A library on Dubai property
38 pieces on ownership, cost, yield and letting, each written for a buyer weighing a purchase in Dubai from abroad.
Insights
How ownership, costs and the rules work in practice.
Is now a good time to buy property in Dubai? The numbers published in September 2026 describe an active market in which most prices have held. Dubai recorded 11,601 property sales in…
Dubai's property market operates under a defined regulatory structure that has developed considerably over the past two decades, built specifically around protecting buyers, particularly…
DAMAC Properties is one of Dubai’s larger developers, known for branded residences built in partnership with fashion and design houses, and for master communities such as DAMAC Hills and…
Emaar Properties is a major, publicly listed developer in Dubai, responsible for Downtown Dubai, built around the Burj Khalifa and The Dubai Mall, and Dubai Hills Estate, developed as a…
Dubai is one of the few markets in the Middle East where foreign nationals can acquire full ownership, known as freehold, of real estate. Law No. 7 of 2006 on Real Property Registration…
Buying
Choosing an area, a type and a developer, and what each decision costs.
Off-plan property, sold directly by a developer before or during construction, makes up a substantial share of the Dubai market. It offers a different buying process and a different risk…
A Dubai off-plan payment plan spreads the price of a home over the time it takes to build. You pay a booking deposit when you sign, the Dubai Land Department's 4% fee when the sale is…
Buying property in Dubai involves a series of fees on top of the purchase price. Government transfer charges, registration costs and, for off-plan purchases, developer administration fees…
A growing number of buyers from the Netherlands are discovering Dubai as a destination for real estate investment. The combination of zero income tax, high rental yields and a stable…
As an international buyer, you can obtain a mortgage from banks in Dubai even without living in the UAE. The conditions for foreigners (non-residents) differ from those for residents: lower…
Dubai's luxury villa market runs from custom-built mansions in Emirates Hills to waterfront estates on Palm Jumeirah, each inside a designated freehold area where a foreign buyer holds full…
Investing
Yield, strategy, structure and the arithmetic behind a purchase.
One of the more frequently asked questions from international buyers concerns tax. The position within the UAE is straightforward, but it is only half the picture: how your home country…
For a European buyer weighing up options, Dubai is often compared with Spain and Portugal, two long-established property markets with large numbers of foreign owners. Each has a different…
Short-term letting through Airbnb, Booking.com and similar platforms is a growing part of the Dubai property market. It runs under separate rules from a standard residential lease, and it…
A ten-year, renewable UAE residence visa is available to anyone who buys Dubai property worth AED 2,000,000 (about USD 544,600) or more. Here we set out what qualifies, how the application…
Dubai is often compared with other cities on rental yield, but a citywide percentage tells you little about one specific property. What decides the return on a Dubai property is the entry…
Dubai has established itself as one of the more accessible property markets in the world for an international buyer. Foreign nationals may hold freehold title without restriction, the legal…
Letting
Tenants, contracts, licences and running a property from abroad.
Owning real estate in Dubai while living abroad requires a professional management partner who represents your interests on the ground. Property management covers far more than finding a…
Rental yield is one of the first figures international buyers ask about, and one of the most commonly misunderstood. A headline gross figure quoted in marketing material is rarely the…
Letting property in Dubai means transparent rules, a large tenant pool drawn from the city's resident population, and clear regulation through RERA. It also means the Ejari system…
A question left unanswered
Every question put to our team in Dubai is answered properly, and the better ones usually become the next piece written here.