Shoshanna Solomon is The Times of Israel's Startups and Business reporter
A general view of Dubai is shown from the Burj Khalifa tower, the world's tallest building, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, November 8, 2016. (AP Photo/Jon Gambrell/File)
Indian-born real estate tycoon Puthan Naduvakkatt Chenthamaraksha Menon sat in the Dubai headquarters of his Sobha Realty firm, pitching a group of Israeli reporters on why their countrymen should buy a home in his sprawling $4 billion Hartland project.
In the next building stood a model showing off the 183-acre (743-dunam) project, with sleek residential towers, modern low-slung apartment buildings and row after row of villas and duplexes being built near the heart of Dubai.