Dubai Marina – Hot property for Real Estate investors!

In the heart of what is now known as ‘New Dubai’ is the district of Dubai Marina in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. It is located on Interchange 5 between Jebel Ali Port and the area which is the host to Dubai Media City, Dubai Internet City and the American University in Dubai at 25°4′52.86″N, 55°8′38.67″E. the first part of this project has been completed.

The Dubai marina is completely man-made and has been built up by the Real Estate development firm Emaar Properties of the UAE. It will contain more than two hundred high-rise buildings and some extremely tall skyscrapers, The Princess Tower, Infinity Tower, The Torch Dubai Marina, Dubai Marina Towers, Marina Terrace, Number One Dubai Marina, Horizon Tower and Le Rêve (Dubai) to name just a few of them. It takes up an area of 4.9 million square meters (which is equivalent to 50 million square feet) and this includes the Jumeirah Beach Residence’s 40 residential and hotel towers. It is said that the Dubai Marina will be the world’s largest man-made marina when it is completed. The Marina del Rey in Los Angeles County in California, USA is currently the largest man made marina in the world.

The Dubai Marina is a district situated in the centre of Dubai as is clear from the name. While, the first phase of the Dubai Marina project has been finished, the rest of the work is progressing quite fast. It is completely man-made, and with the more than 200 high-rise buildings and skyscrapers, it is very easy to look for brilliant Real Estate properties in Dubai Marina. The internet will help you out a lot to find out prime property. There are many thousands of portals dealing with the Dubai Marina Real Estate market in which you can get all the info you require about great Real Estate properties in the Dubai Marina.

There are several websites which will not only give you good information about properties at Dubai Marina but also provides you with great tips on buying, selling and also renting properties. When you are wishing to invest in Dubai Marina Real Estate, then research is what you should concentrate on. It is of prime importance that you should gather as much information as you can from various sources and then make an informed decision.

Besides the internet, you could also use the help of Real Estate agents and Real Estate property advisors to look for great property at the Dubai Marina. But before you hire these people, you should ensure that they are authentic and will not charge you a large fee after providing you with bad service. Also find out how much experience the agent has before you enlist their help in looking for Dubai Marina Real Estate properties.

Features of Elite Residence located at the heart of Dubai Marina:
• Brilliant business center
• Swimming pools - Indoor and outdoor
• Well-equipped gym and spa
• Children’s nursery and day care center
• Wonderful entertainment facilities
• Lavish hotel

Home finance and home loans in UAE.

Along with the growth in the Real Estate market, Dubai has experienced simultaneous growth in its home finance sector in the past three years. According to a recent study by EFG-Hermes the current outstanding loans stands at Dh 11.5 billion. It is estimated by the Egyptian investment bank that the UAE housing finance sector will grow by Dh 14bn in 2007, Dh 18bn in the year 2008, the growth is estimated to be Dh18bn in 2009 as well and Dh 14bn and Dh 17bn in the years 2010 and 2011 respectively. These figures have been derived based on an expected population compound annual growth rate of about three percent.

The most dominant forces in the Emirates’ home finance market are Amlak and Tamweel. They account for over 35 and 25 percentage of the industry respectively.

The Real Estate boom of the emirate has left the world spell bound, EFG-Hermes predicts that the total growth in the Real Estate should exceed the figure of Dh419bn in the years between 2008 and 2011. It has also been said that Dh 64bn will be funded through credit. The national bank of Dubai has tied up with Dubai properties for the sole purpose of finance apartments which are bought in tower ‘H’. Tower ‘H’ is a primary tower for residential purposes at Business Bay in the project of the executive Towers. This tie up of the national bank of Dubai and Dubai properties, is more than welcome, as this tie up will ensure easy financing terms for the people who are aspiring to buy apartments in tower ‘H’. These easy schemes will mean that people will be able t finance their dream homes with no obligations of interest repayment. In this case the loan is made available for 85 percent of the property price of a sum of 4 million AED, whichever is lower. This loan is provided for a period of 20 years.

