Dubai Real Estate Investment Scenario

Dubai has become the largest real estate investment hub of the world. As a matter of fact, office space under construction in 2007 is the largest in Dubai than any other city of the world. This report was bought our by colliers international. If we consider the investment statistics for Dubai real estate market, nearly 43 million square feet of office space is under construction at present turning it into a prospective global commercial hub. If we co-relate the real estate area under construction in Dubai to that of basketball courts, it is the same as 9,000 basketball courts. This construction segment would easily exceed the pre-existing office space stock by more than 2.7 times, much more than that of Shanghai and Moscow.

Further, due to this sudden upsurge, Dubai real estate has also fallen short of the requirement for office space. This has affected upcoming business owners or companies to the extent that they are forced to make temporary arrangements in low-grade offices. Many others have established temporary offices in villas or hotels. This issue has recently been highlighted by the gulf news also.

Investment in Dubai real estate market has been on the rise since 2006. Not only for office spaces, but for other segments of real estate like hotels, houses, apartments, commercial as well as residential towers have all seen an upsurge in the past year.

However if we analyze the ratio of projects under-construction to projects which have been completed we would find a wide gap. What investors of real estate have to worry about is that most of the projects in Dubai are in construction phase. This means that although builders have secured the initial preliminary investment for these projects but certainty of a continued flow of money looms high. More over investment in the real estate segment of Dubai is simple a peck of a concern. Bigger worries come in when there is a shortage of skilled man power or any other government regulation which goes against the normal construction norms. There have been many cases of default in the real estate projects in past memories of which continue to worry the investors of present day.

The best part of the real estate sector however is that Dubai government norms welcome all expatriate investors with great incentives to invest. Further the real estate sector of Dubai is extremely dynamic in itself. There are amazing opportunities for investors with great availability of freehold properties, mortgage opportunities on real estate etc in loads. Further migration of skilled labor from neighboring countries has added a good deal of re-assurance to the investors in Dubai.

Also, there are a number of projects whether residential or commercial which their real estate investors can look into. Now it is on the investors of real estate in Dubai to decide the best project for their investment.

Al Dana II - Dubai Real Estate Properties Investment

The 10-stories high Al Dana II project is one of the most spectacular residential properties in the real estate market of Dubai. The project comprises of a ground level and ten deluxe residential floors. The ground level has eight commercial chambers and twelve residential apartments. The apartment building has a separate free car parking area, health gym and an attractive swimming pool. The interior of Al Dana II is brilliantly done with lavish furnishings and equipment. The residential compound is encircled by immaculate landscape gardening and surrounded by the multicultural communities of the International City's Complex.

The covered area of the project is about 33,076 square feet and it is just 8 minutes drive from the Dubai International Airport. The extensive residential complex of Al Dana II offers one and two bedroom super luxury apartments. Each floor has only 12 apartments and maximum space is made available for each residential unit.

Location

Al Dana II is located around the scenic International City of Dubai, one of the most influential cosmopolitan areas of the entire United Arab Emirates (near to Dubai International Airport, Dubai International Financial Center, Dubai Festival City and Dubailand). The project consists of a pre-designed compound that covers a huge area of 800 hectares.

Located in the heart of Dubai and accorded with matchless residential and business arenas, Al Dana II draws the attention of investors, agent and dealers worldwide. The Al Dana II city provides accommodation to over 60,000 residents making it one of the most prominent residencies in the real estate property market of Dubai.

Facilities at a Glance

Al Dana II provides an elegant lifestyle to its buyers with state-of-the-art leisure and recreational facilities. A few of the remarkable amenities of the Al Dana II project include:

- Gym and fitness centers

- Sauna & steam baths

- Beautiful swimming pools

- Granite and ceramic flooring and gypsum ceiling

- Auditory and thermal insulation

- Modern elevators

- Free parking area

- Conference room and club house facility

- High-toned interior

- Superbly furnished kitchen with high quality dishwasher, refrigerator and oven.

The payment terms for Al Dana II residential apartments are very affordable and convenient too. The prices for one bedroom apartments start from US$ 114,594 while the prices fro two bedroom apartments start from US$171,653. On booking, the customer is required to pay 15% of the total amount while 5% will be paid one month after the booking. After that, 10% is paid after every 3 months till the project is finished and upon completion the remaining 20% will be paid. To make payments easier, financing is also available that helps customer to secure an apartment in Al Dana II without much hassle.

Dubai Property Options

iPod style development - New development authority of Dubai has decided to build a structure that resembles an iPod Mp3 player. Known by the name of "The Pad Dubai", this building is located in Dubai Business Bay.

