How to Invest Money in Dubai

Dubai is one of the most dynamic and attractive cities in the world for real estate investing. With its strategic location, diverse economy, stable political system, and high-quality infrastructure, Dubai offers a range of opportunities for investors looking to diversify their portfolio and generate income.

However, investing in Dubai is not as simple as buying a property and waiting for the returns.

In this guide, we will outline a definitive set of rules for how to invest money in the UAE, written with everyone in mind. The chapters of this guide include:

1. Stocks
2. Bonds
3. Mutual funds
4. ETFs

Step 1: Define your investment objectives

Before you start looking for properties in Dubai, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve from your investment. Are you looking for capital appreciation, rental income, or both? How much risk are you willing to take? How long do you plan to hold the property? What is your budget and cash flow situation? These questions will help you narrow down your options and focus on the properties that match your criteria.

Step 2: Choose the right property type

Dubai offers a variety of property types for investors, such as apartments, villas, townhouses, offices, retail spaces, hotels, and warehouses. Each type has its own advantages and disadvantages, depending on your objectives, preferences, and budget. For example, apartments are usually cheaper and easier to maintain than villas, but they may have lower rental yields and less privacy. Villas are more spacious and luxurious than apartments, but they may require more maintenance and management costs. Offices and retail spaces may have higher rental income and occupancy rates than residential properties, but they may also have higher vacancy risks and operational expenses.

To choose the right property type for your investment, you need to do your research and analysis on the market trends, demand and supply factors, rental rates, occupancy levels, maintenance fees, service charges, and other costs associated with each type. You can also consult with a professional real estate agent or advisor who can provide you with valuable insights and recommendations based on your objectives and budget.

Step 3: Select the best location

Location is one of the most important factors that affect the value and performance of any property. In Dubai, there are many areas that offer different benefits and challenges for investors. Some of the most popular areas for real estate investing in Dubai are:

• Palm Jumeirah: This is an iconic man-made island that features luxury villas, apartments, hotels, and resorts. Palm Jumeirah is known for its stunning views of the Arabian Gulf, its high-end amenities and facilities, and its prestigious address. Palm Jumeirah properties are ideal for investors who are looking for capital appreciation and high rental income from affluent tenants and tourists. However, Palm Jumeirah properties are also among the most expensive and competitive in Dubai, so investors need to have a large budget and a long-term horizon to invest here. 

• Dubai Marina: This is a vibrant waterfront community that offers a mix of apartments, villas, townhouses, offices, retail spaces, hotels, and entertainment venues. Dubai Marina is known for its cosmopolitan lifestyle, its proximity to the beach and other attractions, and its impressive skyline. Dubai Marina properties are ideal for investors who are looking for rental income and capital appreciation from young professionals, families, and tourists. However, Dubai Marina properties are also subject to high supply and demand fluctuations, so investors need to be aware of the market conditions and price movements. 

• Downtown Dubai: This is the heart of Dubai that hosts some of the city’s most iconic landmarks such as Burj Khalifa (the world’s tallest tower), The Dubai Mall (the world’s second largest shopping mall), The Dubai Fountain (the world’s largest choreographed fountain), and Dubai Opera (the city’s cultural hub). Downtown Dubai is known for its luxury lifestyle, its prime location, and its spectacular views. Downtown Dubai properties are ideal for investors who are looking for capital appreciation and rental income from high-end tenants and tourists. However, Downtown Dubai properties are also among the most expensive and competitive in Dubai, so investors need to have a large budget and a long-term horizon to invest here. 

• Jumeirah Village Circle: This is a family-friendly master community that offers a range of villas, townhouses, and apartments with affordable prices and modern amenities. Jumeirah Village Circle is known for its village-like setting with parks and canals, its strategic location near Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road, and its potential for growth and development. Jumeirah Village Circle properties are ideal for investors who are looking for rental income and capital appreciation from middle-income tenants and buyers. However, Jumeirah Village Circle properties are also subject to construction delays and quality issues, so investors need to do their due diligence and inspection before investing here. 

