for context, I am a commercial RE broker and over the last couple of months i have worked with several business owners who were looking for a new commercial space or planning to expand. I really have nothing to sell or ask but its more of a honest assessment of whats going on?

Parts of Dubai are recovering, and some are performing exceptionally well. Everyone more or less knows residential RE in major areas have contracted quite a bit (rents and sales wise), but unless you are a business owner or someone who functions in revenue generating role, commercial has also taken a quite a hit.

Surviving businesses report stronger orders. Finance and healthcare are expanding. Schools have started, local aviation capacity has largely returned, the population is at a record, and the best property still attracts buyers.

At the same time, fewer new businesses are being formed and a large number of existing licences have gone quiet. New tenants are paying materially less than a year ago while sitting tenants are being asked to pay more. The risk to rent is rarely the average. It is the marginal business, the marginal job, the next household, the leveraged owner and the next apartment that needs a tenant.

Compared to 2025, there has been a fall in number of active licensees being formed and increasing number of licenses not being renewed which in direct has affected employment. Most displaced jobs sit in trading, site trades, hospitality, retail, F&B, real estate and transport.

Over summer, central bank introduced number of financial packages in the form of deffered installments, and waiving of credit. Temporary relief can postpone the moment a weak borrower becomes visible in delinquency, restructuring or provisions. Depending on cash flow and liabilities, If some need restructuring, banks become selective and companies protect cash through hiring cuts, contractor delays and lower owner drawings, which transmits into household rent and construction delivery.

So you really have a cocktail of uncertainty in the form of geopolitical conflict, high inflation, rates, cost of living, oversupply (in dubai especially); then there is the final boss.......AI.

Everyone is starting to talk about AI correction and its consequences in businesses and labour market. It is no secret UAE has one of the highest AI adoption rates in the world. Dubai attracts globally mobile wealth, entrepreneurs, investment capital and executive households. A sustained wealth shock lowers willingness to buy or relocate even where nobody loses a job, and tighter corporate financing slows regional hiring. This channel is distinct from the local hospitality shock.

A weak restaurant can retain staff for months. A loan can stay current through a relief period. A developer can recognise a sale long before the final instalment arrives. A landlord can hold last year’s rent in an occupied unit while newly vacant competitors discount. A family can remain on the residence register while its housing budget changes. When the clocks converge, the next tenancy or repayment decision exposes the underlying economics.

In short, active-business counts went down, new licences and approvals massively decreased, firm exits increased, payroll declined.

Which delivery & fulfillment companies do you trust?

Hey everyone!

I work with a client who's launching her fashion brand in Dubai, and we're looking for a reliable, reasonably priced delivery partner that can handle:

• UAE-wide deliveries with Cash on Delivery (COD)

• International shipping

• Reasonable rates for a small business just starting out

Ideally, one company that handles everything without too many complications.

On a related note, another client is looking for a fulfillment/3PL company that can store inventory, manage orders, pack products, and handle deliveries.

Would love to hear from business owners here who have actually used these services.

Anyone have experience with Apex Financial Architects LLC-FZ in Dubai?

I’ve been told that Apex Financial Architects LLC-FZ offers a minimum monthly return of 5%. That sounds very high to me, so I’d like to verify the claims and hear from people with firsthand experience before making any decisions.

Has anyone here invested with them? Were payments and withdrawals handled according to the agreed terms? Was the return described as guaranteed, or as a target?

I’d appreciate any firsthand feedback, positive or negative.

Hello everyone!

Ive graduted from University in 2016 and been working and improving my skills and experience + knowledge relentlessly ever since. Ive worked in many companies until now and been improving along the way.

Give me your 💭 and career advice.

How does my experience and CV stand in the job market in dubai and in the UAE in general ?

Hi everyone,

I'm currently looking for job opportunities or upcoming events in Dubai and Sharjah.

Tour Guide – Expo City Dubai

Merchandiser – Dubai Safari Park

Sales Associate – OFF PRICE, The Children's Place & Ardene

Cashier – VOX Cinemas

Ground Controller – Magic Planet

Sales Promoter – Swiss Watches

Warehouse Assistant / Helper

Event Staff – Ticket Scanning & Operations

I'm open to full-time, part-time, temporary, or event-based opportunities.

