Sports City. The institution is scheduled to open in August 2025 and will offer several innovative features including a helipad for parents, an NBA-spec basketball court, Premier League standard football field, Olympic-size swimming pool and more.
The new campus, spanning 47,600 square metres will be GEMS Education’s highest investment in a premium school project, with costs running 30 percent higher than previous premium school developments.
The school will follow an enhanced British curriculum with annual fees ranging from AED 116,000 to AED152,000 for FS1 to Year 6, and up to AED206,000 for Year 12. It will initially be an FS1 – Year 6 school, with Year 7 and 8 launching in the school’s second year. Founding families are being offered a 20 percent discount in the academic year 2026.
Like ‘London 20 years ago’: Why global entrepreneurs are betting big on Dubai, everything you need to know
According to Vadim Kouznetsov, Founder of JobX Dubai and business startup expert, the emirate’s business environment rivals major global cities in its attractiveness to entrepreneurs.
“Having lived and worked in London, Munich, and Moscow, I can say that Dubai stands out as the most business-friendly city,” Kouznetsov said in an exclusive interview with Arabian Business. “It reminds me of London 20 years ago – incredibly diverse with 200+ nationalities, predominantly expat population, and an openness to new ideas that’s hard to find elsewhere.”
Dubai Smart Rental Index 2025: Everything you need to know about the ‘game-changing’ and ‘improved’ system, according to experts
By combining real estate analytics and technology to standardise rental calculations, the system uses market data and expertise to guide pricing decisions for all property stakeholders.
“The new Dubai Smart Rental Index is a game-changer for the market and a real win for both tenants and landlords,” Lewis Allsopp, the Chairman of Allsopp & Allsopp told Arabian Business.
World’s safest airlines revealed: UAE and Qatar carriers in top 10
Aviation industry website AirlineRatings.com announced its Top 25 Safest Full-Service Airlines and Top 25 Safest Low-Cost Airlines for 2025 from the 385 airlines it monitors.
Air New Zealand pipped Qantas to the top spot, while Middle East carriers Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad all featured in the top 10.
HMPV: Doctors say UAE residents have no need to ‘worry or panic’ on new virus
While social media footage of masked crowds in Chinese hospitals has stirred memories of the COVID-19 pandemic, healthcare professionals emphasise that HMPV is a well-known seasonal virus that typically causes mild to moderate symptoms in most patients.
“HMPV (human metapneumovirus) is one of several pathogens similar to viruses like Respiratory Syncytial Virus or RSV that circulate the world each year causing respiratory illness,” Dr. Saheer Sainalabdeen, Specialist Pulmonologist at Medeor Hospital, Dubai told Arabian Business.
Dubai real estate sales hit $31.7bn in Q4; Palm Jumeirah claims highest average price
At the same time, transaction volumes surged 51.8 per cent to 46,844 closed deals. The numbers reflect a year of exceptional results and further establish the city as a beacon of innovation and strategic investment in the global property sector.
At the heart of the growth lies the off-plan market, which contributed more than half of the total transaction value, as well as Dubai’s thriving luxury property segment, which continues to attract high-net-worth individuals and institutional investors worldwide.
Kuwait announces 3-day holiday
Citing the Civil Service Commission, English language daily Arab Times reported that Thursday, January 30 will be recognised as a holiday for public sectors departments, agencies and institutions.
With Friday and Saturday being a typical weekend in the country, it means workers will enjoy a three-day weekend.
New UAE laws and regulations for 2025 – All you need to know
From corporate governance to environmental protection, these new measures reflect the nation’s commitment to sustainable development and social progress.
Dubai opens new Creators HQ; announces plans to attract 10,000 global influencers
The initiative, which stems from the AED 150 million Content Creators Support Fund launched by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister, and Ruler of Dubai, aims to establish the UAE as a centre for digital media and content creation.
The launch took place during the third edition of the 1 Billion Followers Summit 2025, running from January 11 to 13 across Emirates Towers, DIFC and the Museum of the Future.
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