Nakheel damaging Dubai’s reputation “two million times for a few dirhams” – Al Habtoor

MR K Thursday, 26 April 2012 6:30 PM - UAE

I agree completely; Nakheel?s practices and antics have hurt the Dubai housing market. Investors no longer trust large developers particularly Nakheel as they continue to misuse their power in the city without any consideration on the long term impact of their actions?.there needs to be more transparency on how contracts are being honoured.

vZWuPyiWpFgOeaLCyF Wednesday, 14 March 2012 12:58 PM - xBJnFahiUtRPqhtkx

Dubai and Bahrain will be a little cool by October as it is nnraieg cool season. You can travel by Air Arabia (Bahrain-Sharjah). Sharjah is not that far from Dubai and you can find cabs easily. Rates vary by availability and timing but you can say around 90-200USD. Another option is Bahrain Air (Bahrain-Dubai). Today's rates are at approx. 150USD.You need to have a sponsor to be able to visit Dubai since they allow vis on-arrival services only to those with special designations and managers. You would not want to take buses too as it is a longer route and probably even more expensive than flying.

Hamish Thursday, 22 March 2012 8:19 AM - Dubai

Dear Mr vZWuPyiWpFgOeaLCyF

Thank you for your contribution. Although I think the facts you state appear to be relatively accurate and informative, they have slightly limited use in moving the argument forward on how much Damage Nakheel has done recently to the global reputation of Dubai and Dubai property.

Unless of course, Mr vZWuPyiWpFgOeaLCyF, you are putting forward an incredibly clever allegory for the ineffective maintenance and customer service provided by Nakheel at the Palm Shoreline Apartments in Dubai. In the past, I have called up Nakheel for a plumbing problem and had electricians, managers, even a property salesman turn up, but absolutely no plumbers. Your post above is probably equally useful and applicable to this issue, as Nakheel's typical customer service is useful and applicable to its lucky residents.

Benny Saturday, 10 March 2012 11:58 AM - UAE

Mr Al Habtoor just expressed most UAE citizens opinion about developers. Mr Al Habtoor is a professional that uses his own money and therfore cares about customers satisfaction. Most guys working for developers dont care about the company because they don't risk their own money but the investors money

Mat Wednesday, 29 February 2012 2:28 PM - Switzerland

I do not understand that the ruler of Dubai is tolerating that government companies don't respect the law. Developers were the first to breach contracts - investors' obligation was to pay money and the developers' obligation was to deliver. Still today we can see a lot of developments unfinished (JBR still has no beach park and gyms) and the services are way below standard. We don't have to be surprised when owners don't pay their service charges. They have to live in unfinished projects with very low services and the only thing which is efficient is the delivery of the service charge invoice.

Maria J Tuesday, 28 February 2012 10:51 PM - Dubai

Mr. Habtoor, thank you for your comments but if you were a Shoreline Owner/Tenant you would appreciate the recent changes that have been implemented which are only fair to the Owners that actually pay their services charges to maintain the facilities instead of the majority that have failed or choose to ignore to meet their obligation.

I hope I can have access the Habtoor Hotel beach for free!!!!!

True Maria Wednesday, 29 February 2012 2:32 PM - Dubai

Thats not me, i am far away from Habtoor Hotel and smart enough to stay away from properties.
Sounds like that new guy who came with load of promises to reduce service charges recently.

MikeDeLonghi Wednesday, 29 February 2012 11:27 AM - Saudi Arabia

Please, could the Nakheel employees writing reader comments 'under cover' please come clean and declare your interest. I believe it is clear to everyone that the bulk of the 'smart defaulters' are merely refusing to pay for services not rendered by Nakheel, a company notorious for over promising and under delivering. Salutations to Mr. Habtoor, a true Emirati that has seen the world and acknowledged that UAE must adapt and develop rather than abusing words such as 'loyalty' and 'patriotism' as an excuse for poor practices.

gordon Wednesday, 29 February 2012 8:52 AM - dubai

that is a strange remark.
I assume that if you want Habtoor beach to be free for everyone, then you also want the Shoreline beach to be free of everyone?

charles Wednesday, 29 February 2012 8:49 AM - uae

do you live in the Habtoor Hotel Maria?
If not, your comment is nonsensical.

Mr. X Tuesday, 28 February 2012 7:04 PM - UAE

First of all, Nakheel didnt charge for the beach, but they stopped people who didnt pay their service charge to access the beach since they have been using the beach and other services and trying to be smart by not paying their outstanding balances. Simple (The time of being smart is OVER). When we go to your countries we pay different taxes and we dont complain, and if we dont pay a penny that is outstanding we will be reported to the tax dept or so and even stopped from leaving the airport, so you should be grateful for living here. Servcie charges are clearly mentioned in the contract, and you should respect the laws and regulations of the country and whoever think he has a right he/she can drive all the way to Dubai Court and file a case.

