The Dubai rent index is no longer being updated every four months, as it had been since its launch in 2009, the Dubai Land Department (DLD) has said.
The DLD confirmed that the rental index, which is used to map out maximum allowable rent increases on the expiry of a lease in developments across the city, would be only updated once a year, starting this year.
“After reviewing and studying the feasibility of issuing three indicators each year, and how it affects the submission of the increase in rates and the amount of impact coming from the data recorded in updating the index, we have adopted the issuance of one indicator per year starting 2015,” the DLD said.
The news comes after Dubai property brokers complained that the city's rent index had been left behind by retreating housing rents, which JLL predicted in January would fall by 10 per cent this year.
According to another agency, CBRE, rents in upmarket areas such as the Palm Jumeirah and DIFC continued to fall during the three months to June by 2 per cent for apartments and 3 per cent for villas. It also flies in the face of previous plans the DLD had proposed, which involved adding more detail to the index, including variable factors such as views, size of units and the age of the building.
The DLD added that the innovations were “in the stage of studying of the new properties, characteristics and specifications, and what affects the rents on all levels, [including] technical, locations or services”.
In May, the broker Cluttons complained that “with the Rera rent index yet to evolve into a complex rental matrix … it will continue to lag reality, leaving tenants somewhat constrained by a rental index that does not fully reflect market conditions”.
That may trigger more “off grid” deals in which landlords and tenants agree to rents that do not reflect the recommendations of the property watchdog, the broker said.
“We find this latest move by the DLD to be disappointing,” said Craig Plumb, the head of research for JLL’s Dubai office. “The index is widely used for setting rents and has become a useful and valuable tool. We would consider it necessary to update such an index every quarter or so.
“By reducing the number of times the index is updated each year, the index will become a less flexible tool than it was in the past, and if rents were falling it could mean that tenants could be asked to pay rents that are above the real current market rate.”
lbarnard@thenational.ae
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Born November 11, 1948
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19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
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Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
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Exhchange traded funds are bought and sold like shares, but operate as index-tracking funds, passively following their chosen indices, such as the S&P 500, FTSE 100 and the FTSE All World, plus a vast range of smaller exchanges and commodities, such as gold, silver, copper sugar, coffee and oil.
ETFs have zero upfront fees and annual charges as low as 0.07 per cent a year, which means you get to keep more of your returns, as actively managed funds can charge as much as 1.5 per cent a year.
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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.
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Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
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Weather warnings show that Storm Eunice is soon to make landfall. The videographer and I are scrambling to return to the other side of the Channel before it does. As we race to the port of Calais, I see miles of wire fencing topped with barbed wire all around it, a silent ‘Keep Out’ sign for those who, unlike us, aren’t lucky enough to have the right to move freely and safely across borders.
We set sail on a giant ferry whose length dwarfs the dinghies migrants use by nearly a 100 times. Despite the windy rain lashing at the portholes, we arrive safely in Dover; grateful but acutely aware of the miserable conditions the people we’ve left behind are in and of the privilege of choice.
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Winners
Ballon d’Or (Men’s)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Ballon d’Or Féminin (Women’s)
Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona / Spain)
Kopa Trophy (Best player under 21 – Men’s)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
Best Young Women’s Player
Vicky López (Barcelona / Spain)
Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper – Men’s)
Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester City / Italy)
Best Women’s Goalkeeper
Hannah Hampton (England / Aston Villa and Chelsea)
Men’s Coach of the Year
Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
Women’s Coach of the Year
Sarina Wiegman (England)