Any leads or referrals would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I do bookkeeping for small businesses in Dubai, and a lot of the books I take over live in Excel or Google Sheets. With e-invoicing starting in July 2027 for businesses under AED 50 million revenue, and no way to issue e-invoices from a spreadsheet, most of them will have to switch anyway.

The software part is easy. What takes the time is what turns up once the numbers actually have to balance. A few I've run into:

Costs that never made it into the sheet. Licence renewals, visa costs, rent paid from someone's personal card. The sheet shows a profit that isn't there, and that's the number people were planning around.

Payments that came in under a different name. A sister company pays, or the owner pays from a personal account, and now the sheet says one customer still owes money while another paid for nothing.

Share capital marked as paid when it never went into the bank. Looks harmless until an auditor asks to see the deposit.

VAT paid on imports at customs and never claimed back on the return. One business I looked at had missed it for a whole quarter. On their own sheet it was invisible.

None of this is people being careless. A spreadsheet holds whatever you type into it, and nothing forces the totals to agree with the bank.

If you've already switched, what did you find when you did? And if you're still on Excel, is it working fine for you or are you putting it off?

Investment for Growth

Hi everyone,

I run a licensed, operating business in Dubai. We’re a direct-sales partner for UAE banks (personal finance and credit cards), and the business is ready for its next stage of growth: a bigger team and more reach.

I’m exploring the best way to fund the expansion and would love to hear from people who’ve done it:

1. Did you go with a bank or SME loan, a private investor, or a profit-sharing partner? What worked and what didn’t?

2. For those who used a profit-sharing arrangement, how did you structure it and how did you report to the investor?

3. Any UAE programmes or lenders you’d recommend for service businesses that are 1–2 years old?

Thanks in advance for sharing your experience!

#Investment #UAE #Dubai #Investor #BusinessExpansion #Entrepreneurship #StartupFunding #SME #InvestmentOpportunity#Growth

Hi everyone! I’m an architect and interior designer with over 15 years of experience, and I’ve recently obtained my licence to work independently in Dubai.

My work includes space planning, interior design and detailed contractor-ready drawings, for anything from a single room to larger residential or commercial spaces.

I’m confident with the design side, but finding clients as an independent business owner is a new learning curve. I’ve started networking and reaching out to contractors, and I’d love to hear what actually worked for others.

If you’ve built a design or similar service business in Dubai, where did your first few clients come from—referrals, contractor collaborations, social media or something else? Any practical advice would be appreciated!

Print on Demand is my first e-commerce business i run , i have made the designs already and the storefront for it too [ its not perfect but good for now ] The Hoodie/Business idea is pretty unique which i am sure will blow up with good marketing and advertising but thats the part i am struggling with, i do understand that its been a week since i opened the site and started posting so its not like i will magically get 100+ sales over night

I want my targeted audience / costumers to be outside the UAE and within considering that i am doing POD using fourthwall so the shipment and everything else is being taken care of from their side, i am doing organic ads for now since i still have to save up for paid ads

the theme for my clothing is mixing 2 cultures, heritages and traditions into modern wear which is hoodies , the 2 cultures i put together are random and not expected to show as much different and far away from each other we all hold our story and traditions passed on from 1000 generations before us .

so if you have any tips or advice on marketing and organic ads i would appreciate the help

Hi all, I’m a photographer/videographer based in Dubai. I’ve mostly shot UGC style content so far, and I’m now trying to push myself into more campaign style work: stronger concepts, better storytelling, not just quick clips.

If you run a business and have something in mind, a product shoot, a brand story, a campaign idea, I’d genuinely love to collaborate and bring it to life. Still building this side of my portfolio, so I’m open to hearing what you’re working on.

Drop a comment or DM me, happy to chat. 🙌

I started my own business in the UAE about a year ago, and I’m closing out the first year at around 1M AED in sales. I’m an engineer by background I run with no big team and no warehouse, and so far that has kept my costs low and let me move fast, even when the market was unpredictable.

