Insights
Discover the latest market insights and hear our expert opinion
Dubai's office market delivered a strong performance in Q3 2025, supported by robust economic fundamentals and ongoing business formation activities. Dubai Chamber of Commerce welcomed approximately 53,000 new member companies in the first nine months of 2025, up 4% year-on-year, and attracted 261 foreign companies, a 65.2% increase over the same period in 2024. This surge in business activity fuelled heightened demand for office space, with sales transactions reaching approximately 1,200, up 39.9% year-on-year, and transaction values climbing to AED 3.1 billion, reflecting 87.6% annual growth. The off-plan segment was the primary driver, with volumes rising 463.8% year-on-year.
Despite Q1 2025 residential unit sales transactions being lower than Q4 2024 due to seasonal factors and limited new launches, Abu Dhabi City’s real estate market regained momentum in Q3 2025, reaching its highest level of residential unit sales transactions on record. This rebound was supported by favourable economic conditions and rising demand from both investors and end users. The upward revision of the UAE’s 2025 GDP forecast to 4.9%, together with the International Monetary Fund’s projection of 6% growth for Abu Dhabi, highlights the solid economic backdrop that continues to support market activity.
Dubai’s real estate market continues to expand and diversify, with the office sector playing a central role in the city’s growth story. The market is characterised by multinational corporations establishing regional headquarters in Dubai, SMEs seeking flexible workspaces, and startups scaling up. More recently, the global trend of employees returning to the office has also reinforced demand for high-quality, well-located […]
In the UAE’s fast-moving real estate market, investors are no longer satisfied with surface-level indicators such as location and yield alone. They now seek certainty about hidden liabilities, building performance, and long-term asset resilience. In this environment, Technical Due Diligence (TDD) has become a critical component of every acquisition or financing decision. It provides investors, lenders, and developers with a […]
Dubai was officially recognised as the first Certified Autism Destination™ in the Eastern Hemisphere, demonstrating its commitment to accessible and inclusive tourism. The Emirate's safety credentials also received global recognition, with Dubai placing third and Abu Dhabi first in Numbeo's city-level safety index, reinforcing the UAE's position as one of the world's safest destinations.
With the world still recalibrating its relationship with office space post-pandemic, Dubai presents an anomaly. While commercial towers in cities like London, New York, and Hong Kong grapple with under-occupancy and uncertain futures, Dubai’s office market is surging ahead, defying market expectations and setting benchmarks. But behind the headlines of soaring rents and record-high occupancy lies a complex landscape, one […]
Executive Summary with Key Trends In the first half of 2025, Dubai’s retail market recorded around 500 sales transactions valued at approximately AED 1.4 billion. Overall transaction volume and value declined year-on-year by 17.3% and 1.8%, largely due to a slowdown in off-plan activity. In contrast, the ready retail segment performed strongly. On the rental side, overall contracts increased compared […]
Why REITs matter The global quest for a liquid version of physical real estate has been lengthy. It is littered with long-forgotten attempts that fell by the wayside, derailed mainly by the resolute refusal of numerous ministries of finance to grant them tax exemption.[1] Eventually a champion emerged, nurtured since 1961 in the United States: the Real Estate Investment Trust […]
The growth of Oman’s hospitality market rests on three key pillars. First, population growth: Oman’s population expanded by 4.5% in 2024, following 5% growth in 2023, and analysts expect this momentum to continue through the decade. Even without changes in spending patterns or additional boosts from tourism, such demographic growth alone ensures steady annual demand for new hotel keys. Second, economic expansion and rising domestic tourism. Overall domestic trips increased in line with population growth, from 12.9 million in 2023 to 13.6 million in 2024, but Omanis are also travelling differently. An 8% rise in reported hospitality days indicates they are taking longer trips and spending more per visit, reinforcing demand across the sector. Third, international tourism, where Government policy and investment can have the greatest impact. Gulf visitors still account for more than a quarter of arrivals, but Oman is increasingly attracting travellers from farther afield, including Europe, India, and China.
