DUBAI, UAE, 4 May 2021: Khalaf Ahmad Al Habtoor, Founding Chairman, Al Habtoor Group, said his earlier predictions for the UAE’s economic growth in 2021 have “exceeded expectations”, as per recent data published by the International Monetary Fund (IMF), STR, and the Central Bank of the UAE (UAECB).

Al Habtoor said, “The UAE has once again shown its resilience. My country’s ability to navigate the challenges around COVID-19 is highly commendable. Global economic growth was already on the decline in all regions of the world in 2019, and COVID added significant pressure. However, the economic recovery in the UAE has been on the upward trajectory since Q3 last year. We continue to see pockets of positive growth, and as a result, real GDP is forecast to hit, or exceed, three per cent this year.”

Al Habtoor pointed out that the IMF has forecast in its World Economic Outlook that the UAE economy will grow 3.1 per cent in 2021, observing that the global growth outlook “hinges on how effectively economic policies deployed under high uncertainty can limit lasting damage from the crisis”. The UAECB is forecasting further growth next year with the UAE’s economy seen climbing to 3.5 per cent in 2022, he said.

Speaking about the diverse industries that the Al Habtoor Group operates in, Al Habtoor said, “The first quarter of 2021 has seen extensive growth in the real estate division of the Group, achieving a significant surge in the volume of sales compared to the same time before COVID.”

Al Habtoor noted that according to the Real Estate Bulletin, issued by the Dubai Land Department (DLD), Dubai real estate transactions soared 27% and 47% in Q1 2021, compared to Q1 2020 and Q1 2019, respectively, surpassing pre-COVID transactions and suggesting that confidence has been restored.

On the hospitality sector, Al Habtoor said: “All our hotels in the UAE are performing extremely well. We have witnessed a very healthy first quarter and are expecting a great second half of the year. Our base business for the remainder of 2021 is very solid, with high occupancy rates already achieved.”

Al Habtoor pointed to the latest report issued by the hospitality data and analytics specialist, STR, which showed a rebound in hotel occupancy rates in the UAE in the first quarter of 2021, particularly in Dubai, which recorded the highest occupancy rates in the world in March. The report showed Dubai occupancy rates rose to more than 60% in March 2021, one of the strongest performance markets in the world, he quoted the report as saying.

“This healthy performance is reflected in all the sectors of business we are operating in, including our automotive and car leasing divisions.” Al Habtoor added. “Consumers are spending again, and confidence has returned in the UAE.

“This good performance in Q1 of 2021 is only the beginning. I am expecting double-digit growth across the board in our Group. With more than 10.66 million people vaccinated in the country, we are well on the way to returning to normal life, proving one more time that the United Arab Emirates is the safest place on earth for businesses and investors.”