• Arabian Ranches: This is a premium gated community that offers luxury villas and townhouses with spacious layouts and high-quality finishes. Arabian Ranches is known for its golf course, its equestrian and polo club, its green landscapes, and its tranquil environment. Arabian Ranches properties are ideal for investors who are looking for capital appreciation and rental income from affluent tenants and buyers. However, Arabian Ranches properties are also among the most expensive and competitive in Dubai, so investors need to have a large budget and a long-term horizon to invest here. 

• International City: This is a country-themed collection of residences, businesses, and tourist attractions. International City is known for its low prices, its diverse cultures, and its convenient location near Dubai International Airport and Dragon Mart (a large mall for wholesale purchase of Chinese products). International City properties are ideal for investors who are looking for rental income and capital appreciation from low-income tenants and buyers. However, International City properties are also subject to high maintenance fees, service charges, and traffic congestion, so investors need to be aware of the costs and challenges associated with investing here. 

• Business Bay: This is a central business district that features a range of offices, retail spaces, hotels, and apartments. Business Bay is known for its strategic location near Downtown Dubai and the Dubai Water Canal, its impressive architecture, and its dynamic atmosphere. Business Bay properties are ideal for investors who are looking for rental income and capital appreciation from corporate tenants and tourists. However, Business Bay properties are also subject to high supply and demand fluctuations, so investors need to be aware of the market conditions and price movements. 

• Burj Khalifa: This is the world’s tallest tower that hosts luxury apartments, offices, hotels, restaurants, observation decks, and entertainment venues. Burj Khalifa is known for its unparalleled views of Dubai, its prestigious address, and its state-of-the-art facilities. Burj Khalifa properties are ideal for investors who are looking for capital appreciation and rental income from elite tenants and tourists. However, Burj Khalifa properties are also among the most expensive and competitive in Dubai, so investors need to have a large budget and a long-term horizon to invest here. 

These are some of the most popular areas for real estate investing in Dubai, but there are many other areas that offer different benefits and challenges for investors. To select the best location for your investment, you need to do your research and analysis on the market trends, demand and supply factors, rental rates, occupancy levels, maintenance fees, service charges, and other costs associated with each area. You can also consult with a professional real estate agent or advisor who can provide you with valuable insights and recommendations based on your objectives and budget.

Step 4: Understand the legal framework

Dubai has a well-established and transparent legal framework for real estate investing, which protects the rights and interests of both investors and developers. However, there are some rules and regulations that you need to be aware of before investing in Dubai, such as:

• Freehold vs leasehold: Freehold means that you own the property and the land it is built on indefinitely, while leasehold means that you own the property for a fixed period of time (usually 99 years) and pay an annual rent to the landowner. In Dubai, only certain areas are designated as freehold zones, where foreigners can buy and sell properties without any restrictions. In other areas, foreigners can only buy leasehold properties or rent them from local owners. You need to check the ownership status of the property before investing in it.
• Registration fees: When you buy a property in Dubai, you need to pay a registration fee of 4% of the property value to the Dubai Land Department (DLD), which is the government authority that regulates and records all real estate transactions in Dubai. The registration fee is usually split equally between the buyer and the seller, unless otherwise agreed. You also need to pay an administration fee of AED 4,000 if the property value is more than AED 500,000 or AED 2,000 if the property value is less than AED 500,000.

• Transfer fees: When you sell a property in Dubai, you need to pay a transfer fee of 2% of the property value to the DLD, which is also usually split equally between the buyer and the seller, unless otherwise agreed. You also need to pay an administration fee of AED 4,000 if the property value is more than AED 500,000 or AED 2,000 if the property value is less than AED 500,000.

• Mortgage fees: If you need to finance your property purchase with a mortgage loan from a bank or a financial institution, you need to pay a mortgage registration fee of 0.

• Mortgage fees: If you need to finance your property purchase with a mortgage loan from a bank or a financial institution, you need to pay a mortgage registration fee of 0.25% of the loan amount to the DLD, plus an administration fee of AED 290. You also need to pay a valuation fee of around AED 2,500 to AED 3,000 to the bank or the financial institution, which will assess the value of the property and determine the loan amount and interest rate.

• Agent fees: If you use a real estate agent or broker to help you find and buy a property in Dubai, you need to pay a commission fee of 2% of the property value to the agent or broker, plus VAT. You also need to pay a deposit of 10% of the property value to the agent or broker, which will be held in escrow until the completion of the transaction.