Dubai’s Islamic bank (DIB) and Al Islami home finance are also witnessing high demands from the retail customers.

They have recently launched solutions that aim to meet the requirements of retail customers. These customers include both the UAE nationals and expatriates who are keen on buying property in the UAE freehold property market.

In response to this high demand of the people, DIB has announced the launch of Mobile Mortgage Advisors. They are a team of mortgage sales expert who will be providing valuable consultancy at the customers door step.

Al Islami finance has launched finance solution products such as the “forward Ijarah” and “Ijarah”. Through the “Advanced Eligibility Process” customers get a right to choose their finance limit without first having to choose the property.

The Dubai Islamic bank caters to the needs of a diverse customer profile. Also the al Islami home finance provides up to 90 percent finance and a maximum tenure of loan repayment of 25 years depending on the eligibility of their customers.

Dubai – the number one choice for property investment

In the real estate industry, Dubai is seen as a prime target for investment purposes. In fact, real estates in Dubai have consistently grown at 20% annually, compared to other places where constant fluctuations are the order of the day. Even otherwise, the tradition of re-selling makes investment in real estates in Dubai a tempting offer. Dubai is such a place where people find the placidity of a desert, and the flurry associated with packed places. With all the technology and infrastructure at its disposal, Dubai has turned out to be a big commercial hub. In fact the areas in the Middle East are the best in business. The climate of Dubai is tropical, and a rare combination of the older and the newer generation can be found here.

Investment opportunities in Dubai are many, a few among them being reservations, exchanges, properties, and managing these properties. In fact, when it comes to properties, the various options available are holiday homes, commercial towers, residential properties, and many other opportunities for investment purpose. With the newest facilities, the living standard at Dubai is the highest compared to the rest of the world.

You can invest in Dubai’s real estate even though you may not ordinarily reside in the United Arab Emirates. Overseas buyers are finding it very easy to buy residential properties in Dubai. Due to the fact that Dubai excels when it comes to the tourism industry, many people are benefiting from the many incredible opportunities for investment available in Dubai. In fact, the booming tourism industry is a primary reason for the popularity of Dubai. Apart from the rental earnings from properties let out, you can buy properties for your private purposes as well. But before considering the purchase of properties in Dubai, get to know a few facts.

First, visit Dubai to get a clear idea of what is there on offer. Just going by someone’s recommendation will not help, and you will need to evaluate things yourself. Besides, this will increase your awareness about the lifestyle in Dubai which is very important. So make sure that you visit Dubai personally before investing in real estate here.

The concern of mortgage in Dubai also needs to be understood. It is very much possible to mortgage in Dubai even though you may not be a UAE resident. Barclays, HSBC and other international banks take care of these issues, but ensure to have a look at the restrictions imposed. But given that the situation of mortgaging has only improved, this cannot pose much of a problem.

There is another aspect that needs consideration, which is renting properties in Dubai. Emaar has recently banned short term lets on properties in order to keep down the bottlenecks to the development of those properties. However, this is applicably only to properties of Emaar, and short term means a period of less than half a year. So if you are considering buying properties for rental purpose, then by avoiding properties of Emaar, you will surely get good deals!

It has thus become clear that investment in Dubai is really a great opportunity and should never be looked down upon.

Tallest building in the world – Burj Dubai

The tallest man made structure record was held by the CN Tower in Canada. However, that record has been broken by the Burj Dubai, a 555.3m building constructed by Emaar Properties, one of the leading property builders.

Currently the tallest building, the Burj Dubai, at 555.3m high, is one tall building that has a whopping one hundred and fifty stories. This building has left the others in the competition like the Taipei 101 in Taiwan and the record holder, CN Tower.

An elated Mohammed Ali Alabbar, the Chairman of the firm (Emaar Properties) that pulled off this amazing feat, was quoted saying that the making of this building was a result of more than 5000 people who were involved in the making of this project. He said that he saw this achievement as an assertion of the will power of the many people who dedicated their efforts towards the creation of this masterpiece. Making the tallest building in the world is not an easy thing to do, and it requires an immense amount of dedication and perseverance to transfer a dream into reality. The proud chairman claimed that this achievement bears testimony to the spirit of Dubai and is representative of the dauntless never die attitude of its people.

