UAE Business Resilience and Real Estate (with Abeer)

Alain Bejjani discusses the UAE's unexpected resilience during the Iran conflict, with recovery in real estate and retail. He is optimistic on real estate due to local demand, but sees tourism recovering only by Q1 2027. AI disruption will create disposable time, benefiting retail and tourism.

Yields

NDX

RUT

inferred

Metals

USD

Majid Al Futtaim 2.5
Consumer Discretionary
Alain Bejjani 7.5

UAE Business Resilience and Real Estate (with Abeer)

wti

Bejjani discusses the conflict's impact on the region but does not give a direct oil price view. His focus on resilience and recovery suggests a view that the worst may be over, but uncertainty remains, implying a sideways move for oil.

Abeer

Asks how the Gulf can lead through disruptions once the war is over.
Alain Bejjani

The UAE has shown unexpected resilience. Real estate and retail are showing signs of recovery. Tourism will come back, but it will take time.
Abeer

Asks about consumer spending adaptation in the UAE.
Alain Bejjani

Resilience was unexpected. Transaction volumes dropped in March but have started to come back. Confidence and capital are still present. Tourism has been impacted but there are good signs.
Abeer

Asks about new trends in consumer spending post-war.
Alain Bejjani

Post-war, there will be investment in resilience and infrastructure (AI, oil, supply chain). This will boost consumer confidence. AI investments will have ripple effects beyond traditional sectors like logistics and tourism.
Abeer

Asks about real estate weakness and pockets of opportunity.
Alain Bejjani

I am optimistic on real estate. The market is driven by local demand, not speculation like in 2008. April and May transaction volumes show a recovery path. Tourism will take the longest, recovering by Q1 2027.
Abeer

Asks about parallels from his childhood in Beirut.
Alain Bejjani

Volatility and disruption are here to stay. CEOs need to be resilient. I wrote the book to help people navigate these situations, which will persist for the next decade.
Abeer

Asks how AI disruption affects consumer spending.
Alain Bejjani

AI will decouple growth and headcount, creating disposable time. The sectors that will benefit most are retail and tourism.

SignalTube

markets at a glance