The two most desirable areas in Abu Dhabi and Dubai for tenants are Khalifa City A and Dubai Marina, the annual Dubizzle property report has revealed.
In Dubai, more than 68 million searches were made on Dubizzle last year for apartments for rent in Dubai Marina, followed by International City, that had over 47 million searches, and then Jumeirah Lakes Towers, which had more than 42 million searches.
The most searched communities for those looking to rent in Abu Dhabi last year were Khalifa City A, with more than 24 million searches, followed by Al Reem Island and Mohammed bin Zayed City with more than 17 million searches each.
Demand for more affordable properties has grown in searches for Jumeirah Village Circle and Dubai Sports City in Dubai, both of which made the city’s top-10 most searched areas list, said Ann Boothello, product marketing manager for property at Dubizzle.
“As of December 2015, the price per square foot in these two communities was recorded at a reasonable rate of Dh918,” she said.
“In terms of type of accommodation searched for, in Abu Dhabi, two-bedroom apartments were the most sought-after in the popular Reem Island community, for both rent and sale, while one-bedroom apartments were the most popular search criteria in Dubai Marina.”
Junaid Lirza, a team coordinator at Binayah real estate agency in Dubai, said that people liked to rent or buy apartments in Dubai Marina as it was a family friendly environment and a bustling part of the city. “Most of our clients prefer Dubai Marina and JLT because it is surrounded by all the services and a family-friendly community,” he said.
“For affordable units, clients look for apartments to rent in International City and the new project in Dubai Sports City and International Media Production Zone, while many people prefer to buy houses in Mudon community and Arabian Ranches because of reasonable prices.”
Mary Clemente, marketing officer at Master House Properties in Abu Dhabi, said that expats were taking to Al Reem Island for similar reasons – for the community environment and vast array of services provided.
“Our clients and many expats prefer to rent and buy properties in Al Reem Island and Saadiyat because it’s a quiet environment suitable for families and has close access to all the needed services,” she said.
“Clients can find a two-bedroom apartment starting from Dh120,000 to Dh160,000 [in rent per year].
“Mohammed bin Zayed City and Khalifa City offer more affordable prices and many facilities around. For buying an apartment, clients prefer Al Raha Beach and Al Reem.”
According to the report, Dubai Marina continues to lead in the rental and sales market, with more than 23 million searches made on for sale properties last year.
This was followed by JLT and Downtown Dubai, which recorded more than 15 million searches on for sale properties.
In the capital, the most searched for area when it came to buying property was Al Reem Island, with more than six million searches.
It was followed by the Shams Abu Dhabi community, which posted a little over two million searches.
rhaza@thenational.ae
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Mountain Classification Tour de France after Stage 8 on Saturday:
- 1. Lilian Calmejane (France / Direct Energie) 11
- 2. Fabio Aru (Italy / Astana) 10
- 3. Daniel Martin (Ireland / Quick-Step) 8
- 4. Robert Gesink (Netherlands / LottoNL) 8
- 5. Warren Barguil (France / Sunweb) 7
- 6. Chris Froome (Britain / Team Sky) 6
- 7. Guillaume Martin (France / Wanty) 6
- 8. Jan Bakelants (Belgium / AG2R) 5
- 9. Serge Pauwels (Belgium / Dimension Data) 5
- 10. Richie Porte (Australia / BMC Racing) 4
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Director: James Cameron
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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.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
The years Ramadan fell in May
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- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