• Maintenance fees: When you own a property in Dubai, you need to pay an annual maintenance fee to the developer or the owners association, which covers the costs of maintaining and repairing the common areas and facilities of the building or the community. The maintenance fee varies depending on the type, size, and location of the property, but it usually ranges from AED 10 to AED 30 per square foot.

• Service charges: When you own a property in Dubai, you also need to pay an annual service charge to the utility providers, such as DEWA (Dubai Electricity and Water Authority), Empower (district cooling provider), Du or Etisalat (telecommunication providers), and Dubai Municipality (waste management provider). The service charge varies depending on the type, size, and usage of the property, but it usually ranges from AED 5,000 to AED 15,000 per year.

• Tax implications: Dubai does not impose any income tax or capital gains tax on real estate investors, which makes it one of the most tax-friendly destinations in the world for real estate investing. However, there are some taxes that you need to be aware of before investing in Dubai, such as:

• VAT: Value-added tax (VAT) is a consumption tax that is levied on most goods and services in Dubai at a rate of 5%. When you buy a property in Dubai, you need to pay VAT on some items such as agent fees, registration fees, transfer fees, mortgage fees, valuation fees, and maintenance fees. However, you do not need to pay VAT on the property value itself, unless it is a commercial property or a hotel apartment.
• Withholding tax: Withholding tax is a tax that is deducted from the income that is paid to a non-resident by a resident in Dubai. When you rent out your property in Dubai, you need to pay withholding tax on the rental income that is paid to you by your tenant at a rate of 5%. However, you can claim a tax credit for the withholding tax that you paid in Dubai when you file your tax return in your home country, depending on the tax treaty between your home country and the UAE.
• Property tax: Property tax is a tax that is levied on the value of the property that is owned by an individual or a company in Dubai. Currently, there is no property tax in Dubai for residential properties. However, there is a property tax for commercial properties at a rate of 10% of the rental value.

To understand the legal framework for real estate investing in Dubai, you need to consult with a professional lawyer or accountant who can advise you on the rules and regulations that apply to your specific situation and help you comply with them.

Step 5: Find and evaluate potential properties

Once you have defined your objectives, chosen your property type and location, and understood the legal framework for real estate investing in Dubai, you are ready to find and evaluate potential properties that suit your criteria and budget. There are several ways to find properties in Dubai, such as:

• Online platforms: There are many online platforms that list properties for sale and rent in Dubai, such as Dubizzle, Property Finder, Bayut , and Just Property. These platforms allow you to search for properties by type, location, price, size, amenities, and other features. You can also compare different properties and contact the sellers or agents directly through these platforms.
• Real estate agents: There are many real estate agents and brokers who can help you find and buy properties in Dubai, such as Besic-PMS , the best company for real estate investing in Dubai. These agents and brokers have access to exclusive listings and market information that may not be available online. They can also guide you through the whole process of buying and selling properties and negotiate on your behalf with the sellers or developers. However, you need to pay a commission fee to these agents or brokers, as mentioned earlier.
• Developers: There are many developers who build and sell properties in Dubai, such as Emaar, Nakheel, Damac, and Meraas. These developers offer a range of properties from off-plan to ready-to-move-in in different areas and price ranges. They also offer attractive payment plans and incentives to buyers, such as post-handover installments, rent-to-own schemes, and free service charges. However, you need to be careful when buying from developers, as some of them may have delays or defaults in delivering or handing over the properties.

• Auctions: There are some auctions that sell properties in Dubai, such as Emirates Auction , which is the official auctioneer of the DLD. These auctions offer a chance to buy properties at discounted prices from distressed sellers or banks. However, you need to be prepared to pay a deposit and a buyer’s premium to participate in these auctions, as well as conduct due diligence and inspection on the properties before bidding.
• Referrals: There are some referrals that can help you find properties in Dubai, such as your friends, family, colleagues, or acquaintances who may have bought or sold properties in Dubai. These referrals can provide you with honest feedback and recommendations based on their personal experience and knowledge. However, you need to verify the information and opinions that they give you with your own research and analysis.

