国际英语新闻:Rising rents spark reverse relocation trend in UAE

DUBAI, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Residents who work in Dubai but chose the neighboring emirate of Sharjah as their place to live because of its cheaper rents see their business model faltering as rising rents and road toll gates inflate monthly expenses.

According to a report released on Sunday by real estate firm Asteco, rents in Sharjah rose 16 percent in the last 12 months. Ironically, the rise was mostly triggered by residents from Dubai who could not afford higher rents there any longer, increasing the costs of living for those commuters who had been living in Sharjah for years at lower rentals but higher payrolls they received in Dubai. Both Sharjah and Dubai belong to the 7 sheikhdoms comprising United Arab Emirates (UAE).

In addition, the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority installed in April two new road toll gates close to the emirate of Sharjah. For every time a driver passes through the gate, 4 Dirham (1.10 U. S. dollars) are deducted from his Salik sticker which has to be fixed on the car's windscreen.

A Sharjah resident who works in Dubai's free port zone Jebel Ali has to pass four Salik Gates to reach his workplace. "Salik" ( Arabic for clearance) started with 2 gates on July 2007 and increased step by step to 6 toll gates in the emirate of Dubai.

While tenants in Dubai pay for a two-bedroom apartment a monthly rent of between 55,000 and 100,000 Dirham (15,000 dollars to 27,270 dollars), the same space of living in Sharjah is available from 30,000 Dirham (8,000 dollars) per month onwards. But such differences in rentals would be soon a thing of the past, said John Stevens, managing director at Asteco.

"This rise in rents sparked a reverse relocation trend, with budget-sensitive tenants seeking out more affordable accommodation in the next emirate," said Stevens. Apartments in popular commuter areas including Sharjah Al Majaz, Al Nahda and Al Qasimiah have seen average rental increases from 16 percent up to a high of 27 percent since the second quarter of 2012.

Residents in Sharjah, Shariqa as the locals call the emirate, are also faced with a hardship due to ongoing construction of major roads in the emirate which cause endless traffic jams during peak hours.