Saudi investors have confirmed that the United Arab Emirates is their preferred and safest investment destination, due to the high level of confidence businesspeople have in the UAE market, with the total value of purchase transactions concluded by Saudi investors over the past 16 years exceeding 78.6 billion dirhams in the real estate market across the UAE, including 58.6 billion dirhams in Dubai’s markets, while real estate investments in other cities totaled 20 billion dirhams.
11,000 Saudi investors and 22,000 transactions
This was revealed in a special report published by the newspaper “Amlak Al-Aqaria,” which explained that the high level of Saudi interest in investing in the real estate market in the UAE in general, and in Dubai in particular, is reflected in the upward trend in the number, value, and volume of transactions across most areas of the emirate, The report revealed that Saudi investors have not only played a prominent role in the freehold market and the real estate development sector but have also left—and continue to leave—a clear mark on real estate purchases, whether for long-term investment purposes or for use as a second home or vacation home.
According to statistics available to Amlak, the number of Saudi investors exceeded 11,000, and they concluded more than 22,000 transactions in the Dubai real estate market alone. The average annual value of Saudi purchases reached 3.6 billion dirhams, while the average value of a purchase transaction was 2.7 million dirhams.
Projects Marketed Exclusively to Saudi Investors
On the same topic, Mr. Ali Al-Shawi, director of the “Amlak Real Estate” in the UAE, revealed that some major companies have devised special marketing strategies for their projects, limiting them to Saudi investors and offering them exclusive deals and site visits to highlight the importance of investing in them; for example, “Emaar Properties,” emphasizing that the interest shown by real estate development companies in Dubai toward Saudi investors has enhanced opportunities for Saudi companies to invest in projects in the UAE, and in Dubai in particular.
Amlak Real Estate pays special attention to real estate projects being launched in the UAE in general and, with a keen investment eye, reviews the opportunities these projects offer—specifically new projects in Dubai’s freehold areas, especially since statistics indicate that 3,294 Saudi investors injected approximately 8 billion dirhams into Dubai real estate during 2016, surpassing other investors from Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries, according to records from the Dubai Land Department.
Saudis Continue to Lead in the UAE
The director of the newspaper’s UAE bureau attributed the preference of many Saudis to invest in Dubai not only to returns but also to the strong fraternal ties between the Kingdom and the UAE, in addition to other deep historical commonalities in terms of culture, customs, and traditions. Al-Shawi explained that Saudi investors have a strong presence in real estate projects in the areas that are most attractive to them, notably the Burj Khalifa area, Dubai Marina, Palm Jumeirah, Business Bay, and Dubai Creek.
Al-Shawi noted that Saudi investors have maintained their lead among Gulf and Arab investors in terms of both the number of investments and total value, which leads to the belief that they will remain at the forefront both now and in the future, having confirmed the substantial returns from their continued investment in the real estate market, which is renowned worldwide for its appeal. Al-Shawi said that the presence of Saudi investors in various economic sectors in the UAE—specifically in the real estate market—holds significant strategic importance for enhancing the market’s appeal and stability.
Dubai has been distinguished by a wide variety of investment opportunities and has managed to protect itself from negative economic impacts by establishing world-class infrastructure for companies, investors, and residents, thereby earning the respect and trust of the entire world.
