The FT published an article today titled ‘Dubai lures foreign investors’ with lots of positive findings. The general consensus is that large investment funds have Dubai high on their priority list of places to invest in. In what has been a though year for business and real estate in particular, this is positive news. Here are the key points of the article:

1. The new ICD Brookfield Place tower in DIFC is an example of foreign investment that is giving confidence to the Dubai real estate market

“an example of a major international corporate putting a stake here, and that’s caused quite a level of interest among others”.

Nicholas Maclean, managing director for the consultancy CBRE Middle East

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2. There is a lot of demand from global investors but there isn’t much opportunity to invest as it is an ‘illiquid market’

“There is no shortage of demand; it’s the supply side that is lacking.”

Nicholas Maclean, managing director for the consultancy CBRE Middle East

3. Malls and big property developments are rarely put up for sale, and even big groups end up building their own head quarters like HSBC and Standard chartered

4. Dubai property boom has been largely funded by local money (GCC) but it now needs foreign investment because the lower oil price has slowed this down

5. But Dubai hasn’t been as effected as Abu Dhabi and the rental market has remained strong due to a ‘flight to quality’

6. It is said that the Strata System has held back the market.. 

… this is the process ‘under which office buildings are divided up and sold to different investors ahead of completion’

7. But that new laws have helped make the market more transparent 

8. Since it became possible to for foreign groups to own property in Dubai in 2002 some big groups have invested…

… including:

• Pramerica (US)
• AIG (US)
• Goodman Group (Australia)
• Related (US)
• Capital Land (Singapore)
• Hines (US)

9. The property market in Dubai has typically undergone a slump every 3-4 years, investors are hoping that this will change to be less frequent in the coming years