Dubai’s rapid journey into a global hub of real estate would be largely dependent on a few major players within the market, and of those, Tamweel is indeed one first amongst equals for innovative Sharia-compliant financing solutions. This relatively small institution until its establishment in 2004 had very quickly become synonymous with innovative property financing that specifically reached out to both residential and commercial markets. But beyond being a provider of great financial services, the legacy of Tamweel lies in its forward-looking approach to real estate that eventually moved into Islamic banking standards, reflecting a new benchmark for property finance across the UAE.

Tamweel’s history began in March 2004 when it was constituted as a limited liability company. The whole idea was simple: to provide financing solutions Sharia compliant by the principles of Islam, therefore offering an ethical option to orthodox banking for property investor and owner alike. From the day of its establishment, Tamweel was one of the pioneer real estate financiers in Dubai, as well as basking on the booming population and property market. Come July 2006, Tamweel went public as a public joint-stock company, two years from the time it started operations. This led to a major milestone – Tamweel getting listed on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM), which further increased its visibility and enabled more investors to be part of its growth story. Going public marked a landmark for the company: its growth was accelerated, and it reached more customers in the UAE with such facilitation.

What made Tamweel distinctly different from all other financiers in the region was the alignment with Islamic finance. This company specialized in providing Sharia-based solutions, with most emphasis on fair, transparent property financing that is more so ethical in sharing profits. Generally, Tamweel’s financing solutions were categorized into two major groups: home financing and commercial financing. For home financing, Tamweel provided financing options such as Murabaha (cost-plus financing), Ijara (leasing), Forward Ijara, Istisna (construction finance), amongst many others. These products were tailored to meet the concepts of home ownership for personal and investment in commercial property for business enterprises. Baiti, which is one of the flagship services, was a home finance product that grants no ownership until payments, if permitted by Islamic laws, are made.

The growth of property development and trading businesses also facilitated the company’s ability not only to finance but also to be involved in developing real estate projects for owners. This further consolidated its role in the booming property sector as an advocate in Dubai. Tamweel therefore established a synergistic model between financing and development for the mutual benefit of investors and developers by aligning the project’s financial sustainability with all requirements of Islamic law.

Tamweel’s journey was certainly not facile. The 2008 global financial crisis was felt in real estate markets of the UAE, which seriously negated real estate prices and finance activities on a highly dramatic scale. As such, on 1 November 2008, to this effect, as part of crisis-driven measures that were announced by the federal government of the UAE, Tamweel was going to be merged with Amlak – another significant operator in the Sharia-compliant finance industry. This marked the strategic step in stabilizing the real estate finance market, which would protect the interests of the investors and homeowners. Tamweel and Amlak by the early months of 2010 were incorporated into an Islamic bank, marking the end of Tamweel run as an independent financier of real estate. This then set the beginning of a new life for the organization and evolved to be more of a complete financial institution, with its own capabilities in offering a varied type of Islamic banking products and services.

The contribution of Tamweel to Dubai’s real estate finance will undoubtedly never be questioned. Indeed, Tamweel was the first firm that introduced a specific manner of Islamic Sharia-compliant financial products. Its launch became a benchmark for ethical financing in the region. It opened the door for future market players, pushing further innovation with more Islamic finance solutions to bring the region towards becoming a global Islamic banking hub in Dubai.

The entire journey for Tamweel, from the property financier to being an integral part of Islamic banking in Dubai, actually reflects such resilience, ability, and forward-thinking approach by the company. Its contribution to the real estate market in the UAE leaves an enduring legacy and its influence continues to be felt in this growing landscape of Sharia-compliant finance.

Deyaar’s growth profile has been nothing but great. Now, following its successful IPO in May 2007, Deyaar’s share capital ballooned to a whopping AED 5.78 billion, making the company one of the largest real estate developers in Dubai. The fast-paced growth here is undoubtedly just an affirmation of the forward thinking vision of Deyaar and commitment to quality developments in some of the most premium locations in the city.

The Deyaar portfolio reveals a very resourceful and ambitious image of the company. Its developments are strategically positioned within the major growth corridors and prime locations of Dubai. From Business Bay-the thriving commercial hub to Dubai Marina, where luxury waterfront living awaits, Deyaar’s projects are very skillfully curated to meet all the expectations of the diverse cross-section of clients. Other strategic locations in the company’s extensive inventory include Al Barsha, Dubai International Financial Centre, Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai Production City, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Al Barsha South and Al Barsha Heights. All of these head-quarters have expanded dramatically over the years, making Deyaar’s developments of massive interest to investors, residents and businesses alike. Whether it is a high-rise residential tower or a cutting-edge commercial development, Deyaar’s ventures are designed to meet the needs of a dynamic and ever-evolving city.