Legal Considerations for Foreign Investors

Investing in a foreign country comes with specific legal considerations, and Dubai is no exception. As a foreign investor, it is essential to be aware of the following:

1. Company Setup: If you plan to establish a business in Dubai, familiarize yourself with the legal requirements for company registration, ownership restrictions, and licensing.
2. Land Ownership: While Dubai offers attractive real estate investment opportunities, non-UAE nationals can only own property in designated areas known as freehold zones. Research these areas and understand the regulations before purchasing property.
3. Visa and Residency: Depending on your investment, you may be eligible for investor visas or long-term residency permits, allowing you to reside and conduct business in Dubai.
4. Taxation: Dubai is known for its tax-friendly environment, with no personal income tax and minimal corporate taxes. However, it’s crucial to understand tax obligations in your home country related to foreign investments.
5. Legal Assistance: Engaging legal experts who specialize in international investments can provide invaluable guidance and ensure compliance with local laws.

Tips for Successful Investments in Dubai

To maximize your investment potential in Dubai, consider these tips:

1. Research Thoroughly: Before making any investment, conduct extensive research on the market, regulations, and economic trends in Dubai.
2. Diversify Your Portfolio: Spreading your investments across different asset classes can help mitigate risks and enhance long-term returns.
3. Seek Expert Advice: Consult with financial advisors and experts who have experience in the Dubai market to make informed decisions.
4. Stay Updated: Dubai’s investment landscape is dynamic, so stay updated with the latest news and developments to seize opportunities promptly.
5. Network and Collaborate: Building connections with local investors and businesses can open doors to new investment possibilities.
6. Patience and Long-term Vision: Investments may take time to yield substantial returns. Be patient and maintain a long-term perspective.

How to invest in UAE stock market 

If you want to invest in the UAE stock market, the first step is to find a reliable stockbroker, who will act as your link to the three stock exchanges in the UAE — Dubai Financial Market (DFM), NASDAQ Dubai, Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX).

A stockbroker is a person or a company that helps you buy and sell stocks on stock exchanges. You cannot trade stocks in the UAE stock market (or any others) by yourself. You need a broker to do that for you. Therefore, choosing the right broker is essential for your investment success.

Any broker that operates in the UAE can give you access to any of the three UAE stock exchanges mentioned above. However, if you also want to invest in foreign US stocks like Apple, Google, Facebook, etc., you will need a broker that can connect you to international stock exchanges like the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and NASDAQ.

Besic-PMS is an example of a platform that operates in the U.A.E. and offers access to global markets. With Besic-PMS, you can pick from thousands of ETFs and stocks on the U.S. stock exchanges, giving you more investment options.

In summary, while learning how to invest in UAE stock market is important, you can also benefit from expanding your horizons to international stock markets.

How to find the best mutual fund in the UAE

Mutual funds play a pivotal role in the UAE’s financial landscape, offering investors the opportunity to access a diverse portfolio of securities. These funds can be broadly categorized into two main types: local and international. Local mutual funds focus on investing in the securities available on major UAE exchanges such as DFM, ADX, and NASDAQ Dubai. Currently, the Securities and Commodities Authority (SCA) website lists thirty-two of these local mutual funds, showcasing the growing popularity of such investment vehicles.

On the other hand, international mutual funds operate in international exchanges like the NYSE and NASDAQ, expanding the scope of investment opportunities for UAE investors. In order to select the best mutual fund in the UAE, regardless of whether it is local or international, there are four essential factors to carefully consider:

• Investment Objective: Aligning with Your Goals

The foremost aspect to contemplate is the investment objective of the mutual fund and how well it aligns with your own financial goals. Understanding your risk tolerance is paramount since you need to ensure that the level of risk the mutual fund takes to achieve its investment objective does not exceed your comfort zone. A prudent investor should be wary of funds with excessively high risk profiles that might not match their own risk appetite.

• Past Performance: A Window to Success

Past performance is an indispensable yardstick for evaluating a mutual fund’s potential. Analyzing the fund’s returns over the years in comparison to other funds with similar objectives is essential. If the fund consistently underperforms compared to its peers or shows a decline in returns year-on-year, it may not be the best fit for your investment strategy.

• Expense Ratio: Maximizing Your Returns

The expense ratio is a crucial factor that directly impacts your overall returns from the mutual fund. It represents the percentage of the fund’s assets under management (AUM) that goes towards covering its operating expenses. A higher expense ratio could diminish the profit potential for investors since a significant portion of their gains would be allocated to covering these expenses. Therefore, it is advisable to opt for a mutual fund with a lower expense ratio, particularly when comparing funds with similar investment objectives and past performance.

