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5 Home Décor Tips For Ramadan 2025

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Sedar Global Interiors

Among many homes across the region, this spiritual month is a time for remembering and reviving traditional routines. It is also the season to spend quality time in the home with loved ones and friends. Set the scene throughout your interior this Ramadan creating a festive feel. Whether it be atmospheric lighting, reimaging an indoor or outdoor majlis or adding arabesque touches to interior or table scaping. Sedar Global Interiors explore how to work the top Ramadan décor touches trending for 2025.

Sedar Global have been catering to the window and wall décor industry for over 130 years, and are one of the world’s leading companies in manufacture, design and installation of window, and wall décor. Offering curtains, wallpaper, awnings, blinds, folding doors, curtain accessories, upholstery and pillows. Collections include in house collections and internationally renowned names such as Missoni Home, Jannelli & Volpi, Armani/Casa, Swarovski, Versace, Roberto Cavalli and Somfy amongst others.  

Tip 1 – Make a first impression

Spruce up your entrance to set the mood straightaway for visiting guests. Start with a prop style chair or bench with festive inspired cushions such as Sedar’s Swarovski inspired crescent moon motif design or The Metropolitan Museum of Art x Sedar Global collaborative pillows including collections incorporating prints from famous artworks reflecting the festive ambience. Add a console table and position central or against a wall in your entryway that can hold a metal tray loaded with dates. Adding a diffuser or incense burner for an aromatic ambience and floor lanterns or candle stands to lead the way for iftar. Nahel Selo Creative Director at Sedar Global adds “This is not a permanent addition to the home so can be as subtle or elaborate as you choose, my advice is to pick three colourways as well as one metallic, or wood tone you will use and work them from entry hall throughout the home for cohesive feel.”

Tip 2 – Contemporary, rustic or Khaleeji Interiors

Before getting started Selo sais to pick the style and colour palette you are going for…

Whether it be more of a contemporary twist featuring this year’s favoured palette for the season, including pastel and sage green hues with gold touches. A minimalist Bedouin style finish focused on contrasting textures and textiles – incorporating Arabian geometric patterned throws, rugs and pillows.  Or a Moroccan feel incorporating motifs with tile, ogee and latticework including indulgent drapes, bright colours and shapes. A Khaleeji creation, with subtle Turkish influences including accessories inspired by Islamic architecture that comes from the Levantine period using materials such as silk and brocade. Or a rustic organic and modern feel majlis reflecting the city and desert scape of Dubai, working in earthy colours using natural fabrics and light tones, paired with the richness of fading gold or brass, weathered wood and plants. 

Tip 3 – Indoor & Outdoor Ramadan home tents and majlis-style seating

Recreate the magic of a majlis or Ramadan home tent at home. “You can create an arabesque style lounge area for your family to socialise without spending a fortune and this year Ramadan falls at a time when we can still enjoy an outdoor or indoor design” says Nahel Selo.

You can craft a simple tepee in the home or garden using sheer or linen curtains or even if budget allows for outdoors hosting add a pergola or awning installation. True to the heritage of a majlis create social space division using low seating arrangements, such as ottoman or poufs teamed with floor cushions laid over a rug. Selo comments “at Sedar we have a range of Ramadan themed designs and can customise curtain drapes, instal awnings and pergolas as well as add oversized pillows mixed with accompanying medium and smaller styles in different shapes and textures to complete a festive modern look.”

Tip 4 – Add Arabesque touches to the house

Adding a few simple items can be a gentle reminder that Ramadan is here. Whether this be a temporary wall design such as Arabic calligraphy inspired style brass accessory, light reflecting mirrored objects or even Islamic print fabrics and lanterns all a great for curating a memorable entertaining space exuding warmth and capturing the spirit of the month. Decorative cushions and throws are a must to elevate the room, to anchor the space and add warmth choose a rug with beautiful colours and unique patterns. 

Mix up interiors with traditional flashes of gold or brass contrasted with trending palettes of turquoise, royal blues or dusky pinks, this can be through wallpaper panels, threads and details used for pillows and drapes. Work with mirrors and reflective surfaces to illuminate your gold hues and produce a special ambience. Creative Director Nahel Selo comments “adding metallics, specifically gold and brass is not only a nod to tradition but also essential to create the festive mood, for 2025 worn away brass or golds give an earthy and contemporary finish.”

Tip 5 – Creative table scaping & atmospheric lighting

Take your iftar meals to the next level by sprucing up that dining table with some creative table scaping. From incorporating metallic, intricate arabesque or lunar pattern accents through cutlery, napkin rings and dinnerware sets, to jute placements, table runners, mini lanterns and dry or fresh florals. A thought-out table arrangement can transform your everyday table into a holiday celebration.

