Dubai’s property market is back in the international spotlight: Dubai’s real estate market is approaching a historic bull run, with the Financial Times reporting that the 50-month rally is closing in on the 57-month record set before the 2008 real estate crash. Property prices surged 75% since 2021 to nearly AED 1.8k per sqft, with villa prices in gated communities and golf estates more than doubling, according to data provider Reidin.

The rally is driven by Dubai’s growing population, which exceeded 3.8 mn in 2024, fueled by soaring demand from high-net-worth individuals, professionals, and long-term expats drawn by Dubai’s liberalized visa policies and pandemic-era openness. Analysts say post-2008 mortgage reforms, including higher down payments, have also strengthened market resilience.

But is a slowdown coming? Some warn that “massive competition” among developers could cool price growth, with firms like Danube marketing one-bed flats “for the price of a studio” and MAG Group’s Talal Al Gaddah predicting price undercutting. Developers have some 300k new homes planned by 2029, according to a previous Knight Frank report.

ALSO- Another regional business hub contender? Qatar is emerging as a new rival in the Gulf’s financial hub race, challenging Dubai and Abu Dhabi longstanding dominance, Bloomberg reports. The likes of BlackRock’s Global Infrastructure Partners and venture capital firms are increasingly setting up in Doha, supported by increased activity from its sovereign wealth fund the Qatar Investment Authority after domestic spending needs decline post-World Cup 2022.

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