The Journal
Insights and inspiration on owning, buying and letting property in Dubai, in 47 articles.
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…
- Rent to Own in Dubai: What the Land Department Registers and What You Hold
Rent to own in Dubai means different things depending on who is offering it. Three arrangements carry the name. The first is the Land…
- Buying Property in Dubai from the Netherlands
Dutch buyers purchasing property in Dubai follow a well-defined route, from the freehold zones open to them and the power of attorney that…
- How do foreigners buy property in Dubai?
How to buy property in Dubai as a foreigner comes down to five steps set by law: an address in a designated area, a broker on the Dubai…
- Buy a Luxury Villa in Dubai
Dubai's luxury villa market runs from custom-built mansions in Emirates Hills to waterfront estates on Palm Jumeirah, each inside a…
- Buy a New-Build Apartment in Dubai
A new-build apartment in Dubai is bought directly from the developer, on a payment plan that spreads the price across the construction…
- Buy a Penthouse in Dubai: What Sets the Top Tier Apart
A penthouse in Dubai sits at the top of its building and, in most cases, at the top of its price bracket too: full-floor and duplex…
- Buy a Studio in Dubai: a Lower-Cost Way to Enter the Market
A studio is the smallest, and in absolute terms the most affordable, unit type in Dubai's apartment market: the same price per square foot…
- Buy a Townhouse in Dubai
A townhouse in Dubai sits between an apartment and a villa: your own front door, usually a garden or roof terrace, and running costs lower…
- Buy a Villa in Dubai
A villa in Dubai buys space, privacy and a plot you own outright, from three- and four-bedroom homes in gated family communities to…
- Buy a Villa in Dubai Hills Estate
Dubai Hills Estate is a joint venture between Emaar and Meraas, an 11-million-square-metre district built around an 18-hole championship…
- Buy a Villa in Emirates Hills
Emirates Hills is one of Dubai's original freehold areas, designated for foreign ownership by Regulation No. 3 of 2006, and the one…
- Buy a Villa on Palm Jumeirah
Palm Jumeirah is a man-made, palm-shaped island where villas run down each frond to a private beach on the Arabian Gulf, one of the…
- Buy an Apartment in Business Bay
Business Bay sits along the Dubai Water Canal, immediately south of Downtown Dubai, and has shifted over the past decade from a purely…
- Buy an Apartment in Downtown Dubai
Downtown Dubai sits around the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, Dubai Opera and the Dubai Fountain, built out by Emaar as a district in its own…
- Buy an Apartment in Dubai
Dubai's apartment market runs from studios in newer districts to full-floor penthouses on the water. As a foreign buyer you can hold full…
- Buy an Apartment in Dubai Hills Estate
Dubai Hills Estate is a joint venture between Emaar and Meraas: a 2,700-acre master-planned community built around an 18-hole championship…
- Buy an Apartment in Dubai Marina
Dubai Marina is built around a 3.5-kilometre canal lined by high-rise towers, restaurants and a continuous waterside promenade. It has been…
- Buy an Apartment on Palm Jumeirah
Palm Jumeirah is the man-made island shaped like a palm tree, built by Nakheel and visible from the air long before it was finished. It…
- Buy an Off-Plan Apartment in Dubai
Off-plan means buying into a project that is still under construction, or not yet started, directly from the developer, before any existing…
- Buy an Office in Dubai
Dubai is a global business hub, and office space runs from a single unit in a flexi tower to a full floor in a landmark building, across…
- Buying property in Dubai from India: the remittance rules and the tax to know
Indian buyers are among the most active international purchasers in Dubai, and the process of moving funds from India to buy a property…
- Mortgages in Dubai for Non-Residents
Can a non-resident take a mortgage on a Dubai home? The lender decides the loan, and the Dubai Land Department registers it in the lender's…
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