Wrkbay, is expanding to three new locations across Dubai and is in talks for an international expansion to Malaysia, Ivory Coast and Saudi Arabia. Weary of working from home amid the measures to curb the spread of coronavirus, people sought refuge in co-working spaces where they could operate from a private and professional environment, said Abdulla Lahej, chairman and co-founder of Dubai-based Ayana Holding. The lockdown period was tough on us as everyone was operating from home. But when Dubai opened up, business picked up a couple of months afterwards and peaked.
Wrkbay has 12 private office spaces, with occupancy between two to four people, all of which were fully occupied in the aftermath of Covid-19. The co-working space also offers hot desks that can be rented by the day or hour but Lahej said customers chose private offices because they felt it was “safer”. The UAE’s remote working visa initiative had a significant impact on Wrkbay with several of the co-working space’s. The UAE cabinet adopted a new remote work visa to enable employees from all over the world to live and work in the country for one year and approved a multiple-entry tourist visa for all nationalities. The move was hailed for its potential to attract fresh talent to the country. Collaborations with Ayana Holding could include financial support and being incorporated into its holding, something which the company has done several times since its launch in 2016.