Dubai ranked as the world’s fourth most active luxury residential market

Dubai has been ranked as the world’s fourth most active market in the luxury residential segment as sales of prime properties continued to pick up amid a wider economic recovery, a new report said.

The emirate, the commercial and tourism hub of the Middle East, recorded the sale of 219 homes priced above $10 million last year, with the total value of the transactions reaching $3.8 billion, global property consultancy Knight Frank said in a report on Wednesday.

Dubai ranks behind New York (244 sales), Los Angeles (225 sales) and London (223 sales).

It is also the fifth most active city for sales of homes price above $25 million, with the same three cities plus Hong Kong ranking higher.

“The emirate has taken its place among long-established hub cities as one of the world’s most sought-after luxury residential markets,” Faisal Durrani, partner and head of Middle East Research at Knight Frank, said.

“The growing concentration of wealth in the city has been catalysed by a confluence of factors, ranging from the government’s decisive response to the pandemic to the roll-out of a range of new residency visa options,” he said.

Dubai’s luxury residential market “remains significantly undersupplied”, with just eight new villas expected in the city’s prime neighbourhoods until 2025, he added.

Dubai is also “more affordable than its global counterparts … adding to the overall appeal of owning a home in Dubai among the world’s elite. Indeed, $1 million in Dubai’s prime residential precincts translates into approximately 1,130 square feet of space, roughly five-times more than Hong Kong and three-times more than London or Singapore”, Mr Durrani said.

The emirate's property market has been buoyed by the recovery in its economy from the coronavirus pandemic on the back of higher oil prices and government policies, including changes to visa rules to attract more investment.

Dubai’s economy expanded by 4.6 per cent on an annual basis in the first nine months of 2022, with wholesale and retail trade accounting for 24.1 per cent of its gross domestic product, according to the Dubai Statistics Centre.

Emirates NBD estimates Dubai's full-year 2022 growth at 5 per cent. It expects the emirate’s GDP to grow by 3.5 per cent in 2023.

Dubai's property market also had a record-breaking year in 2022.

The market recorded 90,881 transactions last year, exceeding the previous high of 81,182 in 2009, property consultancy CBRE said in its Dubai Residential Market Snapshot report.

“With the strongest prime residential growth rate in the world forecast this year at 13.5 per cent, Dubai’s market still represents outstanding relative value,” Andrew Cummings, partner and head of prime residential at Knight Frank, said.

“It is this value that continues to drive UHNWI [ultra high net worth individual] buyers into our market, most of whom are seeking a sun-sand-sea lifestyle that is now synonymous with Dubai.”

The city's appeal is worldwide, but in 2022, “we saw a resurgence of investment from our traditional long-time stalwarts of the buyer nationality”, including from the UK and India, as well as Europeans, he said.

“Chinese investors have also bounced back post-pandemic, making Middle East residential investments very lucrative,” Mr Cummings said.

China reopened its economy in January after enforcing strict movement restrictions for many months to stem the spread of the pandemic.

“The rapid return to normality following the pandemic also attracted numerous businesses from Europe, the UK and Asia to establish offices here, or relocate their headquarters altogether, which has given rise to buyers from new markets such as Monaco, Switzerland, Singapore and Hong Kong,” Mr Cummings said.

Knight Frank’s 2023 Wealth Report also includes findings of its annual Attitudes Survey, with respondents including private bankers, wealth advisers and family offices naming the UK the most popular residential investment target for 2023, followed by the UAE and the US.

The report also said 37 per cent of UHNWIs in the Middle East grew their wealth in 2022 by more than 10 per cent, despite it being a year of slow global growth after the pandemic.

How will Dubai and Abu Dhabi property markets perform in 2023?

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Notable Yas events in 2017/18

October 13-14 KartZone (complimentary trials)

December 14-16 The Gulf 12 Hours Endurance race

March 5 Yas Marina Circuit Karting Enduro event

March 8-9 UAE Rotax Max Challenge

Abu Dhabi GP schedule

Friday: First practice - 1pm; Second practice - 5pm

Saturday: Final practice - 2pm; Qualifying - 5pm

Sunday: Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (55 laps) - 5.10pm

Top 10 in the F1 drivers' standings

1. Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari 202 points

2. Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes-GP 188

3. Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes-GP 169

4. Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing 117

5. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari 116

6. Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing 67

7. Sergio Perez, Force India 56

8. Esteban Ocon, Force India 45

9. Carlos Sainz Jr, Toro Rosso 35

10. Nico Hulkenberg, Renault 26

Persuasion

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Our Time Has Come
Alyssa Ayres, Oxford University Press

Types of bank fraud

1) Phishing

Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.