• Customer Service: Ensuring Support and Transparency

Effective customer service is vital in building a satisfactory investment experience. Consider the ease with which you can communicate with the fund’s management, the quality of reporting and analytics they provide, and their overall responsiveness and accountability towards investors. A mutual fund that demonstrates a commitment to addressing its investors’ needs and concerns should be given preference.

1. ETFs

ETFs are today’s go-to example of popular passive investments.  Over the past decade, ETFs have become among the most popular investment assets used to achieve diversification. By owning a share of one ETF, an investor gains exposure to numerous stocks or bonds within that basket. 

For example, the iShares Core MSCI EAFE ETF (IEFA) tracks a broad range of companies across many industries in markets across Europe, Australia, Asia, and the Far East. When an investor purchases a share of IEFA, they are purchasing exposure to large-, mid- and small-capitalization market equities across these regions. 

One of the benefits of ETFs is that they offer a lot of diversification, which means spreading your investments across different assets and markets to reduce your risk. But you can achieve even more diversification by buying multiple ETFs that cover different sectors and regions.

For instance, you can buy an ETF that tracks US stocks, along with an ETF that tracks international stocks, an ETF that tracks global REITs (real estate investment trusts), and an ETF that tracks US bonds.

By doing this, you are not only diversifying within each ETF, but also across different ETFs that have different exposures and performances. This way, you can lower your portfolio risk and increase your potential returns.

Instead of buying individual stocks, bonds, or REITs, you can use ETFs as a way to diversify your portfolio more easily and cheaply.

How are ETFs different from mutual funds?

Mutual funds are another type of investment that also aim to diversify your portfolio. However, there are some key differences between ETFs and mutual funds, such as:

• Transparency: ETFs are required by law to disclose their holdings at least every quarter, and many of them do so daily. Mutual funds do not have this obligation, and most of them keep their holdings secret to protect their trading strategy. With ETFs, you know exactly what you are investing in and how it changes over time.
• Minimum investment: Most mutual funds have a minimum investment amount that you need to meet before you can start investing. However, ETFs do not have this requirement, and you can buy as little as one share or even a fraction of a share. This makes ETFs more accessible and affordable for small investors and expats who are new to investing.
• Investment philosophy: While most mutual funds are actively managed, which means they try to beat the market by picking and trading stocks, 80% of ETFs are passively managed, which means they try to match the market by tracking an index or a basket of stocks. Passive investing has been proven to be more effective and efficient than active investing in the long run.
• Expense ratio: Since mutual funds are actively managed, they charge higher fees for their management and operation. According to Morning Star, the average annual expense ratio for mutual funds was 1.45% in 2016, while the average annual expense ratio for ETFs was 0.23%. Lower fees mean higher returns for investors.
• Trading time: While you can only buy or sell mutual funds at the end of the trading day, you can buy or sell ETFs anytime during the trading day. This gives you more flexibility and liquidity to trade your ETFs whenever you want without waiting for the market to close.

Unlike mutual funds that are less transparent, more expensive, and more restrictive, ETFs are more transparent, cheaper, and more flexible.

How to Invest Money in Dubai: Few factors to consider

Bonds

Bonds are a way of lending money to governments and companies that need to raise funds. There are three main kinds of bonds:

• Corporate bonds: These are issued by companies
• Treasury bonds: These are issued by the federal government
• Municipal bonds: These are issued by local governments, states, cities, and communities You can earn money from bonds in two ways: Interest payment: Bond issuers pay interest to bondholders twice a year. The interest rate is fixed and does not change like stocks. Growth in the bond value: You can also earn money when the value of your bond increases. This happens when the interest rate drops and new bonds are issued at lower rates, making your bond (which was issued at a higher rate) more valuable. This also happens when the stock market is down and more people buy bonds, driving their prices up. Bonds have a limited lifespan.

Unlike stocks that you can keep forever (unless the company buys them back), you can only hold bonds for a certain period of time. Bonds give you a steady income for a number of years, such as 10 or 20 years. You can also sell them at a higher price before they expire.