Omniyat properties of Dubai presented a model of this project, which has 230 apartments, at Dubai's International Property Show which was held from 3rd to 5th of April, 2007. These apartments will acquire Almasa Holdings which is a brand name in IT and Real Estate Markets, and is the parent name of Omniyat Properties. Authorities had decided that this building would include lofts, one and two- bedroom apartments and studio apartments. This is a 9 million AED property project and the minimum area available to the buyer is 581 sq.feet. According to property realtors in Dubai, 1 bed room set in these apartment will cost 362,372 US dollars, 2 bed room apartments will cost 901,158 US dollars, whereas studios will cost about 343,688 US dollars. Recently, similar 2 bedroom apartments in the Business Bay Area were sold for 550,000 US dollars by the Corporate Finance House.

Features of The Pad:

• The living rooms and dining rooms will be rotating 360 degrees so that one can admire the beauty of nearby water front and landscapes.

• Beautiful sights of the outer world can be enjoyed from the windows.

• Facility of video conferencing in the dining rooms.

• Lighting will adjust according to your mood and will respond to your telephone calls as well.

• Modern equipments provided for a healthy living.

The ultra modern style of room rotation is derived from Luigi Colani of Germany. In recent years, this method has been developed for aesthetic reasons rather than as a space saving device. The developer has planned to use rotating double beds in all apartments and make use of robotic features for robot vacuum cleaning.

There are many facilities listed for its residents which include parking spaces, retail areas, under water concert, Jacuzzi, aerobics section, basket ball court, etc.

Rotating tower for the first time in Dubai Property Market

For the first time in the history of Dubai real estate, rotating towers which resemble high skyscrapers have been introduced by the Dubai Property Ring. World Real Estate authority of Dubai had granted UK based developers to build 30 story rotating apartments. These apartments will require the power of 20 electric motors to rotate 360 degree in a week's time. Nick Cooper, a British engineer working with MG Bennet and Associate of Rotherham, has been employed for the project.

Mr. Cooper was involved with drilling tunnels between London and Paris that allowed a free passage of Eurostar trains under the English Channel. In 1966, a part of London's post office tower which was a restaurant, was made rotating. The idea of complete rotation of a building on its axis was really a novel one at that time. The British technology of rotation is being used after half a century on Arabic land. The rotating tower under construction in Dubai has a crescent moon lounge at its top. The future residents of this building can admire the scenic beauty of 23 rotating buildings which are to be built in future by Dubai Property Ring.

Tallest Building In The World - Burj Dubai

The tallest man made structure record was held by the CN Tower in Canada. However, that record has been broken by the Burj Dubai, a 555.3m building constructed by Emaar Properties, one of the leading property builders.

Currently the tallest building, the Burj Dubai, at 555.3m high, is one tall building that has a whopping one hundred and fifty stories. This building has left the others in the competition like the Taipei 101 in Taiwan and the record holder, CN Tower.

An elated Mohammed Ali Alabbar, the Chairman of the firm (Emaar Properties) that pulled off this amazing feat, was quoted saying that the making of this building was a result of more than 5000 people who were involved in the making of this project. He said that he saw this achievement as an assertion of the will power of the many people who dedicated their efforts towards the creation of this masterpiece. Making the tallest building in the world is not an easy thing to do, and it requires an immense amount of dedication and perseverance to transfer a dream into reality. The proud chairman claimed that this achievement bears testimony to the spirit of Dubai and is representative of the dauntless never die attitude of its people.

This building actually puts Dubai in the world map and when the building is completed in the next year, it will become one of the major attractions of the place.
The Downtown Burj Dubai project covers other aspects and will have everything from residences, offices, hospitality units and the biggest destination for shopaholics around the world - the Dubai Mall.
Investment Features

The Burj Dubai is all about thinking big and then transforming it into reality. The structure will have world class facilities for the residents. Those staying in Burj Dubai will get four swimming pools at their disposal, a cigar club, library and a world class gym.
Design and Construction

The styling and structuring of the Burj Dubai, done by Skidmore from Chicago, is a perfect merger of Islamic architectural traditions and modern styling. It looks very much a 21st century structure with an added feel of tradition.

The Burj Dubai represents the blend of East and West and it poses as a perfect destination for the investors who are interested in real estate. With the demands for a space in the Burj Dubai, it is fast becoming one of the hottest properties around.

If you can be part of the Burj Dubai, you will have access to almost all over the world and you will be where the world wants to be. With most of the attention of the real estate focused on it, the Burj Dubai is all set to become one of the most coveted properties in the world.

With all the good things, one must end with the good old saying in the world of real estate - the sky is the limit. And thus, even before the Burj Dubai has arrived, it has a competitor in Nakheel's Al Burj, a tower that promises to be the highest!

Dubai real estate regulatory body expanding into global advisory role

The Real Estate Regulatory Authority in Dubai is planning to expand and become an international real estate reference point with the acronym, Menares, it has been announced.

Menares - Middle East and North Africa Real Estate Society – said it will become part of several international property bodies. 'We are in the final stages of establishing Menares. We are aiming to build a professional real estate market and are serious about being first, globally,' said Mahmoud Al Burai, director of the real estate sector development department at Rera.

