Market analysis, investment guides, and community deep-dives.
MARKETS · NOVEMBER 5 · 5 MIN
Two separate pieces of news reached the market this week, and the first job is to keep them apart. At the RISE conference in Dubai, Mohamed Alabbar described an unnamed skyscraper as fully designed and ready, possibly "one of the most beautiful buildings in the world," according
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MARKETS · NOVEMBER 4 · 5 MIN
UAE Takes 37% of Russian Overseas Property Deals
Between July and September 2026, the UAE accounted for 37% of overseas property deals by Russian buyers in the NF Group dataset, according to figures published by RBC Real Estate on 13 October. Thailand followed with 25%, Georgia with 17% and Turkey with 12%. Mauritius and Oman s
MARKETS · NOVEMBER 3 · 7 MIN
UAE Deposit Rates Are Rising: What It Means for Property
In the first half of 2026, gross bank credit in the UAE grew 7%. Non-government deposits grew 4% over the same period, according to central bank data. A gap of three percentage points sounds small. For a banking system it means lenders have more demand for money than they have ch
MARKETS · NOVEMBER 2 · 7 MIN
Dubai Islands Island B Shoreline Upgrade: What the New 320 m Beach Means for Bay Villas Buyers
Nakheel has awarded a marine works contract on Island B of Dubai Islands. It covers an additional 320 meters of beachfront next to Bay Villas and an upgrade of roughly 3 kilometers of the island's western shoreline. Completion is planned for the fourth quarter of 2027.
MARKETS · NOVEMBER 1 · 4 MIN
Why a Reader-Voted Hotel Award Tells Investors Little About Dubai Property Returns
Jumeirah Marsa Al Arab scored 99.38% overall satisfaction in Condé Nast Traveller's 2026 Readers' Choice Awards and took first place among Middle East hotels. The list was published on 6 October 2026. Atlantis The Royal came third at 98.83%, and Jumeirah Beach Hotel placed sixth.
MARKETS · OCTOBER 31 · 7 MIN
Dubai's Seven Principles and What They Mean for Property Buyers
Early in October the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, published "A Letter to the Dubai Community." Headlines quickly shortened it to "seven rules for life in the emirate." The letter carries no penalty, permit, deadline or compliance procedure. It contains n
MARKETS · OCTOBER 30 · 6 MIN
Dubai Adds 26 Private Education Institutions in 2026-27: What Family Homebuyers Should Check
Dubai opens 26 new private education institutions in the 2026-27 academic year. KHDA has also said that around 18,000 affordable seats are expected to be added over the next two academic years. The two figures sit side by side in headlines, yet they describe different things, and
MARKETS · OCTOBER 29 · 8 MIN
Skylight Mall on Al Khail Road: what is confirmed and what buyers should check
A new super-regional mall has been announced for Al Khail Road, with opening set for 2027. The operator, Dubai Retail, a unit of Dubai Holding Asset Management, presented Skylight Mall on 6 October 2026. It declares 1.3 million sq ft of gross leasable area and more than 360 store
MARKETS · OCTOBER 28 · 6 MIN
Dubai's Michelin Guide Adds 19 Restaurants: What It Tells Property Buyers
Dubai's MICHELIN Guide selection now lists 122 restaurants across 38 cuisine types, after 19 new additions in its fifth edition. Two of the newcomers hold One MICHELIN Star, four are Bib Gourmand and 13 are MICHELIN-Selected. The ceremony took place at Atlantis The Royal on 6 Oct
MARKETS · OCTOBER 27 · 7 MIN
Al Qasimi Palace returns to the market at 22.5 million dirhams
A palace with 35 bedrooms, built in 1985 for a sheikh who never lived in it, is on sale again in Ras Al Khaimah. The asking price is 22.5 million dirhams without furnishings, or 23.5 million dirhams with the original interior pieces and the collection that came with the museum ye
MARKETS · OCTOBER 26 · 5 MIN
Dubai Ranks Fifth Globally for Economic Opportunity: What the BCG City Study Does and Does Not Tell Property Buyers
Boston Consulting Group's study Built to Change: How Cities Compete for the Future covers 80 cities across five dimensions: economic opportunities, livability, social capital, engagement with government and speed of change. Dubai placed fifth for economic opportunities, ninth for
MARKETS · OCTOBER 25 · 7 MIN
Wynn Marina on Al Marjan Island: 98 berths, 85-meter yachts and what a buyer should verify
Wynn Al Marjan Island has published plans for Wynn Marina, a circular protected harbor built into the resort in Ras Al Khaimah. The basin is designed with radial berth layouts and 98 wet berths. It can host yachts up to 85 meters long, and the maximum water depth is stated at fiv
MARKETS · OCTOBER 24 · 5 MIN
Women Hold a Third of Dubai's Property Investor Base: What the DLD Figures Show