Bonds are safer than other investments, but they also have lower returns.

Real estate cannot be lost or stolen, nor can it be carried away. Purchased with common sense, paid for in full, and managed with reasonable care, it is about the safest investment in the world.

Franklin D. Roosevelt, U.S. president

Stocks

Stocks are shares of a company’s capital that you can buy and own as an individual or an institution.

When you buy a stock, you become a part-owner of the company. You can earn money from owning stocks in two ways:

• Dividends: Some companies choose to distribute a part of their profits to their shareholders. This part is called a dividend. The company pays you a dividend based on how many shares you have. Most companies pay dividends every quarter.
• Appreciation in the stock price: The main attraction of stocks for long-term investors is the increase in their value (as measured by the stock price) over many years. If you bought a share of a company for AED60 in 2010 and it is now worth AED150, you have made AED90. If you had bought a thousand shares for AED60,000, your shares are now worth AED150,000. What did you have to do? Just wait and be patient. As the company grows, you benefit from it.

For example, if you bought a share of Emirates NBD PJSC on January 3, 2000, at AED2.176, you have more than quadrupled your investment now that it sells for AED9.4 (as of time of writing).

The benefit of passive investing

Passive investing has at least four advantages over active investing: lesser fees, lesser taxes, long-term focus instead of market timing, and lesser risk. On the other hand, the advantage that active investing was supposed to deliver — outperforming the market — has been hard to come by. 

For example, a 2020 S&P SPIVA report showed that over 86% of actively managed mutual funds in the US failed to outperform the market in the previous 20 years (2001-2020).

Source: Index Fund Advisors

It is very hard for individual investors to beat the market, even if they have a lot of diversification and expert advice. A smarter way to invest is to follow the market performance through passive investing, which has lower fees, risk, taxes, and noise.

Warren Buffett, one of the most successful investors in history, proved this point by betting $1 million with Protege Partners, a hedge fund manager, in 2007. He claimed that a passive index fund would outperform a group of hedge funds over 10 years. He was right. The S&P 500 Index Fund returned 7.1% and the hedge funds 2.2%.

Isn’t that amazing? Besides all the benefits we mentioned above, you also have the endorsement of the Oracle of Omaha himself for passive investing. That’s why we recommend investors to buy passive ETFs (see above for why ETFs are better than index funds even though they are both passive).

The power of diversification

You may have heard the famous saying, “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” It’s not enough to know where to invest (the best investments in the UAE), you also need to know how to combine them in a way that lowers your risk and increases your return. This is what diversification does for you.

Diversification means spreading your investments across different assets and markets to reduce your overall risk. To understand how this works, we need to review some concepts about correlation and risk.

Correlation, risk, and diversification

When two investments are positively correlated (correlation coefficient is more than 0), they move in the same direction — when one goes down, the other goes down too. If this correlation is perfect (correlation coefficient is +1), they move in the same direction and by the same amount — a 20% drop in Asset A causes a 20% drop in Asset B.

On the other hand, if two assets are uncorrelated (correlation coefficient is 0), a drop in one asset does not affect the other.

Even better, if two assets are negatively correlated (correlation coefficient is between 0 and -1), a drop in one asset will make the other go up. If this correlation is perfect (correlation coefficient is -1), they move in opposite directions and by the same amount — a 20% drop in one asset causes a 20% rise in the other.

Correlation Between Various Assets From 2012-2020

From 2012 to 2020, US bonds have shown a negative correlation (-0.25) to US stocks (S&P 500) while the US Real Estate has shown a near zero correlation (0.01) to the US bond market.

The first level of diversification is to combine stock ETFs, bond ETFs, and REITs ETFs in a portfolio. 

• By industry: Ensure that the stocks, bonds, REITs you purchase are not in the same industry. Choose industries that are uncorrelated or negatively correlated (oil and airline). 
• By markets: Investing in markets that are uncorrelated or negatively correlated also increases the benefits of diversification. Instead of investing in only the US, invest also in emerging markets like Brazil and China and developed markets like the rest of North America and Europe.  
• By market cap: Large-cap, mid-cap, and small-cap companies often have different characteristics that make them uncorrelated or negatively correlated to each other. Diversifying in those three categories can help further reduce portfolio risk.

FAQ