2) Smishing

The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.

3) Vishing

The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.

4) SIM swap

Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.

5) Identity theft

Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.

6) Prize scams

Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.

Tributes from the UAE's personal finance community

• Sebastien Aguilar, who heads SimplyFI.org, a non-profit community where people learn to invest Bogleheads’ style

“It is thanks to Jack Bogle’s work that this community exists and thanks to his work that many investors now get the full benefits of long term, buy and hold stock market investing.

Compared to the industry, investing using the common sense approach of a Boglehead saves a lot in costs and guarantees higher returns than the average actively managed fund over the long term.

From a personal perspective, learning how to invest using Bogle’s approach was a turning point in my life. I quickly realised there was no point chasing returns and paying expensive advisers or platforms. Once money is taken care off, you can work on what truly matters, such as family, relationships or other projects. I owe Jack Bogle for that.”

• Sam Instone, director of financial advisory firm AES International

"Thought to have saved investors over a trillion dollars, Jack Bogle’s ideas truly changed the way the world invests. Shaped by his own personal experiences, his philosophy and basic rules for investors challenged the status quo of a self-interested global industry and eventually prevailed. Loathed by many big companies and commission-driven salespeople, he has transformed the way well-informed investors and professional advisers make decisions."

• Demos Kyprianou, a board member of SimplyFI.org

"Jack Bogle for me was a rebel, a revolutionary who changed the industry and gave the little guy like me, a chance. He was also a mentor who inspired me to take the leap and take control of my own finances."

• Steve Cronin, founder of DeadSimpleSaving.com

"Obsessed with reducing fees, Jack Bogle structured Vanguard to be owned by its clients – that way the priority would be fee minimisation for clients rather than profit maximisation for the company.

His real gift to us has been the ability to invest in the stock market (buy and hold for the long term) rather than be forced to speculate (try to make profits in the shorter term) or even worse have others speculate on our behalf.

Bogle has given countless investors the ability to get on with their life while growing their wealth in the background as fast as possible. The Financial Independence movement would barely exist without this."

• Zach Holz, who blogs about financial independence at The Happiest Teacher

"Jack Bogle was one of the greatest forces for wealth democratisation the world has ever seen. He allowed people a way to be free from the parasitical "financial advisers" whose only real concern are the fat fees they get from selling you over-complicated "products" that have caused millions of people all around the world real harm.”

• Tuan Phan, a board member of SimplyFI.org

"In an industry that’s synonymous with greed, Jack Bogle was a lone wolf, swimming against the tide. When others were incentivised to enrich themselves, he stood by the ‘fiduciary’ standard – something that is badly needed in the financial industry of the UAE."

Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026

1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years

If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.

2. E-invoicing in the UAE

Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.

3. More tax audits

Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.

4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime

Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.

5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit

There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.

6. Further transfer pricing enforcement

Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.

7. Limited time periods for audits

Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.

8. Pillar 2 implementation

Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.

9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services

Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.

10. Substance and CbC reporting focus

Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.

Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer

From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

Three tips from La Perle's performers

1 The kind of water athletes drink is important. Gwilym Hooson, a 28-year-old British performer who is currently recovering from knee surgery, found that out when the company was still in Studio City, training for 12 hours a day. “The physio team was like: ‘Why is everyone getting cramps?’ And then they realised we had to add salt and sugar to the water,” he says.

2 A little chocolate is a good thing. “It’s emergency energy,” says Craig Paul Smith, La Perle’s head coach and former Cirque du Soleil performer, gesturing to an almost-empty open box of mini chocolate bars on his desk backstage.

3 Take chances, says Young, who has worked all over the world, including most recently at Dragone’s show in China. “Every time we go out of our comfort zone, we learn a lot about ourselves,” she says.