Selo adds “atmospheric lighting is key – from battery operated fairy lights, tall lanterns, to wax candles and tea lights, adding lighting accessories are a cost-effective décor touch to set the mood throughout the holy month”.

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CASAGRAND SHOWCASES HERMINA AT IPS CONGRESS 2026

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Casagrand, one of India’s leading real estate developers, is participating in IPS Congress 2026, where it is showcasing its Flagship project HERMINA, at Dubai Islands, while highlighting its plans to develop more than 6 million sq. ft. of premium residential and mixed-use developments in Dubai over the next three years.

The developer’s UAE expansion builds on the strong market response to Casagrand HERMINA, its residential development in Dubai Islands, which has achieved 60% sales since its launch. The performance marks an encouraging first milestone for Casagrand as it expands its presence in one of the region’s most dynamic real estate markets.

“Our first year in the Dubai real estate market has been incredibly rewarding and has reinforced our confidence in the opportunities ahead,” said Luthfullah K, Director – Dubai, Casagrand. “With plans to develop more than 6 million sq. ft. of premium residential and mixed-use space over the next three years, we are focused on building a strong and diverse development pipeline in Dubai. We see significant potential across both established communities and emerging growth corridors, and our approach will continue to be guided by the evolving needs of the market.”

“The response to Casagrand HERMINA has further strengthened our confidence, with the project already achieving 60% sales. As we look ahead, we are excited to introduce more projects to Dubai and build on Casagrand’s 22-year track record of development in India. Our ambition is to establish Casagrand as a trusted and respected developer in the UAE, with a growing portfolio that delivers quality and long-term value to residents and investors,” added Luthfullah.

Since the opening of IPS Congress 2026, more than 500 visitors have already walked into the Casagrand stand, reflecting strong interest in HERMINA and the developer’s expanding portfolio in Dubai. Visitors can explore the project and learn more about Casagrand’s upcoming developments and plans for the UAE market.

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Rentify Reimagines Rental Renewals with AI-Powered Command Center

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Exclsuive interview with Rajneel Kumar, Co- Founder of Rentify

What gap in today’s rental renewal journey led Rentify to develop the Renewal Command Center andwhat does it aim to fundamentally change for property managers and tenants?

Renewals are one of the most valuable recurring events in a residential portfolio, yet they are often managed far too late.

Close to 80% of residential tenants renew each year. That means the renewal book is not an administrative workflow. It is a recurring revenue pipeline. Yet in many portfolios, the process still begins weeks before expiry, with teams working across spreadsheets, emails and disconnected systems.

We built the Renewal Command Center to change that.

The process starts months earlier, with the tenancy history, payment behaviour and relevant portfolio information already structured before the conversation begins.

For property managers, that creates greater visibility over future revenue and gives teams time to make better commercial decisions. For tenants, it means earlier clarity, more transparent terms and greater flexibility around how rent is paid.

The bigger shift is simple: treat retention with the same discipline traditionally reserved for acquisition.

Rentify is positioning Earn AI as an operating system with a specialised AI workforce. What does this mean in practical terms for property managers managing increasingly complex portfolios?

Property management has historically scaled by adding people. We believe the next generation will scale by giving those people significantly more operating capacity.

That is what we mean by an AI workforce.

Earn AI has specialised agents responsible for different parts of the rental lifecycle. Intelligence structures and understands the portfolio. Collections works across outstanding rent. The Renewal Command Center manages the renewal workflow. Each agent has a specific mandate, while important commercial decisions remain subject to human approval.

The difference becomes more significant as portfolios grow. Whether a manager is responsible for 200 units or 8,000, every unit should receive the same level of attention.

Our objective is not to replace the property manager. It is to remove the relationship between portfolio growth and administrative workload.

And importantly, this does not require companies to replace their existing systems. Earn AI is designed to work alongside the ERP, PMS or spreadsheet they already use.

How does the Renewal Command Center bring together tenant intelligence, lease generation, insurance, Open Banking and payments to create a more seamless rental renewal experience?

The problem with renewals is rarely that one individual step is particularly difficult. It is that five or six different steps are handled separately.

Our approach is to turn them into one connected journey.

The Command Center can bring together the tenant’s payment and tenancy history, the commercial renewal decision, lease generation, insurance, affordability information and ultimately payment into the same workflow.

For example, Open Banking through Spare can provide consented financial information that helps support affordability decisions. Insurance through YallaCompare can be introduced at the relevant point in the journey rather than as a disconnected afterthought. Payment and direct-debit capabilities can then complete the process.

For the tenant, the experience becomes much simpler: one journey from renewal offer to signed lease and payment.

For a property manager, the benefit is equally important. Fewer handoffs, less manual coordination and much better visibility over exactly where every renewal sits.

AI adoption often raises questions around trust, judgement and human oversight. How is Rentify ensuring that automation supports decision-making while still keeping the human element at the heart of property management?

