Do you wonder who is going to live in all these new properties as you read my weekly updates?

The hope is that we can get now get back to "business as usual".

Eid Mubarak. 

Public sector employees in the UAE are set to enjoy a week-long break for Eid Al Adha, starting from today through to Thursday, August 23, so nine days off when combined with the weekends.

Would you really buy a property in Dubai without coming here and checking it out for yourself?

Smart city initiatives, upcoming mega-events such as Expo 2020 Dubai, and the growth of intelligent enterprises are rapidly driving the UAE’s IT market skyward. 

Dubai Creek Harbour is at the heart of a bold new vision for Dubai.

Dubai has been named as the world's fifth most expensive city for Airbnb listings.

When buying off-plan, one can reasonably expect to save on the current market price for an equivalent completed property in exchange for having to wait for the duration of construction and subsequent handover. 

I arrived to live and work in Dubai in 2003 when the population had just reached one million, today we have three million, and by 2027, Dubai expects to have more than five million residents.

This is a city whose population has grown 1,000 per cent in the last 40 years making it one of the fastest growing cities on the planet. Read more here

Dubai is one of the seven Emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates which now has a total population of 9.3 million, and many of those people have contributed to the AED 6 billion invested by residents in Dubai real estate from January to June this year. Read more here

This week’s property discussions have included:

The summer has definitely arrived in Dubai with daily temperatures ranging from 42 to 44 degrees during the day down to a cooler 33 degrees at night.

All the schools have broken up, and the worlds busiest airport for international travellers will have welcomed over 1.1m people during the past week.

Up until a few years ago, the city would have been deserted through to mid-September, however, the current trend is to take just a few weeks off over the summer and then get back to work – its business as usual.

It's always a busy time for me as many overseas clients take advantage of the summer deals on Dubai hotels and flights to visit for their holidays. So if you are planning a trip to Dubai in the next few months, please get in touch as soon as possible, and we can make a plan to meet to discuss the many offers as well as view the new developments and properties.

This week’s property discussions have included the following:-

Developers in Dubai mostly work on a fixed price policy with a few exceptions where we may be able to negotiate 1% or 2% off the asking price, so therefore not a compelling reason to go with one investment over another, it’s simply a "deal sweetener". 

In my experience, if you are offered a higher discount, then it's almost always because the property is overpriced in the first place.

One way you can often save a good amount of money on your property purchase is via the transfer of currency by using a specialist instead of your high-street bank. 

The rates offered by transfer providers can vary significantly and using your high-street bank often ends up costing more money and time. A foreign-exchange specialist typically provides a better and faster service, will negotiate on their rates and they normally do not charge any fees, unlike your bank.

×          No set-up fees

×          0% commission

×          Low minimum amount

×          Plan against unpredictable currency markets

×          Full transparency with rates and fees

×          Personal service 

×          Quick, simple and secure transfers

There are two companies that I use and who I have been recommending to clients for many years, they both have offices in the UK and Dubai and are authorised by the FCA (Financial Conduct Authority) – email me here for an introduction

This week’s property discussions have included the following:- 

Chinese developer says it has signed multiple deals worth $103m with Emaar Properties for The Grand in Dubai Creek Harbour. 

Fidu Properties, a Chinese real estate group, has announced that it plans to invest $544 million into Dubai’s real estate sector by the end of 2018, as part of its regional expansion strategy.