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WESTERN FURNITURE REVEALS A NEW ERA OF ITALIAN DESIGN WITH ITS GRAND RELAUNCH DURING DUBAI DESIGN WEEK 2025

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Western Furniture LLC, one of the UAE’s leading destinations for premium Italian and European furniture, marked a major milestone with the grand relaunch of its flagship showroom on Umm Hurair Road, Dubai, held on November 6, 2025, as part of Dubai Design Week, 2025, the region’s most influential platform for design, innovation, and creative business exchange.

The prestigious evening brought together celebrity designers, international brand CEOs, media representatives, and influencers, along with industry leaders from Italy’s most renowned furniture houses, in a celebration of Dubai’s growing prominence as a global capital for creativity, craftsmanship, and design investment.

“Dubai Design Week stands as the region’s most influential platform for design and innovation,” said Mikdad Babhrawala, CEO of Western Furniture. “Our showroom relaunch celebrated Dubai’s vision for creative and economic growth, bringing together the world’s most iconic design houses in a city that continues to inspire innovation and excellence.”

A Legacy Rooted in Vision and Craftsmanship

Founded in 1992, Western Furniture LLC was established under the visionary leadership of Mr. Abdullah Ahmed Al Moosa, Founder and Chairman of the Arenco Group of Companies, one of the UAE’s most respected family-owned business groups. From its inception, Western Furniture shared Dubai’s forward-thinking spirit, introducing the region to the elegance of Italian and European design and helping shape the nation’s modern interiors landscape.

Partners Mohammed Habib Al Yousuf and Abdulla Majed Bin Thaneya have been instrumental in driving Western Furniture’s sustained growth and success. Their strategic leadership has expanded the brand’s presence across the UAE, strengthened relationships with leading global design houses, and reinforced its standing as a trusted name in premium interiors. Their continued commitment reflects the brand’s enduring values of innovation, quality, and excellence that have defined Western Furniture for over three decades.

Over the years, Western Furniture has become synonymous with design excellence and craftsmanship, curating spaces that reflect the UAE’s evolving identity: a fusion of timeless artistry and contemporary innovation that mirrors Dubai’s transformation into a global design powerhouse.

Design Partnerships that Define a Legacy

For more than thirty years, Western Furniture has served as the bridge between Italian craftsmanship and the UAE’s modern lifestyle, forging partnerships with the world’s most prestigious furniture brands. Each collaboration embodies the company’s dedication to creativity, innovation, and cultural dialogue, aligning perfectly with Dubai Design Week’s mission to showcase global design leadership from the heart of the Middle East.

During Dubai Design Week 2025, Western Furniture presented an exceptional showcase of its international partners, including Natuzzi Italia, Natuzzi Editions, Calligaris, Tonin Casa, Tomasella, Reflex, Miniforms, Adriani & Rossi, Draenert, Schuller, and Unopiù. Guests experienced the unveiling of new collections and met celebrity Italian designers and brand CEOs who shared insights on the future of contemporary living.

Our partnership with Western Furniture spans more than 27 years, and we’re truly proud to continue this journey through our new Calligaris showroom at Western Furniture and our standalone store in Dubai Hills,” said Simone Cervi, Sales Director EMEA, Oceania & India at Calligaris S.p.A.This renewal beautifully reflects our shared values and vision. The brand identity and surrounding environment perfectly express who Calligaris is, showcasing our bestselling collections, from sofas to beds, and reinforcing our presence across the Emirates. We look forward to the next 27 years of innovation, design excellence, and collaboration.”

“I’m truly happy and proud to be in Dubai this week, together with our partner Western Furniture, in this amazing store where visitors can discover our new collection alongside our most iconic products,” said Beniamino Garofalo, CEO of Unopiù.

These partnerships highlight a shared philosophy that transcends furniture design, as each brand tells a story of heritage, innovation, and emotional connection. From Natuzzi Italia’s harmony of comfort and craftsmanship to Calligaris’ modern versatility, Tonin Casa’s refined elegance, Tomasella’s adaptable contemporary designs, and Reflex’s artistic innovation, every brand curated by Western Furniture celebrates the spirit of “Made in Italy” interpreted through Dubai’s global design culture.

Through these collaborations, Western Furniture continues to champion Dubai’s position as the creative and commercial heart of design in the Middle East, fostering meaningful connections between international craftsmanship and regional innovation.

A Showroom Reimagined for the Future

The newly redesigned Western Furniture showroom embodies a refined sense of minimalism, blending Italian artistry with contemporary innovation to create an immersive design experience. Characterized by open layouts, clean lines, and thoughtfully curated lighting, the space offers a versatile environment that adapts seamlessly to every brand’s identity while maintaining aesthetic harmony. Each area has been reimagined to showcase the individuality of Western Furniture’s partners within a cohesive, gallery-like setting that feels both modern and timeless.

Designed as a dynamic hub for architects, designers, and homeowners, the showroom reflects Western Furniture’s enduring vision to make world-class design accessible, inspirational, and enduring.

“We anticipate trends and continuously keep pace with development,” said Majed Abdullah Bin Thaneya, Board Member at Western Furniture. “As the first foreign furniture brand established in the Gulf, we take pride in leading innovation in this sector. The relaunch of Western Furniture began with a clear concept, followed by thoughtful design and precise execution, a process that embodies our forward-looking philosophy and commitment to excellence.”

The Grand Relaunch during Dubai Design Week 2025 featured live demonstrations, brand showcases, and designer meet-and-greets, giving guests, including leading media and influencers, an exclusive look at the artistry and innovation shaping the next generation of interiors.

“This relaunch was a celebration of our heritage, our partners, and the people who continue to inspire us,” added Mikdad Babhrawala. “Dubai remains a beacon of creativity and innovation, and we are proud to contribute to its global reputation as a design capital.”

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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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