Rera recently became a member of five organisations responsible for regulating real estate affairs around the world. These include the International Real Estate Federation, the World Association of Valuation Organisation, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, the Asian Public Real Estate Association and the Urban Land Institute.

Al Burai said Rera's plans were in line with His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai's vision to become a leading, global Arab city.

Menares will be a reference body only, rather than a regulatory one, but Al Burai said the authority would be happy to assist any country in the region with their own property regulation framework.

'Everyone is looking at Dubai. Everyone is looking at Rera as the reference point,' Al Burai said.

The aim of Menares is to encourage real estate education, professionalism and real estate practices, he added. Exact details of the collaboration with the other organisations are still being discussed and will be announced soon.

Dubai's Commercial Property Sector - A Popular Pick

Dubai's commercial property is looked upon as a lucrative option in the business circuit the world over. It is noteworthy in this regard that a number of office buildings in the Dubai International Financial Centre have their initial value experiencing a growth spurt within three months' period! In another instance of the rising popularity of commercial property in Dubai, the rates of land in the Business Bay locality have seen a rise of about 40 percent.

When it comes to the rental market in the commercial property sector, Dubai is close on the heels of top 10 countries of the world. With an average office space rent at the rate of 329 AED per square foot, the figure continues to shoot up. Still one can witness the current demand-supply equation in the wider Dubai property market applies to office spaces as well. Demand continues to outstrip supply even while commercial property in Dubai is on its way to expansion.

Places like Discovery Gardens and Jumeirah Lake Towers have seen a delay in the delivery of units due to delays in water and electricity supply. The delay has further stretched the high rates for a still longer span of time. But the fact remains that once the supply resumes and there is delivery of office units all at one go, the price bubble of commercial property in Dubai will burst.

By that time, however, Dubai will have a host of world-class office spaces available at cheaper prices, which in turn will attract business houses from around the world to make Dubai part of their portfolios. Dubai is indeed going to be an international business and financial hub in the years to come.

Dubai's Real Estate Regulations - Trendsetter for Other Emirates

Real estate regulations in Dubai have been on the road to evolution for quite some time now. So much so that it now has a set regulatory framework for the property sector. This in turn is something exemplary when it comes to the real estate industry of the United Arab Emirates at large. It is expected that Abu Dhabi will soon come up with a body similar to Dubai's RERA (Real Estate Regulatory Agency) which in turn clearly indicates the success of the body.

The constant efforts of Dubai government's RERA and Land Department have helped in the building and sustenance of investor confidence. The coming months might witness the introduction of still more rules aimed at protecting customer interests. Law on common ownership is on the agenda of the government for quite some time now. It still remains to be seen whether Dubai leads Abu Dhabi in this or not. An important point to note, however, is that practically Dubai went on its property boom ride three years earlier than Abu Dhabi, which in turn saw its first property law on paper before Dubai!

Abu Dhabi laws on real estate registration (Law No. 3, 2005) and foreign ownership in designated areas (Law No. 19) have been phenomenal in the transformation of the property sector of the emirate. With the development of rules and regulations in line with the property sector of Dubai, things will take a turn for the better in Abu Dhabi and UAE at large.

Dubai is surely on the road to success in a big way and time will tell the same!

Property flipping in UAE and its consequences

Property flipping occurs when an investor purchase some property and immediately sell it to another buyer for profits. Technically the property owner just flips it over to the next buyer and secures profits. Fix and flip procedure is the same except that the investor will go through some basic construction or maintenance work, just to make it sellable or improve its price (adding no value).

Property flipping is also used for mortgage fraud (often with the help of property appraiser and buyer), which is illegal and unethical. Property flipping is a practice commonly observed in real estate investors at rapidly growing real estate markets. Where investors are keen to gain the maximum profits with the growth, this type of speculation based property flipping is bound to happen in thriving markets but things can get out of control if it goes unchecked for a long time. Abnormal hikes in real estate prices and increase in cost of living are associated with property flipping.

Property flipping differs from the usual real estate sales and purchase. Property flippers are essentially looking to resell the property as soon as possible, in case of fix and flip the maintenance work is also of a very basic or temporary level. They are looking to skip through all of renovation and paper work swiftly; main focus is on reselling as quickly as possible rather than adding value. Property flipping is like a fast-forwarded process of normal real estate buying and selling. It has been observed that if the property flipping is not controlled, all stakeholders will suffer including the buyer, lender, residents, government and the real estate market itself.

UAE real estate market is one of the most dynamic markets these days. The kind of growth it has witnessed in recent years has made it an ideal spot for those who rely on property flipping to make quick profits. Property flippers do not like uncertainty, and unlike other major real estate markets, Dubai and UAE real estate markets are not going through the normal uncertainty seen everywhere else. That is why; laws are now introduced to rein in the practice of property flipping in UAE to protect serious investors and developers. A new law in Dubai makes it a compulsion to register with the land department before the owner resells. The delay caused by this registration work will discourage the non-serious property flippers. Also, there are some tax charges that you must pay when flipping property in UAE.

