LONDON: He may not have quite the popular appeal of Jennifer Aniston, but the star of the latest Emirates campaign should raise a laugh from passengers down under as the Dubai carrier recasts its competitive relationship with Qantas.
As Qantas ditches its Dubai stopover, Emirates this month recruited Welsh rugby referee Nigel Owens to appeal to passengers in New Zealand and Australia.
Earlier this month, Dubai’s flagship airline launched a fourth daily Dubai-Sydney service from next March, as it seeks to grow crucial Australasian traffic through the emirate.
Owens — who is considered by many as one of the world’s top referees — follows in the footsteps of Hollywood actress Aniston, who was featured when the Dubai airline faced another competitive threat two years ago from rival US airlines.
In one of the adverts, the Welsh referee is seen breaking up an embracing couple before a flight call to Auckland is announced, warning the woman for “not releasing.”
Emirates’ new Sydney service — to be launched next March — will increase passenger capacity on the route by 6,846 seats a week and represents a 7.3 percent increase in capacity for Emirates’ Australian services.
Earlier this year, Emirates said it would introduce a third daily service between Dubai and Brisbane from Dec. 1.
It is also planning to use the larger A380 superjumbo on its Dubai to Melbourne service from next March, further increasing the airline’s passenger capacity on routes to and from Australia.
The airline announced its 16-hour Dubai-Auckland route in March 2016, and was the longest scheduled long-haul flight to date until Qatar Airways launched its Doha-Auckland route in February.
There have been some temporary difficulties in September with Emirates’ direct route to Auckland due to a chronic shortage of jet fuel in New Zealand. The Dubai-Auckland route was being diverted via Melbourne for a couple of weeks in September for refueling, extending the length of the journey.
Emirates’ expansion into the region comes after Qantas said in August it was moving its stopover hub back to Singapore from Dubai next March.
The two airlines signed a partnership agreement back in 2012 which saw the stopover hub moved to Dubai. The carriers renewed their partnership in August and customers of both airlines will continue to have access to a number of codeshare destinations and shared frequent flyer benefit schemes.
“The biggest impact to Emirates and the Dubai hub was the original partnership deal that gave Emirates even more momentum in Australia and New Zealand since Emirates became affiliated with Qantas,” said Will Horton, an analyst with Capa-Center for Aviation. “That element remains even after Qantas exits Dubai, so Emirates still has high relevancy in Australia and New Zealand it can leverage for future growth.”
Emirates’ ambitious plans to expand into Australia and New Zealand could further bolster the already record-breaking volume of passengers passing through Dubai International Airport.
The airport — which is already the world’s busiest — saw a record August, announcing on Tuesday that more than 8.2 million passengers passed through Dubai International Airport, compared to 7.7 million recorded in August 2016.
This marks an increase of 6.6 percent in passenger traffic.
According to the airport’s August figures, the fastest expanding market in terms of percentage was South America (27.4 percent), followed by Asia (21.9 percent) and Eastern Europe (18.8 percent). India remains the top destination country, followed by the UK and Saudi Arabia.
Emirates scrums down with Qantas
Emirates scrums down with Qantas
UAE’s residential real estate market to see softer home sales
- Moody’s sees mild softening of prices over the next 12 - 8 months as rising completions add supply
RIYADH: The UAE’s residential real estate market is expected to see a modest decline in developer sales and a mild softening of prices over the next 12 to 18 months as rising completions add supply, Moody’s said.
Despite near-term easing, the credit ratings agency noted that developers are supported by strong revenue backlogs and solid financial positions, while regulatory measures have reduced banks’ exposure to the construction and property sectors, helping to preserve robust solvency and liquidity buffers across the financial system.
The broader trend is reflected in the UAE’s real estate market, which recorded a strong performance during the first three quarters of 2025, according to Markaz.
In Dubai, transaction values increased 28.3 percent year on year to 554.1 billion Emirati dirhams ($150.88 billion), while Abu Dhabi recorded total sales of 58 billion dirhams, up 75.8 percent year on year. The number of transactions in Abu Dhabi rose 42.3 percent to 15,800.
The report said: “After five years of extraordinary growth in the UAE’s residential real estate market, particularly in Dubai, we expect developer sales to decline modestly and some price softening over the next 12 to 18 months as rising completions add supply.