Salam Wahid Tuesday, 28 February 2012 10:51 PM - Jakarta

Yes Sir, that is exactly what we are all asking every single Dubai developer. Comply with your contract obligations, respect the law and regulations of the country. Why do you thing no devloper too the road to Dubai court and file a case against any owner who withholds SC's? because they now they have no case and they dont comply with the laws. Further more and to make things clear. The SC's belong to the OWNERS and not to developers to put in their pockets. Maybe the point is nw more clear to you SIR! These developers have spoiled Dubai image and credibility beyond points you cannot even imagine. So who is to blame? an investor who brings his hard earned money to put in a property that is never delivered, has no say in his community, has no way to make his voice heard or his interest protected or a developer who things that he is above the laws and does things he will not accpet from others? Thanks Mr Habtoor for defending Dubai honor and interests.

amused Tuesday, 28 February 2012 9:28 PM - UAE

Mr Bright and Mr X seem to be one and the same from the looks of the comments and wording. I smell a rather lame attempt to stack the commentary.

Get the Facts Right First, then debate Tuesday, 28 February 2012 9:27 PM - Dubai

Mr X, for some reason you are posting incorrect facts. Nakheel DID try to take ownership of and charge ALL residents for using the common areas (pool, beach, playground, gyms, etc) despite signing contracts with Buyers that said ownership was shared by the residents. The service charge issue is a distraction from the main issue, and is the only thing that Nakheel staff can point to as having any potential legitimacy, so they always come back to it. But the main issue is not about that.

In fact it was only RERA's ruling recently that stopped Nakheel imposing an annual charge on all Palm Shoreline Apartments residents to use the common areas, irrespective of whether they paid the service charges.

But we have yet to see any change in the Palm, and we all suspect Nakheel is trying to get their own way by backdoor influence with RERA. Hope not, but am concerned.

Red Snappa Tuesday, 28 February 2012 6:54 PM - Ireland

Well since RERA insist that the Owner's Associations are now sorting it out with Nakheel, then presumably they will be granted access to the existing costs for maintenance, district cooling. Nakheel MUST hand these figures over by law to OA's now, I believe, they should also be audited by a totally impartial third party. So let us find the true cost, let the OA find the most cost effective service provider, fix longstanding problems not dealt with effectively by Nakheel, collect retrospective charges once fixed and set the new future charges accordingly.

No outstanding maintenance issues, then no excuse to withold service charges, then if owners do not pay, the property is registered at RERA as not rentable, no certificate issued for potential tenants and access to services are cut off until owner pays.

Beach clubs based on RERA's response are considered common areas, thus OA responsibility to blacklist true delinquents.

If those were clearly the rules then you have a system.

Bright man Tuesday, 28 February 2012 4:05 PM - UAE

You have to pay the service charges to get all services, and people who were banned from accessing the beach were people who didn't pay their fees. In addition, guests in all hotels pay to access the beaches, and Al habtoor hotels does the same too, since its not to make money but to be fair to people who paid for a premium exclusive beach rather than making it a public beach. The days of being smart are OVER, and if you dont want to pay your charges that are mentioned in the contract you can go to Dubai court. In other countries (foreign countries), if you don't pay your taxes you will be stopped at the airport, while we didn't do that in the UAE. the UAE's economy is been rising before foreigners buy real estate, and it will continue. Whoever complains about the lifestyle in Dubai is free to go to Dubai Airport and leave the country because definitely they wont find a place like here. Bon Voyage.

HHH Tuesday, 28 February 2012 7:01 PM - Dubai

This comment is simplistic in the extreme. What about:

- Service charges increased substantially each year, not to improve service but to provide profits to Nakheel

- Terrible maintenance service by Nalheel in general - anyone would be better. The rotting garbage in some basements of the Palm Shareline Apartments are a health hazard.

- Purchase contracts and sales material of Nakheel all show common areas as a shared ownership resource of the residents, and Nakheel arbitrarily takes them away and tries to charge everyone for them, even if they have paid every service charge.

- Palm District Cooling that was supposed to save money by doing it all as a common service, but is actually far more expensive than if each reisdent simply installed their own airconditioning.

- An arrogant and time consuming bureacracy from Nahkeel that makes everything difficult to achieve even if you follow every Nakheel directive to their residents (or should I say victims).

- Many more problems

Narges Tuesday, 28 February 2012 2:47 PM - UAE

Nakeel

Please listen to all complaints. I figured they don't care any more. Do you think Dubai stop it's investment ? The economy will rise one day and more properties will pile up.. But I can assure you no one will look for you.
Other developers will be chosen.

Please open your eyes and listen to us.

HGH Tuesday, 28 February 2012 7:03 PM - Dubai

Well said Narges

But, from what I have personally witnessed of Nakheel current management, they just do not care in the slightest way what their residents think of them, or how badly they treat their residents, if they bring in one more Dirham. I dont think management arrogance will be cured from within Nakheel - the only way if for someone with common sense like Mr Habtoor or others in Dubai to get this message to the top people in Dubai who I believe will then make the obvious management changes to protect Dubai's reputation.

Many of us really want to continue to live in Dubai and to build our worldwide businesses from here, but our own shockingly bad experience with Nakheel at the Palm Shoreline Apartments is really making us think about other global hubs where we could base our businesses in future. And I was about to buy a penthouse on the Palm Shoreline Apartments, but obviously that plan is well and truly cancelled now.

anu Tuesday, 28 February 2012 11:07 AM - UAE

At least someone has courage to say the truth. But is anyone listening?