Top 10 foreign investors in Dubai real estate

Foreign buyers represent 18,5% of Dubai’s transactions

The Dubai Land Department (DLD) recorded real estate deals worth Dh162 billion ($44.1 billion) during the first nine months of 2018. The figures represented a fall of more than Dh40 billion (20 percent) compared to the same period last year.

As much as Dh30 billion of the Dh162 billion came from overseas investors, which is an astonishing 18,5% of transactions.

Foreign buyers represent 18,5% of transactions in Dubai

Dh30 billion of the Dh162 billion

Top 10 nationalities of investors in the UAE real estate market

The top 10 investors by nationality were Emiratis, Indians, followed by Brits, Chinese, Pakistanis, Jordanians, and Saudis. Residents from Egypt, Canada, and Russia rounded out the list.

In 2017, Indian investors had invested Dh15.6 billion in Dubai’s realty sector while Saudi, British and Pakistani investors pitched in Dh7 billion, Dh6 billion and Dh5 billion, respectively.

Weak oil weighs on Saudi

Saudi investors have dropped from the top five ranking. While they were the 3rd biggest nationality of buyers in 2017, they don’t appear in the top 5 in 2018. Indeed, weak oil weighed badly on Saudi buyers.

Once again, marketing properties to foreign buyers is a dynamic activity: which you may need to revise each semester, depending on geo-economic changes. Think about Brexit, crisis in Turkey, trade war between the United States and China, and the impact if may have on your business.

Chinese appetite for Dubai realty is rising

The number of Chinese expats in Dubai has increased by 53 per cent over the last five years, with around 230,000 Chinese nationals currently living in the emirate and around 4,000 Chinese companies with a presence here.

China has become the 5th highest nationality investing in the emirate, compared to ranking 15th in 2017.

Dubai-based real estate giant Emaar Properties said it has begun business development operations in China in a bid to promote Dubai as an investment destination. Emaar said it will open two offices in Beijing and Shanghai, staffed by a team specially recruited from China.

Dubai prepares for more Chinese buyers

The UAE government is issuing a number of preferential policies for China, such as listing Chinese as the third major language in more than 100 Dubai schools. Emaar plans to develop the Middle East’s largest Chinatown in the retail district of Dubai Creek Harbour. Truly, Dubai is preparing to become a second home for Chinese nationals.

What are Chinese investors interested in?

Chinese investors are interested in both ready and off-plan properties. Location, annual yield and selling prices are three of the key factors considered when making purchasing decisions. Downtown Dubai, Greens and International City are the three most popular areas for Chinese investors to buy ready properties.

Dubai is cheap for Chinese buyers

At present, the average price of resale properties in Downtown Dubai is between Dh1,700 per sqft and Dh2,200 per sqft, which is equivalent to one-fourth to one-sixth of the selling price of Downtown Shanghai, China.

How to sell Dubai properties to Chinese buyers?

Looking to market your properties to Chinese buyers? Read this article to learn more about how to market properties to a Chinese audience: from Baidu (百度) to Fang.com (房天下) and Anjuke (安居客).
Otherwise, if you want to start advertising, here are two options:

• Market a property globally for $50 per month. What you will get: publication on 100+ property portals in 60+ countries, including Fang.com 房天下 and Anjuke 安居客 => click here!
• Advertise on Green Acres, which now notably ranks very well for Chinese searches, but also for many other languages. Get your first 20 contacts for free by clicking here.

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