This building actually puts Dubai in the world map and when the building is completed in the next year, it will become one of the major attractions of the place.

The Downtown Burj Dubai project covers other aspects and will have everything from residences, offices, hospitality units and the biggest destination for shopaholics around the world – the Dubai Mall.

Investment Features:-

The Burj Dubai is all about thinking big and then transforming it into reality. The structure will have world class facilities for the residents. Those staying in Burj Dubai will get four swimming pools at their disposal, a cigar club, library and a world class gym.

Design and Construction:-

The styling and structuring of the Burj Dubai, done by Skidmore from Chicago, is a perfect merger of Islamic architectural traditions and modern styling. It looks very much a 21st century structure with an added feel of tradition.

The Burj Dubai represents the blend of East and West and it poses as a perfect destination for the investors who are interested in real estate. With the demands for a space in the Burj Dubai, it is fast becoming one of the hottest properties around.

If you can be part of the Burj Dubai, you will have access to almost all over the world and you will be where the world wants to be. With most of the attention of the real estate focused on it, the Burj Dubai is all set to become one of the most coveted properties in the world.

With all the good things, one must end with the good old saying in the world of real estate – the sky is the limit. And thus, even before the Burj Dubai has arrived, it has a competitor in Nakheel’s Al Burj, a tower that promises to be the highest!

Changes in rental law in Dubai and how it affects the people

For the numerous people who come to Dubai, the new rental laws and their implications are very important. With the great influx of people in Dubai, rental laws have become a very important issue. With the rising demands for rented property in Dubai, the rents have increased considerably over the years. All the people who come to Dubai for work face the problem of exorbitant rents. But the new law will come as a breath of fresh air because it states that the rent cannot be increased by more than 5% of the lease price.

Rental allowance is reserved for the expatriates. Earlier, the individuals would be paid the entire rent by the employer but recently, the companies give their employees a certain percentage of the yearly housing costs and the rest has to be coughed up by the person concerned. When it comes to renting property in Dubai, there are other costs that come to the forefront like a security deposit, car parking money, municipality fees, other monthly utilities and in case you have sought the help of a real estate agent to get hold of the property, you have to set aside 5% commission for the agent as well. You need to remember that you will not be able to make any changes in the rented property.

For the expatriates, their company signs the lease with the landlord of the concerned property. The expatriate can only sign if he is a holder of the residence visa. Generally, the lease is valid for a period of one year and it is, however, extendable if there is no breach of contract from the side of the tenant or if the landlord requires the property for personal reasons. The rent of the entire year is paid at a time. The new revised rental laws in Dubai are actually quite favorable for the tenants. In case of any disputes, the Dubai Rental Committee is a body that is there to resolve any issues that emerge between the landlord and the tenant.

Sources in the government have been quoted as saying that the rental laws in Dubai will soon be undergoing another major change. These laws will look at solving the landlord – tenant dispute and also play an important role in the way things are done when it comes to renting property.

At present, any dispute related to rental property is sorted out by the Rents Committee. However, with the new law that will come into force, the whole scenario is about to change. The law has been passed by the Vice President, Prime Minister of UAE and Ruler of Dubai, H.H Shaikh Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

All issues related to renting property in Dubai, like tenancy, subletting, bachelor accommodation etc will be solved by the Dubai Land Department. The new law will change many things significantly. One, however, cannot be sure if the rent cap too will be subjected to change.

The ever increasing rents have long been the problem for numerous expatriates who come into Dubai for work.

This law will look at everything related to rented property with a new perspective. It will play a major role in developing the already strong property market in Dubai.

Rates of property in Dubai and where it stands in the world

Many individuals who are interested in buying property face a dilemma when it comes to investing in property in Dubai. For some, the prices are a bit too much, though when compared to the prices in the European market, it is not very exorbitant.

