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With a total transaction volume of AED 111 billion the market is off to a slower start than the same period in 2017. However, Dubai is positioning itself as a more investor-friendly city than ever before with a series of new regulations announced over the past six months. Most important is, of course, the recent announcement that the UAE government will be granting 10-year residency visas to international investors, specialists (such as doctors and engineers), and top performing students. Expected to be implemented by the end of 2018 with visas potentially being issued from Q3, this new residency plan is set to open a multitude of new opportunities and present flexible regulations to attract global investors. Businesses, which previously had the requirement of a local stakeholder to be operational, will now have the option of 100% foreign ownership, which is bound to alter Dubai’s commercial landscape quite significantly in the years to come.
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In recent years, property investment into the UAE has been steadily rising, with year-on-year increases in investment by GCC nationals and a few other key nationalities. In the first half of 2018, the top investors were from the UAE, India and Saudi Arabia, demonstrating the continued confidence of regional investors in the city as well as the strong economic ties between India and the UAE. The new regulations will help the UAE further establish itself as one of the most stable investment destinations in the region, attracting more investments not just from these key groups but a far broader demographic of investors.
For some more off-plan investment opportunities, take a look at some of our listings below.