Dubai’s Union Properties swings to profit

Dubai’s Union Properties swings to profit

DUBAI: The developer of Motor City in Dubai has reported a 5.6 million dirhams ($1.5 million) net profit in the first quarter of 2021 – recovering from a net loss of 121.9 million dirhams in the same period last year. Dubai-listed Union Properties focused on improving key operational activities across the group, including a significant reduction in direct and administrative costs of 6.4 percent and 14.2 percent respectively. The group also settled a large portion of its debt, reducing finance costs by 42.1 percent year-on-year, it said in a stock exchange filing. “We have sought out to optimize our cash flows by adopting a flexible policy to adapt to the economic changes,” board chairman Khalifa Hassan Al-Hammadi said. He noted the UAE government’s effective management of the COVID-19 pandemic, which helped the real estate sector gradually recover from its impact. Other UAE developers have also been seeing positive indicators during the first three months of the year, as buyers regain confidence in the country’s post-pandemic real estate market. However a glut of new homes remains to be absorbed after years of rampant construction.