“From 2026 to 2028, around 180,000 new units will be completed in Dubai, a significant increase from prior years that is likely to weigh on demand and slow price growth.
“However, fundamentals remain supportive, underpinned by continued population growth and an influx of high-net-worth individuals. Rated developers’ credit quality will remain resilient, supported by strong revenue backlogs, front-loaded payment plans and solid financial positions.”
Munir Al-Daraawi, founder and CEO of Dubai-based Orla Properties, told Arab News the Moody’s report underscores what the firm is seeing on the ground, namely “a market that is successfully transitioning from a period of extraordinary growth to one of sustainable stability.”
He added: “While a mild softening of prices and a modest decline in sales are anticipated over the next 12 to 18 months, these are natural adjustments for a maturing global hub like Dubai.”
Al-Daraawi believes the the projected delivery of 180,000 units between 2026 and 2028 is not a cause for concern, but “a reflection of the UAE’s long-term appeal to high-net-worth individuals and a growing population.”
The CEO added: “The report rightly points out that fundamentals remain supportive, underpinned by Dubai’s 2040 Urban Master Plan and a significant influx of global talent.”
He went on to note that the resilience of the sector is further bolstered by the solid financial positions of developers and the strong regulatory measures that have shielded the banking sector from excessive exposure.
“This creates a robust ecosystem where credit quality remains high, even as we navigate a more competitive landscape. For boutique and luxury-focused developers, the current environment emphasizes the importance of quality, execution, and strategic capital allocation — factors that will continue to define the UAE’s real estate success story,” said Al-Daraawi.
The current environment emphasizes the importance of quality, execution, and strategic capital allocation.
Munir Al-Daraawi, Founder and CEO of Orla Properties
Riad Gohar, co-founder and CEO of BlackOak Real Estate, told Arab News that while Moody’s is correct to say that supply is rising, the conclusion of a broad slowdown ignores the structure of this current economic cycle.
He added: “First, this is not a debt-fueled market. Around 83 percent of Dubai residential transactions in 2024 and 2025 were non-mortgaged. That means the market is equity-driven, not credit-driven. When cycles are not built on leverage, corrections are typically shallow and segmented, not systemic. “
He added that the macroeconomic backdrop is stronger than in past cycles, driven by sustained non-oil gross domestic product increase, structural reforms, population growth, and capital inflows aligned with long-term national plans.
“Demand is not purely speculative; it is driven by migration, business formation, and wealth relocation,” the CEO said.
“Third, prime vs. non-prime must be separated. Any pressure from increased completions is more likely to affect marginal locations, not established prime areas supported by global HNWI inflows. Historically, prime assets in Dubai have shown resilience even during broader market pauses,” Gohar added.
He continued to clarify that for smaller developers, some may feel margin compression if sales moderate, but this becomes a consolidation phase, not a systemic risk.
“Banks’ real estate exposure has already declined to around 12 percent of total loans — from 19 percent in 2021 — and NPLs (non-performing loans) are low at 2.9 percent, meaning financial contagion risk is limited. Regulatory escrow structures and stricter oversight further reduce spillover,” the CEO said.
“We are in a capital-rich, cash-driven cycle, regulated market with strong GDP and population growth. If anything, weaker fringe players exiting would strengthen the core not destabilize it,” he said.
The Moody’s report highlighted that while most developers it rates will generate “substantial excess cash” over the next two to three years, there will be fewer opportunities to make significant investments, especially within the Dubai real estate market.
As well as prompting a shift toward corporate governance and, in particular, how developers deploy their rising liquidity, some firms are looking to diversify beyond their core business models.
“For instance, Binghatti has recently launched its first master-planned villa community, marking a departure from its historical focus on single-plot high-rise developments, as demand for villas continues to outperform that for apartments,” said the report.
It continued: “Others are looking beyond Dubai and the UAE for growth, whether through geographic diversification or expansion into unrelated sectors.
“For example, Damac’s owner, Hussain Sajwani, has announced significant planned investments in data center development across the US and Europe.
“Emaar continues to develop actively in Egypt and India and is evaluating potential entry into China and the US. Aldar has started development projects in the UK and Egypt, while Arada has begun building in Australia and the UK and Sobha is expanding into the US.”
