A Dubai government scheme now lets some tenants split the rent into monthly payments. It is called FlexiRent, and it is run by the Dubai Land Department. Also, the list of eligible property types includes offices and retail spaces, not just homes. Tenants can choose monthly, quarterly or half-yearly payments. So take a shop paying Dh80,000 a year in four cheques of Dh20,000. That becomes about Dh6,667 a month. The tenancy has to run at least 12 months.

Rent in one or two large cheques ties up cash a shop could otherwise trade with. So monthly payment changes the timing, though not the amount. But the scheme is voluntary for the property management company. And the unit itself has to be opted in before a tenant can use it. Eleven firms are listed so far, among them Wasl Properties, Deyaar Property Management and Driven Properties. A tenant whose landlord is on that list can ask at renewal.

Households are paying for the new school year right now. So the money is going on uniforms, buses and stationery, not on anything else. One Abu Dhabi parent put her back to school bill at about Dh4,700. That was before a Dh1,300 tablet and Dh2,400 of after-school activities. Meanwhile, a uniform shirt that cost Dh63 last year now costs Dh83. And school bus fares were quoted at Dh2,700 a term.

Prices are also moving on the shelves. One family’s weekly grocery bill went from Dh150 to Dh300. The report puts that down to the war between the United States and Iran. Because of it, shipping on the Red Sea and Gulf routes has been disrupted. So the same routes carry a shop’s stock. A survey of more than 2,800 parents found 88% feel strain when fees fall due. And half struggle to pay the full amount upfront.

Premiums across the UAE market rose almost 15% last year. That took the total to Dh74.8 billion, from Dh65.1 billion. Meanwhile, claims paid rose 11%, to Dh46.2 billion. So the gap between the two widened. Sector profit came to Dh4 billion, up 54%. The figures come from the Central Bank’s annual insurance report, and they cover 2025. Also, 58 insurers are operating in the country. Active policies now number 17.3 million.

Health cover is the part that grew fastest. Now policies in that line have risen 26.1%. The report puts that down to the mandatory basic health insurance scheme, and that scheme covers employees. So a shop with staff on the books is buying into that line every year. Still, the report gives no separate figure for shop, liability or motor cover. A business renewing this year is negotiating in a market where premiums rose almost 15%.