Property in United Arab Emirates

Yes. Foreign nationals can buy freehold property with full ownership rights in designated freehold zones across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah, including Al Marjan Island. Ownership is registered directly with the emirate's land department, carries no nationality restrictions, and there are no extra transfer taxes for overseas buyers versus residents.

Buy property worth at least AED 2 million (about $545,000) in a designated freehold area to qualify for the 10-year renewable Golden Visa. Off-plan units, mortgaged homes and multiple combined properties all count. The old rule requiring 50% paid upfront was removed in early 2026, so eligibility now rests purely on certified value.

None on income or gains. The UAE levies no personal income tax, no rental income tax and no capital gains tax, so rental profit and resale gains are kept in full. There is also no VAT on residential property. Owners pay only annual service charges plus one-off transaction costs of roughly 2–7% at purchase.

Budget roughly 6–8% of the price in total. In Dubai the main charge is the Dubai Land Department fee of 4%, plus around 2% agency commission and registration fees. Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah are notably lower. Many off-plan developers waive the DLD fee as a launch incentive, worth asking about early.

Expect gross rental yields of about 5–7% in Dubai and an average of 5.3% across Ras Al Khaimah's freehold apartments and villas. Capital growth has cooled through 2026: Dubai led global prime price growth at roughly +224% over five years but was broadly flat year-on-year in Q2 2026, while Abu Dhabi rose 17.8% and Ras Al Khaimah 5.4%, led by Al Marjan Island apartments at +9.4% (ValuStrat, Q2 2026). Figures are projections rather than promises — but the UAE's zero tax on rental income and capital gains applies to all of it.

You reserve a unit, sign a sales agreement, and pay in staged instalments tied to construction milestones, often with a small deposit and a handover balance. Off-plan units register with the land department and count toward the AED 2 million Golden Visa threshold. INOVO projects include Wyndham Residences and Palazzo Al Marjan in Ras Al Khaimah.

Yes, but it must be licensed. Any let shorter than one year needs a holiday home permit from Dubai's Department of Economy and Tourism (formerly DTCM), the whole unit must be let to one guest group at a time, and the property has to meet DET safety and furnishing standards. Owners apply through the DET holiday homes portal or use a licensed operator. Running unlicensed risks fines running into tens of thousands of dirhams.

Yes, but from a smaller pool of banks and on tighter terms. Non-residents are typically offered around 50-60% loan-to-value on a completed home and less on off-plan, against up to 80% for residents, with rates broadly in the 4.5-6.5% range depending on lender and term. Most off-plan buyers skip financing altogether and use the developer's interest-free staged payment plan instead.

Service charges pay for the building's maintenance, security and amenities. They are set per building and approved annually by the Dubai Land Department through the Mollak system, so they are not something a seller can quote loosely. Apartments commonly run around AED 10-30 per sq ft per year, with amenity-heavy prime towers higher and villa communities far lower. Check the specific building's approved rate before you commit, because it is a permanent drag on net yield.

Prices have run hard - prime Dubai grew roughly 224% over five years - and no market compounds at that rate indefinitely. Growth is normalising as a large delivery pipeline completes, and softer patches in individual segments are realistic rather than alarmist. The sensible response is to underwrite on rental cash flow rather than momentum, favour genuinely scarce locations and waterfront, and plan a hold of several years rather than a quick flip.

Yes. Freehold can be held personally, through a UAE onshore company, or through offshore vehicles the land department recognises - JAFZA Offshore is the long-established route for Dubai title, and RAK ICC companies have been permitted since a 2019 agreement with the DLD. Structuring can help with succession, privacy and co-investment, but company ownership can bring the 9% UAE corporate tax into play, while an individual holding property personally sits outside it. Take advice before you title the asset.