Dubai recorded 948 sales in the luxury property segment, each valued at Dh15 million ($4 million) or more, during the first five months of 2024, according to a new report.
These high-value transactions were concentrated in key areas such as Palm Jumeirah, Mohammed bin Rashid City, Dubai Water Canal, Tilal Al Ghaf and Dubai Hills Estate, the report by property company Betterhomes found.
These locations not only experienced the highest number of luxury property sales but also contributed significantly to the total value of transactions during this period.
A Dh165.6 million sale at Ritz Carlton Residences by MAG in Dubai Healthcare City was the highest-priced primary home sale in the emirate so far this year, according to Betterhomes.
This was followed by a Dh140.5 million sale in Meraas’ Bulgari Lighthouse, Jumeirah Bay, and a Dh140 million transaction in Fendi Casa Canal by AHS Properties in Dubai Water Canal, the data found.
“A truly stand-alone luxury real estate market is a relatively new phenomenon in Dubai and one that only really began to gain significant momentum post-Covid, thanks in part to the government's proactive response to the pandemic,” said Louis Harding, managing director of Betterhomes.
“I expect moderate house price inflation to remain with the continued rise in population and thus demand, due to the attractiveness of the city as a place to live and work, consistent and stable governance at a time of record global elections, the relative undersupply of luxury property, various long-term residency programmes and perhaps most significantly, Dubai's relative affordability compared to other major cities despite significant growth in prices.”
The UAE property market has been booming in recent years on the back of government initiatives such as residency permits for retired and remote workers and the expansion of the 10-year golden visa programme.
Overall growth in the UAE’s economy due to diversification efforts is also supporting the property market.
Dubai's luxury prime market hit a record last year as sales of $10 million-plus homes nearly doubled to $7.6 billion, performing better than London and New York, Knight Frank said in a report earlier this year.
Prices of $10 million-plus homes in Dubai also grew at one of the fastest rates globally at 26 per cent last year, as overseas demand for prime residences in the emirate continues unabated, according to Knight Frank.
The surge in global wealth creation has significantly impacted the Dubai real estate market. As affluent individuals seek to diversify and secure their assets amid geopolitical volatility, Dubai has emerged as a prime destination, according to Betterhomes.
Over the years, the UAE has welcomed 99,000 millionaires, with more than 72,000 currently living in Dubai alone, according to the World’s Wealthiest Cities Report 2024 by Henley & Partners.
The city now boasts the highest concentration of wealthy individuals in the Middle East, with a collective net worth exceeding Dh3.7 trillion.
About 72,500 millionaires, 212 centi-millionaires and 15 billionaires have relocated to Dubai in 2024, according to Henley & Partners.
“Traditionally, cities like London, New York, Singapore and Hong Kong have been the preferred choice for the affluent," the report said.
"However, deteriorating geopolitical situations, significant tax shifts, policy changes and a supply crunch leading to price hikes have prompted the wealthy to look towards Dubai as their new abode."
“The city offers exceptional value for money, providing a higher standard of luxury for the same investment compared to these other metropolitan areas.”
The average property price per square foot in London in the first quarter of 2024 was $824, in New York it was $808, in Singapore $765, in Los Angeles $663, in Toronto $659 and Dubai it was $352.
While these cities have been experiencing immigration-fuelled growth for the past many years, they are also facing significant challenges that hinder their ability to provide value for money in the real estate market, the report said.
I expect moderate house price inflation to remain with the continued rise in population and thus demand, due to the attractiveness of the city as a place to live and work
Louis Harding,
managing director of Betterhomes
One of the primary issues is a massive shortage of homes that cannot keep up with the high demand. This shortage drives prices up, making it difficult for buyers to find properties that offer good value for their investment, it added.
“In contrast, Dubai is actively addressing the supply challenge by adding more high-end homes to its overall stock. Currently, more than 50 luxury projects are under construction, with each unit starting at Dh15 million or higher,” the company said.
Dubai also saw a significant increase in luxury rental transactions from January to May, with 270 contracts for properties with annual rents of Dh1 million or more, according to the report.
The locations dominating this high-end market were Palm Jumeirah, MBR City and Dubai Hills Estate.
The surge in tourists and transit passengers has also increased demand for short-term rental properties, especially luxury holiday homes, the Betterhomes report found.
Many landlords are now considering converting their properties, particularly those with larger layouts and beachfront locations, to capitalise on this growing demand, it added.
Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
What is a robo-adviser?
Robo-advisers use an online sign-up process to gauge an investor’s risk tolerance by feeding information such as their age, income, saving goals and investment history into an algorithm, which then assigns them an investment portfolio, ranging from more conservative to higher risk ones.
These portfolios are made up of exchange traded funds (ETFs) with exposure to indices such as US and global equities, fixed-income products like bonds, though exposure to real estate, commodity ETFs or gold is also possible.
Investing in ETFs allows robo-advisers to offer fees far lower than traditional investments, such as actively managed mutual funds bought through a bank or broker. Investors can buy ETFs directly via a brokerage, but with robo-advisers they benefit from investment portfolios matched to their risk tolerance as well as being user friendly.
Many robo-advisers charge what are called wrap fees, meaning there are no additional fees such as subscription or withdrawal fees, success fees or fees for rebalancing.
Dubai Rugby Sevens
November 30-December 2, at The Sevens, Dubai
Gulf Under 19
Pool A – Abu Dhabi Harlequins, Jumeirah College Tigers, Dubai English Speaking School 1, Gems World Academy
Pool B – British School Al Khubairat, Bahrain Colts, Jumeirah College Lions, Dubai English Speaking School 2
Pool C - Dubai College A, Dubai Sharks, Jumeirah English Speaking School, Al Yasmina
Pool D – Dubai Exiles, Dubai Hurricanes, Al Ain Amblers, Deira International School
Fatherland
Kele Okereke
(BMG)
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The specs: 2018 Peugeot 5008
Price, base / as tested: Dh99,900 / Dh134,900
Engine: 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Power: 165hp @ 6,000rpm
Torque: 240Nm @ 1,400rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.8L / 100km
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
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The Brutalist
Director: Brady Corbet
Stars: Adrien Brody, Felicity Jones, Guy Pearce, Joe Alwyn
Rating: 3.5/5
Brief scores:
Everton 0
Leicester City 1
Vardy 58'
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The Details
Article 15
Produced by: Carnival Cinemas, Zee Studios
Directed by: Anubhav Sinha
Starring: Ayushmann Khurrana, Kumud Mishra, Manoj Pahwa, Sayani Gupta, Zeeshan Ayyub
Our rating: 4/5
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: Dh325,125
On sale: Now
