Dan Wilton
Capital investment
Quality of life is on the rise in the UAE’s capital. With community-led businesses, blue-chip companies and a world-beating cultural scene, Abu Dhabi has plenty to offer investors and residents alike.
What is the big idea?
Meet the man pioneering sustainable neighbourhoods and dreaming up planet-friendly utopian cityscapes. Can his company, URB, break new ground?
Who we’d hire
Our wish list of firms to commission for the perfect HQ, home or hotel. We profile the studios on the up, furniture firms to tap and developers to know in the UAE.
In on the action
Outside the UAE’s capital, a vast film set is becoming a trusted shooting location for Hollywood and Bollywood, placing the Twofour54 complex at the heart of a nascent movie industry.
Toon town
The UAE-made animated comedy ‘Freej’ was a hit outside the Middle East and returns next year. Creator Mohammed Saeed Harib is keen to show the country’s creative scene is no caricature.
Notice boards
In the UAE’s billion-dollar advertising market, more than a fifth of the spend is still on good old-fashioned billboards. Despite a growing online market, we report on this eye-catching industry.
A nose for business
Wake up and smell the possibilities. Monocle meets the entrepreneurs and perfumers creating distinctive fragrances that look after our wellbeing and represent key elements of the uae’s history and heritage.
New frontier
As the UAE looks to rapidly diversify its economy, advanced manufacturing is one surprising growth area. From plane parts to robotics, new technology start-ups are tapping into the Emirates’ entrepreneurial spirit.
Movers and shakers
From redefining retail and simplifying fintech to connecting students with their ideal teachers, we meet six young entrepreneurs who have turned big ideas into emerging businesses with a wealth of real-world benefits.
Breaking new ground
As a still-young country, the UAE offers bold, enterprising entrepreneurs opportunities to carve out their own path, whether in logistics or property. We meet three business pioneers.