Year 2008: A peep into the future of Dubai property prices

Before we look into Dubai real estate prices and try to draw conclusions on what we can expect in future. Let's have a look at some basic factors, which helps in assessment of property prices and real estate valuation. These factors are

1. Demand & Supply
2. Cost of building
3. Buyer's income
4. Cost of financing
5. Competition

Real estate prices are hugely affected by the principles of demand & supply. If the supply surpass demand, the prices will start going down, in other case where demand is higher than supply, we will see an upsurge in prices. Cost of financing comes next, in majority of mature real estate markets; most buyers rely on mortgage and other means of home finance to purchase a home or property. Rate of interest on these loans can influence the property prices. Same is the case with building materials and labor cost. Average income of potential buyers and competition can also have an impact on prices.

Coming back to Dubai, the property prices have been on a rising streak ever since the Dubai Government allowed the foreigners freehold ownership in some areas. The demand was much higher than what the existing developers were able to supply at that time. More and more expatriates meant a constant rise in rents that also fueled the property prices and they kept going up. Dubai and other estates enjoy a very good per capita income (thanks to all those petrodollars), plus Dubai had no immediate competition from neighbor estates in the beginning (Abu Dhabi, Ajman, etc have only recently started to offer an alternate to Dubai real estate), these factors combined with the hype some of the mega developments (Palm islands, Burj ul Arab and Dubai mall to name the few) got, helped the market to maintain the price increase all along those years. Prices not only increased, they actually doubled or tripled.

Things have started to change a little bit now, as more and more developers have entered in the market and lots of projects are now in completion phase, supply is quickly catching up with the demand. Expatriates are forced to find a residence outside Dubai because of some abnormal rises in rents. Ajman and Abu Dhabi are now offering the investors some equally profitable opportunities. Keeping all these factors and changing scenarios in mind, we can safely conclude; that while it will take some time before we see a drop in Dubai property prices, the rate of growth is about to slow down in coming years.

Dubai real estate becoming home to celebrities

Not that Dubai needs some celebrity endorsement to gain popularity; the "city of gold" is a star in itself. When a celebrity purchases some villa, island, or just put his/her name to some building, it's hard to determine who's being promoted? Dubai? The star? or both of them? Dubai has got a celebrity status, that is why celebrities are more than happy to attach their names with the developments going on, some have done it by purchasing a piece of property, others by giving their names to some development, while some are trying their luck in designing hotels or golf courses. Although, the property has got to deliver what it is supposed to deliver (yields on investments, luxurious lifestyle or world class business facilities), still nobody minds paying a little more when they know they will be getting a villa in the neighborhood of David Beckham or Brad Pitt.

Big names from Sports world:
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum presented a whole island (in "The World") to Michael Schumacher at his retirement, probably one of the most expensive publicly known gifts to an individual in recent times. Schumacher involvement doesn’t end there; we have got a whole Michael Schumacher Business Avenue at Business Bay as well. Similarly Boris Becker has a 19-storey building named after him. ACI Real Estate recently launched "Boris Becker tower" in the same district. Talking of tennis celebrities, everybody knows the famous friendly match played between Roger Federer and Andre Agassi at the helipad of Burj Al Arab hotel. Then we have "Tiger Woods Dubai", a golf resort designed by non other than Tiger Woods himself. David Beckham represents the football stars at Dubai, who owns a luxurious Villa at Palm Jumeirah (though for the time being, his in-laws are more likely to occupy it).

Showbiz Biggies:
Dubai government is trying to make Dubai the prime destination for tourists, and what better way to attract people all around the world than bunching up some of the most famous showbiz names in Dubai, one way or another. Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Hillary Swank, Kylie Minogue, Giorgio Armani, Carlos Santana, Shah Rukh; the names are big enough to pull crowds on their own. One of the hottest couple in Hollywood (at least among those, who are still together) Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt have reportedly bought an island in "the world" Hillay Swank and Shah Rukh Khan are endorsing some property developments (While SRK owns an address in Palm Jumeriah as well). More than 2000 celebrities from all over the world flocked to Dubai for a grand opening ceremony of Hotel Atlantis, where Kylie Minogue and Michael Jackson performed.

With so many celebrities, VIPs and super starts showing up at Dubai, Dubai will soon become an ideal spot for investors, businessmen and tourists alike (oh and paparazzo’s as well).

UAE - An insight into one of the most developed economy

Whether we call it a recession or not, one thing is sure, we are going through a severe economic crisis, which will be discussed (once over) in the Economics syllabus and debates, in coming years. In this global economic crisis, where the likes of United Estates or European economies are feeling the heat, United Arab Emirates economy continues to head into positive direction. All the economic indicators and reports are also confirming to the fact that there will be no slowdown in near future. Let's have a look at this thriving economy and the contributing factors.