When it comes to the value of property in a particular city, the prices are largely dependent on the income of the people living in the city and the position of the city in the world map.

The major issue with property in Dubai is that most of the property is already sold out and the prices of re-sellable property are skyrocketing.

A similar kind of situation is prevalent in another part of the global property market – Singapore. The property prices are sky high and almost double although the rental prices are almost similar.

This, however, is the recent trend in the global property market. The rented property prices are steady but the purchase price of any property is steadily increasing because of the high demand.

Buying a Property in Dubai:-


When you are planning to invest in a villa, you require a certain amount of confidence in the person from whom you are about to buy the property. You need to take care of a few things in order to ensure that you are able to get hold of a good villa at a good price. Given below are a few points that will help you to get hold of a good villa:

• Try to choose a developer who has a good record
• Go and see the villa or the apartment yourself before buying it
• Try to develop a rapport with the customer service people
• If the villa is being made, then pay frequent surprise visits to the villa in order to see to it that the work is done properly.
• If you see any hitches in the process, then make it clear to the developer early on
• Ensure that the problems have been solved before

Dubai is all set to become a market that will be a leader in all aspects of real estate in the near future. It does not aim at becoming a speculative market.

In order to become a potential force in the real estate, Dubai needs to concentrate on a few things. This will only happen if the resale value of the property in Dubai increases. This, strangely enough, is the only possible option that will enable the Dubai market to reach stabilization in terms of demand and supply.

Since the rates of the Dubai market are parallel to the rates of the UAE market, the increase will contribute to the rise in the Dirham nominated mortgages.

Since the property market in Dubai is principally cash driven one and thus the increasing rates in Dubai mean that the rates of the property in Dubai will also increase.

Thus, the increment in the rates will mean that the house prices in Dubai will also increase and this will take the Dubai markets at par with the world prices. The rates in Dubai are almost twice of that in Singapore and slowly, the property scenario in Dubai is getting close to the world market rates.

Investing in property in Abu Dhabi

The recent changes in the law have made property in Abu Dhabi a hot property buying ground literally. Although many real estate experts had actually predicted that the changes would come, there was much speculation. However, the changes mean that real estate in Abu Dhabi will have the prices soaring. Many are predicting that the value will go up to GBP 30 billion in a couple of years!

The location of Abu Dhabi is such that the value of property there increases. Located near Dubai and situated at a strategic place, close to the Dubai airport, the harbor and the Jebel Ali free zone, Abu Dhabi is a great place for investing in real estate. With the prices of rented property rising like anything in Dubai, there was much concern about how Dubai would accommodate the enormous amount of people coming in. It was slowly becoming a case of great demand and low supply. But the solution lies in the inclusion of Abu Dhabi in the prospect.

The rising prices of real estate in Dubai makes Abu Dhabi a great option for investors interested in real estate.

For many people who were unable to invest in real estate in Dubai need not to worry now because Abu Dhabi has arrived in a big way. Abu Dhabi real estate offers you a lot and that too at a great price. If you missed Dubai, you should not miss the opportunity of getting hold of real estate in Abu Dhabi. It offers you a lot and that too, at a great price and it is pitted to be the next Dubai. However, you can only purchase apartments in Abu Dhabi on a fifty year or a ninety nine year lease.

Since the law has been passed very recently by Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, one cannot be assured of the kind of reception that it will get in the United Arab Emirates. But despite being unaware of the kind of reactions, one can say that the ones in the business are already gearing up to buy the apartments that have been designed keeping in mind the investors. A modification in the law that will enable interested investors to get ownership of land on lease is not too far away, if recent trends are taken into account.

Al Raha is the only example of such a development already in existence - though the first phase of this development is already sold out and every unit was bought by local Emirates. Significant local and international investors have been waiting in the wings for the new property ownership legislation to be implemented. Now they have been given the green light there are already solid plans in place to build massive accommodation complexes incorporating schooling, private health clinics, equestrian centers, polo centers, hotels and spas and there are already many expatriates lining up to buy their place in the next international property market to boom.