In the first half of 2025, 30,487 women investors completed 34,792 property transactions in Dubai with a combined value of AED 73.2 billion, roughly USD 19.9 billion. Dubai Land Department data puts the broader picture at 34% of all property investors in the emirate. Both numbers
MARKETS · OCTOBER 23 · 8 MIN
Dubai Apartment Prices Versus Incomes: What the UBS 2026 Index Shows Buyers
A 60 square meter apartment close to the center of Dubai costs roughly five annual salaries of a skilled worker. In London the same calculation gives about 11 years, and in Hong Kong about 15. These figures come from the 2026 UBS Global Real Estate Bubble Index, published on 22 S
MARKETS · OCTOBER 22 · 6 MIN
What China Securities' DIFC Office Tells UAE Property Investors, and What It Leaves Open
On 28 September 2026, DIFC announced that China Securities, a Beijing-headquartered investment bank, had received a DIFC Authority licence to open a regional office in the Centre. The office is meant to support the group's engagement with clients, investors and financial institut
MARKETS · OCTOBER 21 · 6 MIN
Microsoft's Gulf Investment Plan: What It Could Mean for UAE Property, and What It Does Not
On September 23, 2026, Microsoft said it plans to invest more than $10 billion in capital and operating expenses across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Kuwait through 2030. The stated focus is cloud and AI infrastructure. The company has not said how much of that goes to each co
MARKETS · OCTOBER 20 · 7 MIN
Dubai looks cheaper than London on paper, yet the same UBS report flags it for bubble risk
Five years of income for a 60 square meter apartment near the city center. That is the figure UBS attaches to Dubai in its Global Real Estate Bubble Index 2026, published on 22 September 2026. The same metric gives 11 years for London and 15 years for Hong Kong. On a slide, the g
MARKETS · OCTOBER 19 · 8 MIN
Selling a Tenanted Dubai Apartment: The Lease Stays
A Dubai apartment can change hands on a Monday and still have the same tenant living in it on Tuesday. The sale contract moves ownership. The tenancy contract keeps running on its own terms, with its own dates, its own rent and its own rules for ending it.
MARKETS · OCTOBER 18 · 5 MIN
What the Emaar South Golf Club Q4 2026 Plan Means for Buyers
Emaar Hospitality Group expects Emaar South Golf Club to open in the fourth quarter of 2026. The announcement names a quarter and no exact day. Membership terms, fees and visitor access were also left unspecified in the public coverage. For a buyer in Dubai South, that makes the
MARKETS · OCTOBER 14 · 6 MIN
Dubai's Etihad Rail Station Has Opened: One of Four Is Real, Three Remain on the Map
Dubai Al Yalayis station opened to passengers on 30 September 2026, the day Etihad Rail passenger service began, together with Al Dhaid station in Sharjah. The official inauguration in Dubai took place on 28 September. RTA Director General Mattar Al Tayer has said Dubai will even
MARKETS · OCTOBER 13 · 6 MIN
Dubai Tests Driverless Pods at Bluewaters: What Buyers Can Read From a Four-Week Trial
Dubai's Roads and Transport Authority has started a four-week trial of the Glydways automated transit system at Bluewaters Island. Small autonomous electric pods run on dedicated guideways, physically separated from ordinary road traffic. The trial tests one short corridor under
MARKETS · OCTOBER 8 · 5 MIN
Dubai Airport Now Issues International Driving Permits in Five Minutes: What UAE Residents and Investors Should Know
A new government service quietly changed how UAE residents prepare for international travel. Starting mid-September 2026, GDRFA Dubai began issuing International Driving Permits (IDPs) directly from the arrivals hall of Terminal 3 at Dubai International Airport, with the counter
MARKETS · OCTOBER 6 · 6 MIN
Abu Dhabi's New Islands and Water Sports Guide: What It Actually Means for Property Buyers
DCT Abu Dhabi has launched a digital guide covering the emirate's islands, coastline and water-based activities, timed to its presence at Arabian Travel Market 2026. The platform brings itineraries, an interactive map, operator listings and marine-protection information into one
MARKETS · OCTOBER 5 · 6 MIN
Dubai's Airport Dominance Signals Where International Real Estate Demand Is Heading
Dubai International Airport (DXB) has once again been confirmed as the world's busiest airport for international passenger traffic, extending a leadership streak that now spans more than a decade. The latest full-year figures show DXB handled approximately 92.3 million passengers
MARKETS · OCTOBER 4 · 7 MIN
Marjan Beach: What RAK's New 85-Million-Square-Foot Masterplan Means for Buyers
Ras Al Khaimah's master developer Marjan has unveiled Marjan Beach, an 85 million square foot mixed-use waterfront masterplan combining residential, hospitality, retail, and public space along the emirate's coastline. The announcement itself is not new; Marjan and the UAE's state