Oil & Gas reserves:
UAE has almost 10 percent of world’s oil (proven reserves), while the gas reserves amount to 4 percent of global reserves. According to UAE government portal, these reserves can last well over 150 years. Recently when soaring oil prices took a toll on all and sundry, this part of the world remained mostly unscathed. Among the seven estates, Abu Dhabi is the biggest producer, producing more than 80 percent of the total UAE oil and gas production. There’s hardly any chance that oil consumption and demand will go down in future, so the black gold will continue to fuel economic growth of UAE.

Construction & Real Estate:
Dubai has done remarkably well as far as real estate market is concerned. Grand projects like “The Palm”, “Burj ul Arab” or “The World” managed to draw investors from all over the world. Abu Dhabi and other estates are also working in this sector. The demand will be much stronger than the supply even after the completion of ongoing projects. Real estate investors are now much more interested in UAE real estate, after the credit crunch in US market, considering it a safer option than others.

High-Class Tourism Industry:
Biggest shopping mall, tallest building of the world, indoor ski resort, white beaches, deserts, man-made islands, some of the most luxurious hotels in the world, crime free environment, rich cultural heritage, international sports event, to sum up, UAE has got tourists attractions in abundance. Tourism industry contributes significantly in over all GDP of UAE and it will continue to do so in the coming years. Many development projects are in progress; world-class airports, bridges and other infrastructure programs are about to complete.

It’s not that UAE is somehow immune to whatever happens globally, but with ample oil reserves, strong real estate market, foreign investments and an exuberant tourism industry, UAE is better equipped to put up with such situations.

UAE real estate regulatory agency (RERA) - Purpose and Functions

Dubai government has been proactive from the day one in dealing with the problems related to real estate market; issues are seriously dealt with before any of them can damage the confidence of investors in Dubai real estate market. Since 1960 Dubai land department has been keeping an eye on all the real estate sales and purchase matters in Dubai. On 31st July 2007 RERA (Real Estate Regulatory Authority) was launched as an agency under the Dubai land department by his highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, ruler of Dubai.

Although it was launched under Dubai land department, it is more of an autonomous body, with main objectives being monitoring and regulating Dubai real estate market. People tend to mix these two, though the objectives are same, RERA and Dubai land department differs in their priorities, functions and authorities.

Regulatory measures and standardization of the market:
Dubai attracts investors from all four corners of the earth; also there are expatriates coming from all over the world, then there are UAE locals and developers, all adding into the numbers of stakeholders in Dubai real estate market. Keeping in mind the countless developments, purchases, sales, rentals, investments and all sorts of transactions going around in Dubai, a highly efficient and focused regulatory body was needed to look into all of the problems arising from these transactions. RERA works towards managing Dubai real estate market in a way that guarantees the interest for all of the concerned parties.

Protecting investors through legislations and registrations:
RERA is working for the security of investors and transparency for all by registering real estate agents, developers, and brokers, etc with them, till date 823 developers, 1790 brokers and more than 950 projects are registered with RERA. Investors are advised to deal with these registered developers (RERA also manages developers trust accounts) and brokers with complete sense of security.

RERA and Dubai real estate:
Since its launch, RERA has been busy laying out rules and legislation for all sorts of agreements, contracting parties, licensing, compiling standard agreement forms for real estate transactions, keeping a check on all parties involved in Dubai real estate market including buyers, sellers, investors, advertisement agencies, agents, brokers and developers. The official website of RERA (www.rera.gov.ae) is a great source to get all the authentic information regarding Dubai real estate laws (many new laws have been introduced recently), code of ethics, news, list of approved developers, brokers, projects or trustees, research studies and survey reports. You can also sign up and submit your complains with them.

Abu Dhabi Real Estate - Can they catch up with Dubai

There's good news for the investors who thought they were a bit too late in entering Dubai real estate market. Another "Dubai" is in making and this time the stakes are even higher. So far, Abu Dhabi has been quietly observing the growth of Dubai in terms of real estate like a sleeping giant. Government of Abu Dhabi has now started to take initiatives towards Abu Dhabi's transformation into becoming or ever surpassing Dubai. Right now Abu Dhabi's real estate market has everything working in its favor.

Rising Economy:
The biggest Emirate by size, Abu Dhabi is one of the world richest cities in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and Per Capita Income. With crude oil & gas reserves projected to last another century, Abu Dhabi is the 4th largest supplier of oil. Also Abu Dhabi contribution to the United Arab Emirates economy is more than 60%. All of these indicators prove that Abu Dhabi’s economy can withstand the demands of upcoming boom in real estate industry.

Real Estate Projects:
Some major projects include Saadiyat Island, Yas Island, Al Raha Beach, New International Airport, Desert Towers, Khalifa City and much more. Some of these projects are really huge like Yas Island or Khalifa City. Over $450 billion worth of real estate development projects are planned for this year.

