The Journal
Insights and inspiration on owning, buying and letting property in Dubai, in 47 articles.
Insights
How ownership, costs and the rules work in practice.
Dubai property developers: who builds here, and how they differDubai's off-plan market is built on the names behind the projects. Choosing well means understanding which developers have a record of delivering on time and at the quality their marketing describes, and which are newer…
- Freehold property in Dubai: who may own, and where
Dubai is one of the few markets in the Gulf where a foreign national can own real estate outright. Freehold gives full title, registered at…
- How Buyers Are Protected in Dubai
Dubai's property market operates under a defined regulatory structure that has developed considerably over the past two decades, built…
- Is now a good time to buy property in Dubai? What the September 2026 numbers say
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…
- DAMAC projects in Dubai: what the developer builds, and what to check
DAMAC Properties is one of Dubai’s larger developers, known for branded residences built in partnership with fashion and design houses, and…
- Emaar projects in Dubai: what the developer builds, and what to check
Emaar Properties is a major, publicly listed developer in Dubai, responsible for Downtown Dubai, built around the Burj Khalifa and The…
Buying
Choosing an area, a type and a developer, and what each decision costs.
The cost of buying property in Dubai, 2026: fee by feeBuying property in Dubai carries a short, well-defined list of fees on top of the price: a government transfer fee, a registration charge at the trustee office, and, for an off-plan purchase, the Oqood registration due…
- Apartment Prices in Dubai in 2026, by Bedrooms and Area
Across the Dubai apartment projects in our catalogue on 26 October 2026, the median starting price runs from AED 691,000 (USD 188,200) for…
- Dubai off-plan payment plans: what is due when, and where the money goes
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…
- How to Pay for a Dubai Property From Abroad
On an off-plan home in Dubai, every payment you make goes into the project's escrow account, a bank account opened in the project's own…
- Off-Plan or Ready in Dubai: Which Route Fits Your Aim
Off-plan means buying a home from its developer before it is finished and paying in stages until handover. Ready means buying a completed…
- Buying Off-Plan in Dubai: The Risks Worth Knowing
Off-plan property, sold directly by a developer before or during construction, makes up a substantial share of the Dubai market. It offers…
Investing
Yield, strategy, structure and the arithmetic behind a purchase.
Golden Visa Dubai Through Property, 2026: AED 2 Million for a Ten-Year PermitYes, if it is worth AED 2 million (about USD 544,600) or more. An owner of one property, or of several, bought for AED 2 million or more may apply in Dubai for a ten-year renewable residence permit. A property with a…
- Dubai Property Tax for Foreign Owners
One of the more frequently asked questions from international buyers concerns tax. The position within the UAE is straightforward, but it…
- The Best Areas to Buy Property in Dubai in 2026, by What You Want the Home to Do
The best area to buy in Dubai is the one that matches what you want the home to do. Name the aim first and the 121 areas with homes on sale…
- Dubai or Abu Dhabi for Property Investment: The 2026 Comparison
Per square foot, off-plan homes in Abu Dhabi and Dubai cost almost the same. Our catalogue shows a median of AED 1,899 in Abu Dhabi and AED…
- Dubai vs Spain and Portugal for Property Investment
For a European buyer weighing up options, Dubai is often compared with Spain and Portugal, two long-established property markets with large…
- Is Dubai Property a Good Investment in 2026?
Yes, if you want rent in a currency fixed to the dollar, a title registered with the Dubai Land Department and a residence permit for your…
Letting
Tenants, contracts, licences and running a property from abroad.
Realistic Rental Yields in DubaiRental yield is one of the first figures international buyers ask about. A published yield is a gross figure, one year's rent divided by the purchase price, and what an owner keeps is what remains once service charges…
- Dubai Property Service Charges, and What They Take From Your Yield
A Dubai service charge is the yearly sum each owner in a jointly owned building or community pays towards cleaning, security, repairs…
- Property Management in Dubai for Owners Abroad
Property management in Dubai, for owners who live abroad, is the year of a home carried on their behalf: the tenant and the lease…
- Renting out property in Dubai, fully managed by local experts
Letting property in Dubai means transparent rules, a large tenant pool drawn from the city's resident population, and clear regulation…
- What Happens When a Landlord Will Not Extend Your Lease in Dubai
Dubai tenancy law sets clear rules on how a lease may or may not end at its term date. A landlord who does not wish to renew must follow a…
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