There is a very clear line we have drawn at Rentify. The system can prepare and recommend; people remain accountable for the decision.

A property manager understands a landlord relationship, a tenant circumstance or the commercial context of a building in ways that cannot simply be reduced to an algorithm.

What AI can do extremely well is make sure that person has the right information at the right time.

It can surface the renewal early, assemble the tenancy history, identify relevant signals, prepare the workflow and ensure actions do not disappear because someone was busy that afternoon.

And importantly, those actions should be visible and auditable. A manager should be able to understand what happened, why it happened and what information was used.

That is the model we believe in.

The AI carries the repetitive operational load. The property manager retains the judgement, accountability and relationship. At portfolio scale, that distinction becomes incredibly powerful.

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Memory Boosters: Cognitive Exercises to Elevate Your Brain Performance

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By Dr Eleni Margioti, Neuropsychology Lead – The Brain & Performance Centre, A DP World Company

Memory lapses and slower recall are often accepted as an inevitable part of ageing, but a growing body of research tells a more encouraging story. Cognitive decline is not a fixed timeline; it is heavily influenced by daily habits, and some of the most effective of those are also the simplest. The brain responds to how we use it, at every age.

The principle behind this is neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to form new connections and reorganise itself in response to new demands, well into later life. Just as muscles respond to resistance training, the brain responds to being challenged in ways that are unfamiliar or slightly challenging. The key word is “slightly”. Exercises that feel effortless stop offering much benefit once they become routine, which is why variety matters as much as consistency.

Start with working memory

Working memory is the ability to hold information in mind while actively using or manipulating it. We rely on it throughout the day, for example, keeping track of a conversation while formulating a response, holding a PIN in mind long enough to enter it, or mentally reorganising information we have just heard.

Simple daily challenges can exercise this system: repeat a short sequence of numbers backwards, count backwards from 100 in sevens, or hear a short list of items and then recall them in reverse order. As these tasks become easier, gradually increase the difficulty to keep your working memory challenged.

These exercises take only a few minutes and place demands not only on working memory, but also on attention and executive control. The aim is not simply to get better at a particular exercise, but to regularly challenge the brain to hold, manipulate, and work with information.

Make cognitive exercise challenging

Not all cognitive activities challenge the brain in the same way. Sudoku, card games and strategy games can be particularly engaging because each game presents a different problem to solve, requiring attention, planning, working memory and flexible thinking. Playing cards with others can add another layer of challenge through social interaction, decision-making and adapting to another person’s moves.

Puzzles can also provide useful cognitive stimulation, but repeatedly completing the same type of familiar task may become less demanding with practice. The key is variety and progressive challenge: choose activities that remain engaging, change from one attempt to the next, and require you to think, adapt and develop new strategies.

Learn something with no practical use

There is a strong case for taking up a skill purely because it is unfamiliar – a new language, a musical instrument, even learning to draw. These activities activate multiple brain regions at once: memory, coordination, auditory or visual processing, and sustained attention. The learning curve is uncomfortable at first, and that discomfort is largely the point. It is the mental effort of building a new skill, rather than eventual mastery of it, that appears to matter most for neuroplasticity and cognitive reserve.

Do not separate the mind from the body

Cognitive exercises work best alongside physical movement, not instead of it. Activities that combine the two, dancing, tai chi, or even walking while doing simple mental arithmetic, ask the brain to coordinate movement and thought at the same time, which is a more demanding and more effective form of stimulation than either done alone. Aerobic exercise also increases cerebral blood flow and supports the release of neurotrophic factors involved in forming new neural connections.

Make it social

Conversation is one of the most complete cognitive workouts available. It draws on memory, language, attention and emotional interpretation, often within a single sentence. Group activities like a book club, a card game, volunteering, combine social engagement with mental challenge, and social isolation has been consistently linked with an increased risk of future cognitive decline.

Protect the sleep that consolidates it

Mental exercise only pays off if the brain has the opportunity to consolidate what it has practised. Memory consolidation takes place largely during deep sleep, alongside the clearance of metabolic waste products. Maintaining a consistent sleep schedule and good-quality sleep is an important part of cognitive health. Cognitive training provides the challenge; sleep helps the brain consolidate and retain what it has learned.

Consistency over intensity

The most common mistake is treating cognitive exercise as an occasional activity rather than a habit. An hour of puzzles once a week does far less than ten- or fifteen-minutes woven into daily life. Pairing a new mental exercise with an existing routine over morning coffee, during a commute, or before bed, tends to be what makes it stick.

None of these strategies can guarantee the prevention of cognitive decline, and persistent or concerning memory changes should always be discussed with a healthcare professional. However, the brain remains remarkably adaptable throughout life. The most effective approaches do not need to be complicated; they simply encourage the brain to keep doing what it does best: learning, adapting, and responding to new challenges.

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