Investing Perspective:
Abu Dhabi holds many positives from investor’s point of view. According to the “Plan Abu Dhabi 2030” assessments, population will grow from less than one million to 3.1 million in 2030, while the number of tourists visiting Abu Dhabi will increase to 7.9 million from the present figure of 1.8 million. Population is largely made of expatriates, so the rents are increasing steadily. As HSBC research report shows, Abu Dhabi real estate prices have an approximate growth of 58%, compared to 37% growth in Dubai real estate prices.

Abu Dhabi government looks quite committed to diversify its economy; it’s only a matter of time before Abu Dhabi real estate market will reach the grandeur of Dubai real estate. Even after the present upsurge, the prices are still relatively low from international standard. News like “Abu Dhabi will be hosting the Formula 1 Grand Prix in 2009” show that Abu Dhabi is investing largely on its tourism sector as well. Investor who can invest and hold their funds for some time, Abu Dhabi real estate will surely bring them great yields in coming years.

Leading Developers in UAE Real Estate Industry

Real Estate Developer companies in United Arab Emirates are well known for their stunning innovations, ground breaking designs and swift completion of the projects. Credit goes to Nakheel, Emaar, Damac, etc for delivering projects like Palm Island, Business Bay, Dubailand or Burj-Ul-Arab. These developers have grown in tandem with Dubai real estate market. Some of these much admired developers operating in UAE markets are discussed below.

Al Nakheel Properties:
Nakheel Corporation is the most prominent developer in UAE. Their trademark work is the land reclamation projects they have carried so far. Palm Trilogy, The world or Dubai water fronts, each of them is a milestone, achieved by no other company as yet. Other notable properties include Jumeirah Lake Towers, The International City or Jumeirah Village. Nakheel's vision has provided Dubai with the much needed edge in design and structures over other parts of the world.

Emaar Properties:
Regarded as the largest real estate company of UAE, having projects like Burj Dubai (anticipated to be the tallest man made structure in world), Dubai Marina, "Emaar Misr" and "Emirates Livings" on their portfolio, "Emaar Properties" means business for sure. The company is just 11 years old and already aiming at becoming one of the most valuable companies by 2010. Apart from UAE, Emaar properties has extend their business to more than 30 countries all over the world including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, India, Pakistan, Turkey, USA, Canada and United Kingdom.

Damac Properties:
Another big name, Damac properties won the title in five categories of CNBC Arabian Property Awards 2008. They have a long list of residential and commercial units on their credit such as ocean Heights, The Waves, Burjside Terrace, Business Square, Solitaire, Damac Heights, Business Heights and Park Towers, all situated at strategically selected exclusive locations. Damac Properties are also appraised for their great payment plans and investment offers.

Dubai Properties:
"Dubai properties" is the name behind projects like Jumeirah Beach Residence, Business Bay (accredited as the best master development in Arabian Property Award 2008), Culture Village, The Executive Towers and Mudon. This company is a member of Dubai Holding, which belongs to the government of Dubai. The company is now looking to extend themselves internationally.

Dheeraj & East Coast, Deyaar, Tameer, Diamond Investments, ETA Star Property and Vakson Freehold Properties are some other chief developers actively contributing in UAE real estate market, which continues to get bigger and better.

Dubai & Abu Dhabi Look Forward to Booming Real Estate

The property market market in the United Arab Emirates, one of the hottest in the world, is set to continue until 2015 and beyond, according to new reports. Real estate and construction markets in the UAE are primarily focused on Dubai, which has been booming for several years, and the newer market of Abu Dhabi.

Two recent studies by HSBC and Damac Capital International of Dubai both indicate that supply will not catch up to demand for a number of years, keeping the markets strong. Traditionally the most popular locations with second-home buyers and British investors are Spain and France but Dubai is beginning to rival them. Dubai investment property is attractive due to its tax-free status, excellent facilities and low crime rate.

International investors buying property in Dubai need to concentrate their search for properties in Dubai to the many Freehold Areas in Dubai.

Properties that are suitable for foreign buyers include the following freehold zones: Dubai Sports City , Dubai Marina, I.M.P.Z. International Media Production Zone , Jumeirah Village , The Palm Jumeirah, Shaikh Zayed Road, International City, The Lagoons, Palm Deira, Jebel Ali Airport, Emirates Road, Dubai Land ,Business Bay ,Downtown Dubai and much more

Recently Dubai developers have had to comply with a new piece of legislation Law No 8. This makes escrow accounts compulsory for all Dubai off-plan developments, with money released only on the order of the Dubai Land Department. This move marks an end to the days when any developer could launch a project and collect deposits without a guarantee that the funds would be used correctly. Many pundits feel that this could slow the Dubai market but increase confidence with investors

Middle East online news website Gulfnews.com reports that Dubai will continue to be a strong real estate market, while Abu Dhabi is set to take off. Rental yields in Abu Dhabi are expected to be in excess of 7% until at least 2013 and perhaps beyond.