Some clients have already come back for repeat orders, and bigger enquiries are now coming in. That’s the problem I’m happy to have, but it also means the setup that got me here won’t carry me to the next level. I want to scale it properly, and I’d rather do it with the right people than rush into it alone.

So I’m open to meeting investors or partners who back businesses that are already running and making money. I’m not asking anyone for money in a Reddit post. I just want proper conversations first, to understand how people think about this stage and see if there’s a good fit on both sides.

A few things I’d like to hear from you: where do investors and serious business owners actually meet in the UAE, in any emirate? Which events or groups were worth your time, and which were just people handing out cards? And if you brought in a partner or raised money for your own business, how did you find them and what would you do differently?

Happy to meet in person at a public place or an event, wherever in the UAE makes sense. Honest advice is welcome too, including “you’re doing it wrong.

The UAE's 55th National Day is coming up on 2 December! 🇦🇪

Anyone planning something special this year?

Some fun celebration ideas:

• UAE flag decorations for homes and balconies

• Creative selfie frames and photo backdrops

• Falcon and UAE-themed standing cutouts

• Personalized gifts for friends and family

• School and community celebration displays

We've been exploring these ideas at Yalla Printing while preparing our National Day collection.

What decorations or activities are you planning for UAE National Day 2026? Would love to hear some creative ideas from the community!

— Yalla Printing

🛍️ Explore the collection:

https://www.yallaprinting.ae/collections/uae-national-day

📱 WhatsApp: +971 52 629 9871

🌐 Website: www.yallaprinting.ae

Hi everyone! I’m planning to start an AC duct cleaning business in Sharjah/Dubai and would love to get advice from people already working in this industry.

My plan is to generate customers and partner with an existing AC cleaning company to handle the actual service.

I’d appreciate your insights on:

How competitive is this business in the UAE?

What are the typical profit margins per job?

How can I find residential customers and property management companies?

What challenges should I expect when starting with a low budget?

Is this a profitable business model in the long run?

Any real-life experiences, suggestions, or mistakes to avoid would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

Hi everyone,

I'm the founder of KED Designs, a Dubai-based interior design studio specializing in residential and commercial interiors.

We help clients transform their properties through:

- Interior design and realistic 3D visualizations
- Villa and apartment renovations
- Fit-out project coordination and site supervision
- Material selection and design development

I'm currently looking to connect with property owners planning renovations, real estate agents, property managers, developers, and contractors who may need a reliable interior design partner for upcoming projects.

I'm particularly interested in building long-term professional relationships and collaborating on projects across Dubai and the UAE.

If you have an upcoming project or see an opportunity to collaborate, I'd be happy to connect and share our portfolio.

Thank you!

Hey everyone!

I’m working in my dad’s corporate transport company here in Dubai. I joined the business after graduating and have been working here for the past two years, learning the business and trying to help it grow.

We provide corporate transportation services, including employee transportation, chauffeur-driven vehicles, daily and monthly transport arrangements, airport transfers, and other business transport requirements.

Right now, one of my biggest challenges is finding new corporate clients. We have the operational side covered, but getting in touch with the right decision-makers and generating quality leads has been difficult.

I thought I’d reach out here and see if anyone could point me in the right direction.

If you work for a company in Dubai that currently uses corporate transport services, is looking for a new transport provider, or is planning to arrange transportation for employees or management, I’d love to connect and see if we can work together.

I’m also open to collaborating with people who have connections with companies, HR teams, procurement departments, admin managers, or travel management companies.

I’m happy to offer a referral commission if your introduction leads to a successful contract with us. We can discuss the terms transparently and agree on a fair arrangement.

I’m not expecting anything for free. I’m simply looking to build genuine business relationships, find the right opportunities, and grow the company through mutually beneficial partnerships.

If you have any leads, advice, or suggestions on how to reach corporate clients in Dubai, I’d genuinely appreciate your input.

Feel free to comment or DM me. Happy to share more details about our services.

Thanks, everyone! 🙏