Behind Deyaar’s growth lies a well-structured set of operations, divided into four main business units. At the very heart of this is Property Development, in which Deyaar focuses its efforts on creating residential and commercial properties that consistently outperform the expectations of investors and residents alike. Iconic projects such as The Atria and Midtown represent landmarks in Dubai’s real estate landscape. Property Management is key to ensuring that the properties Deyaar constructs are well maintained and their long-term value is maximized. The division offers end-to-end management services that help investors maximize their returns. Aside from the property management service, its facility management also ensures safe, secure, and operationally sound properties that make up the quality and functionality of each development.

The Management services that Deyaar offers related to the Owners’ Association allow for support offered to property owners dealing with the intricacies related to the management of common spaces. Its divisions here assist in improving the living experience for Deyaar’s clients by streamlining operations and evoking the sense of community.

Deyaar is now entering the hospitality sector, further diversifying its offerings. The company has a number of hospitality-related projects up its sleeve, which would help cement its ground as one of the leading real estate development houses in the region. Such developments are well aligned with Dubai’s becoming one of the pre-eminent tourist destinations in the world and probably will lead to the increasing demand for world-class hospitality experiences.

Deyaar aims to serve the goals of its investors by maximizing returns while building towards the provision of excellent service at an industry level. In terms of cutting-edge designs, superior property management or strategic investments in growth areas of Dubai, Deyaar continues to look for real solutions that add value to the portfolios of investors.

In fact, Deyaar has been at the forefront and is even better positioned for leading Dubai in innovative real estate development. With a strong financial foundation, diversified portfolio, and commitment to excellence, Deyaar’s future shines as bright as the sky line of Dubai, which the company helped create in its earlier days. The expansion of Deyaar into hospitality coupled with continuous investment in strategic locations goes on to ensure that Deyaar will remain one of the major players in shaping the future of Dubai’s real estate market.

The journey from a modest capital base to today’s multi-billion-dirham powerhouse reflects Deyaar’s resilience, innovation, and commitment to excellence. It will forever make a mark in the contribution to the developments of Dubai as it continues to build iconic structures and redefine urban living in one of the world’s most dynamic cities.

Emirates Islamic was founded on the mission of providing banking services that comply with Shari’a principles to revolutionize a new path in the financial landscape of the UAE. Fast-forward to today, and the bank is leading the way in Islamic finance, offering a wide range of products and services to cater to both the individual small business and major corporates. So it comes as no surprise that Emirates Islamic recently snatched the titles of “Best Islamic Bank in the UAE” and “Most Innovative Islamic Bank.”. Let’s see how Emirates Islamic has become a vital player in the financial setup of UAE.

Emirates Islamic was established as Emirates Islamic Bank in 2004. It came into inception with the focus of providing Shari’a compliant financial products and services to meet the increasing demand for Islamic banking in the region. Combining the values of Islamic finance with modern banking solutions quickly positioned the bank as trustworthy and innovative in the UAE. Emirates Islamic has developed into one of the biggest Islamic financial institutions in the UAE. Today, the bank has a wide reach to 40 branches and over 221 ATMs and CDMs spread across the United Arab Emirates in order to reach out to the customers across the UAE.

What, however, distinguishes Emirates Islamic from all the other Islamic banks in the field is that the bank does indeed boast of innovation. The bank was one of the pioneers to adopt the most advanced technology in customer experience. Emirates Islamic was the first Islamic bank offering mobile banking application in the UAE, and it enabled its customers to have a full control of their accounts from anywhere and at any given time. The bank also launched Apple Pay and became the first Islamic bank in the world with direct offerings of services with Chat Banking via WhatsApp. Below are some of the milestones showing the bank’s continued drive towards pushing past the boundaries and offering services that not only provide convenience but adhere strictly to Shari’a compliance.

No doubt these new initiatives by Emirates Islamic have gone unnoticed. It has won numerous awards based on its performance as well as its contribution towards Islamic finance. For the year 2024, it emerged as ‘Best Overall Islamic Bank’ and as ‘Most Innovative Islamic Bank’ at the just concluded Islamic Finance News Awards. Further in the same year, it clinched the title of ‘Most Innovative Islamic Bank’ at the prestigious Euromoney Islamic Finance Awards. The series of accolades also speaks to the commitment and dedication of the bank to excellence and its excellence in excelling in the face of the rapid changes in the financial world.

Emirates Islamic is an organisation committed to the community of the United Arab Emirates. Emirates Islamic Charity Fund was initiated to provide the needy with financial support. Included are food, shelter, health, education, and social welfare that go in keeping with how the bank espouses and embodies making a meaningful difference for society-at-large as it operates in it. The initiative merely serves to affirm this larger ambition by banks toward promoting greater social responsibility and contributing to the general welfare of the community, principles that are also consonant with Islam.

Founded on solid Islamic finance principles and cutting-edge technology, combined with a firm commitment to social responsibility, the bank is definitely off to a great start. With innovative products and extensions of services to all parts of the UAE, Emirates Islamic will remain the bedrock of the UAE’s financial landscape for decades ahead.