According to Damac Capital's analysts Hany Seif and Pamela Chikhani, Dubai will remain a major Gulf real estate market for years to come. By some estimates, over the next 10 years both local and international real estate investors will pump in almost $300 billion into Dubai's real estate developments. According to HSBC's real estate analysts, Walid Khalfallah and Majid Azza, Abu Dhabi is becoming a major regional real estate market. "The Abu Dhabi story is gaining credibility. After a slow start to the year, sales activity has picked up in the second half of 2007. The market remains extremely tight, with stronger-than-expected growth in rents [22 per cent] and prices [18 per cent]," they said in a recent report.

Abu Dhabi does not have the liberal international property laws that neighboring Dubai has yet, but things are improving there. The office market is particularly strong and vacancy rates are below 1%. With increased deregulation, Abu Dhabi will continue to gain ground on its more prominent neighbor. Both should see strong growth in the coming years.

Setting Up a Business in Dubai

Starting a new business in Dubai or even moving a running business there from any other part of the world is not something that comes easy. Dubai is gradually freeing its economy from dependency on oil and focusing on services industry. That's why the city has kept a firm focus on establishing more and more businesses regardless of their type and size. In its effort to strengthen the emirate's business sector, international businesses have also been encouraged to move to the city. If you also want to establish a new business in Dubai, or move your running business to the city, there are many things you should consider.

The success of any business depends upon one crucial factor: location. No matter how well planned and managed, no business can flourish if it's not located at a commercially viable place. But acquisition of a suitably located commercial property in Dubai may prove to be a very hard nut to crack. Though there have been several commercial real estate developments in Dubai over the past few years, the supply still doesn't fully meet the increasing demand. So it becomes really hard to get a desired commercial property for sale or rent for the one wishing to establish a business in Dubai. But this problem can be solved if you have good contacts in the market and keep yourself in close touch with property classifieds. Doing this will inform you about the agents and individuals who sell commercial properties in Dubai.

The next big thing you require to start a business in Dubai is a sponsor who has to be a UAE national. This condition doesn't apply if you want to open a business in a freezone. But unfortunately, the free zone is no place for small businesses and if you've big plans ahead and can afford a commercial property in a free zone, that's the best location. Some of the commercial properties in Dubai that have seen the highest demand are office spaces, warehouses, labour houses and shopping centres, and the most preferred location for all these properties is a free zone. On other locations, you can't do without a sponsor. Suppose you want to start a food business and even buy restaurant in Dubai, you can't run it without partnering a UAE national.

After all is done, an office space in Dubai is something you need anyhow. You'll find hundreds of offices for sale in Dubai and you're free to make a choice. But here too you have to be careful about the location of the office which holds the key to your success. Once the business starts flourishing, depending upon its nature, you might need some additional space to store your increased inventory. For this, you can either buy a warehouse, or go for warehouse rental in Dubai. If your business is big in size, you may need a larger and better place to accommodate your employees for which you can either buy a labour house in Dubai or opt for rental.

More Dubai Commercial Property Reaches Completion at Jumeirah Lake Towers

Hot on the heals of the news that Cayan Business Centre is preparing for handover at TECOM, comes word from developers Reef Real Estate Investment that its recently completed commercial offering is now awaiting occupants for this stunning Dubai property project. As detailed before in previous blogs, Dubai is currently suffering from a large lack of ready and completed freehold commercial property and office space which companies can use for their Dubai operations. Many projects have met with delay, and numerous planned off plan property projects have been canceled due to lack of credit availability.

This combined with experts now reporting a very large switch in what type of property investors are seeking out is leading to increased demand and lowered supply in the marketplace. Short term speculative investors are now leaving the market with a much stronger interest from long term investors and end users. The results of this have seen ready completed and well located office space become even more highly sought after than previously.

Therefore completed freehold commercial Dubai properties coming to market at this time are much needed and as a result are highly sought in the Dubai real estate market, which makes the timing of Reef Commercial Tower's completion all the more better. Located at the already popular Jumeirah Lake Towers development, the G+32 tower will provide a good range of commercial space plus some other luxuries that would not be expected. Included in this is a luxury spa run by world renowned spa management specialists WTS International.

Reef Commercial Tower should go some way to easing the lack of supply currently being witnessed in the commercial sector, but the sooner other similar projects at the likes of Business Bay and Jumeirah Lake Towers come to completion, the better. One benefit of this lack of available completed office space is that, so far at least, commercial property has avoided the large price drops seen in residential freehold property, and this is set to continue throughout 2009 according to predictions. So those looking for freehold office space would do well to make the jump into a well situated property like Reef Commercial Tower or another similar JLT property as soon as possible.

Dangerous Professional Real Estate Advice to Tenants - Warning About Self-Dealing & Ineffectiveness

Real estate agents and agencies for decades have offered up their venerable tenant representation services by describing both their value as no conflict of interest and their summary of helpful services in the transaction. Yet just as the commercial real estate industry was thought to have turned the corner into 21st century expert professional representation skill, several current developments have proved that the more things change - the more things stay the same, and the more companies are exposed to harm and foul. This is particularly disappointing to this professional who has espoused (yelled about) the requirement to ratchet up professional and thorough representation; however having said that, this particularly reinforces the advice to seek out only those professionals who have achieved perfect skill in representing tenants.

In the Commercial section of the Realtor Magazine (May 2009) - The Business Tool for Real Estate Professionals - an article has been written for commercial agents providing professional advice on how to position agents in the present recession economy (2009). Principle among the advice is guiding agents to the prospect of landlords providing major rent concessions to entice tenants and offering side benefits such as increased real estate commissions, giving away free "SMART" cars to agents and to only focus on tenants who will do well in down economic times. Real estate companies now routinely offer much increased real estate commission percentages to real estate brokers to entice them to steer tenants to their buildings (versus other buildings who may be offering lower real estate fees.

In short, these situations should signal the mature commercial company that real estate agents, in addition to feeding into their own greed for higher fees and gifts, are being advised by professional organizations and reinforced by greedy landlords to ignore tenant's objective needs to, instead, fatten their own wallets.

The issue of real estate agents representing a tenant with no conflict of interest becomes dangerously limited in the face of this damaging, competitive landscape. When considering to show a tenant a building where the fee to the tenant representative is 2.5% versus a building offering 6% as an inducement, temptation can be too great to not show the building with the lower fee - or at least be less caring in evaluating it objectively for the tenant. Throw in a free car, or a free trip to Colorado, or a free cruise and it can be impossible to ensure the tenant's interest is being professionally maintained under the full force of the fiduciary laws governing buyer's and tenant's agency. What evil lurks in the hearts of men? Increased fees, trips, cars, cruises, that's what lurks!

In tenant representation, it is essential to have a firm, clear and written agreement with a tenant representative which specifically enumerates the fee to the tenant's agent at a fixed number. In this manner, the tenant can rest assured that the tenant will be alerted to the disclosure of such offers to brokers; and notify the client that the agent has declined the special inducements and thus kept the transaction completely unaffected by self-interest or self-serving actions (or convenient acts of omission).

Along these lines, the fixed fee to the agent also allows the tenant to qualify those landlords who will not pay a reasonable fee to the representative. If a landlord is unwilling to pay the professional representative a fee, then they should be disqualified (they will surely be just as miserly with the tenant improvements, operating expenses, snow removal, janitorial, etc). If they truly want the tenant, they'll come to their senses.

And continuing on with the tenant's concern of just what services the tenant representative is providing, these same articles clearly illustrate that they define the professional by the skill they have in poring over which rent concession pic-nic basket; saying nothing about the tenant's needs assessment, workplace efficiency, long-term financial risks, architectural and interiors needs, evaluation of each building's technical data, operating expense evaluation, construction cost containment, project and construction management, lease negotiation skill, move management and mastery-level skill at process management. Office leasing is not about three months free rent, or even six or 12 months free rent. My golden retriever Woody can deliver that result to any tenant. Tenant Representation is not about concessions at all. If that alone was the criteria, every tenant would simply hire The Sapranos to represent them. Only the Tenant Rep who can provide the sophisticated degree of services specifically to manage the whole process should be considered. The tenant also does not need the conflict of interest (or lack of focus) from those firms which also represent landlords, property management, industrial, retail, land, investors, portfolio managers, developers and real estate investment trusts.

Commercial Real Estate - The Right Business Get Up By Eliza Maledevic

Florida is a special place for those tourists and local individuals who want to experience a different kind of lifestyle. This place offers a different kind ambiance for those people who want to relax and feel comfortable. Florida is a place that is rich in beautiful spots and beaches. It is a perfect place for those beach lovers.

Aside from those scenic views it is also perfect for those people who want to try adventurous recreational activities. You can enjoy boating, dock to yacht and a lot more. Having a lot of these activities makes tourist to get attracted and visit the place for fun and excitement.

There are a lot of things to enjoy in Florida like those Florida commercial real estate. There are different commercial real estates that most people love to visit and have enjoyed. Now there are a lot of shopping malls to cater the needs of shoppers. Aside from this, the place offer Open air commercial center that can provide convenience and ambiance for a lot of people.

And because of this, the sale of Florida commercial real estate continues to increase and gives a lot of opportunity. Most of the time entrepreneur takes advantage of the situation in Florida by starting their own business. This is the common mentality of people because they foresee great earnings with this Florida commercial real estate.

So if you are one of those individuals who want to have great earnings, you can put up your own business in Florida. But before entering to this venture you have to must have specific plans on what you need to do. First of all you have to determine first what business that you are planning to put up. This will be your basis on what type of Florida commercial real estate that you need for your business. The next thing is to determine the location for your business. Actually there are heaps of commercial spaces that you can choose from, you just have to determine your needs and for sure you will have the right one.

Whatever part of Florida that you prefer, for sure you will have great earnings. And once you invest with the Florida commercial real estate you will not regret even a penny that you invested because this will have a good return for you. So start investing now and you will never go wrong.