With property markets cooling across Asia, high-net-worth buyers are finding their next big opportunity in Dubai<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Across Asia, the luxury property market is losing steam. In Singapore, higher stamp duties and tighter loan limits have curbed appetite at the top end. In China, developer defaults, unfinished projects, and weaker consumer confidence have pushed high-net-worth investors to look elsewhere. The slowdown is rippling outward, and money from Asian real estate investors is finding new ground in Dubai.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
According to Savills, Asian investors are driving UAE real estate growth, led by deals in Dubai and Abu Dhabi amid rising demand, wealth inflows, and mega-developments. This pattern Savills describes is echoed in Knight Frank\u2019s latest survey, which quantifies just how much private Asian wealth is now targeting the UAE.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Knight Frank and YouGov surveyed 387 high-net-worth individuals from India, Saudi Arabia, the UK, and East Asia. On average, respondents have a net worth of $22 million and together plan to invest more than $10 billion in Dubai\u2019s real estate market this year. East Asian buyers are emerging as a powerful force within that group, with 68 per cent identifying the UAE\u2019s residential sector as a key investment priority and 61 per cent naming Dubai as their preferred city for property acquisitions. The findings point to a clear shift of wealth towards the Gulf as investors chase stability and higher returns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAsian investment has become a consistent driver of Dubai\u2019s residential market rather than an occasional inflow,\u201d said Will McKintosh, regional partner and head of residential MENA at Knight Frank. \u201cThere is sustained intent to keep buying, particularly among East Asian high-net-worth individuals looking ahead to 2025.\u201d China continues to lead that activity, McKintosh said, followed by Hong Kong, Singapore, and India. He added that the influx reflects growing confidence in Dubai as a long-term hub for both wealth preservation and growth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
McKintosh noted that today\u2019s buyers tend to be ultra-wealthy families and seasoned entrepreneurs who are deeply familiar with global luxury markets. Many are working through family offices and private wealth managers, treating real estate acquisitions in Dubai as strategic, cross-border investments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere is a short-term response to economic slowdown and policy constraints in some Asian markets,\u201d McKintosh said about the growing confidence in the UAE\u2019s real estate market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Take mainland China\u2019s luxury market as an example. It dropped by an estimated 18 to 20 per cent last year, wiping out nearly four years of growth, according to Bain & Company. The research firm expects the sector to remain flat through 2025, signaling prolonged uncertainty for domestic luxury spending, which extends into the real estate space. Another major source of capital in the region, Singapore, also showed signs of cooling. Over the summer, experts tracking the market reported a notable slowdown, with new home sales falling to their lowest levels of the year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the UAE, McKintosh said completed or newly built homes are the clear preference for 64 per cent of East Asian buyers. \u201cUltra-prime and lifestyle-led communities with strong amenity offers remain key magnets.\u201d Developers, he said, are responding with more curated environments that offer exclusivity alongside practicality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One company looking to capitalise on the trend is a boutique Dubai-based real estate firm, Prime Capital. Founder Tahir Majithia said the company has built a pipeline through targeted events and on-the-ground partners in key Asian markets who handle outreach abroad and pass clients on to the Dubai team when they visit. \u201cAsian investors, I would say, are a substantial part of the UAE real estate market,\u201d Majithia, who has been working in real estate for 20 years, said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For Prime Capital, investors from Asia make up about 40-50 per cent of the business, he said. Majithia said the shift has been building gradually, but in the past five years, he did notice interest from Asian buyers has picked up significantly. He pointed to growing demand from Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Japan, while noting that Indian buyers have long been active in the UAE market due to the country\u2019s large resident population. The push towards Dubai, Majithia explained, is driven by two main factors: diversification and value. Compared to markets like Hong Kong or Singapore, Dubai offers significantly lower price-per-square-foot rates and far more attractive rental yields. That price gap, combined with higher returns, makes the city an appealing option for investors looking to rebalance their portfolios. \u201cIf you compare with Hong Kong or Singapore, you find property in Dubai really cheap,\u201d Majithia said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also importantly, unlike Singapore, Dubai has no capital gains tax and no restrictions on foreign ownership in designated freehold zones. For ultra-high-net-worth investors, those built-in perks only add to the appeal, especially when it comes to branded residences, waterfront villas, and ultra-prime penthouses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While prime Singapore properties typically generate rental yields of around 2-3 per cent, Dubai\u2019s prime areas consistently offer yields in the 5-7 per cent range, appealing to investors seeking both lifestyle enhancement and income generation, according to a report by a luxury consultancy, Singapore Luxury Homes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most Asian buyers, Majithia explained, are in it for the long-term returns, and they treat Dubai as a solid investment play. But there\u2019s also a growing segment looking at the UAE as a future home base and some are buying second homes. Some Asian investors are planning ahead for their kids or considering a move themselves in the next few years, he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the heart of this shift are firms like Singapore Luxury Homes (SLH), which are turning Asia\u2019s appetite for returns into long-term bets on Dubai\u2019s real estate economy. SLH, which positions itself as a cross-border specialist, is a luxury real estate consultancy firm based in Singapore but active in Dubai\u2019s prime market. The firm focuses on bridging buyers to high-end inventory through on-the-ground advisory, helping clients from all over East Asia navigate the process, line up off-market deals, and move quickly once they\u2019re ready to buy. The consultancy\u2019s client base spans far beyond Singapore, with buyers coming from Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, India, Thailand, but also parts of Europe, including Germany and Switzerland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Founded by Sunita Gill and her husband Kaizar Karkaria, SLH claims a track record of over 300 transactions totalling more than $2 billion in sales over the past decade, with a sharp focus on properties priced between $3 million and $200 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gill, who has been a regulated broker in Singapore for the last 17 years, said, \u201cHigh net worth individuals can honestly afford anything.\u201d Her job is to work with investors through their journey and to help them realise their goals, whether it be finding a family home or a new investment opportunity. \u201cTwo years ago, when the [Singaporean] government introduced a law of 60 per cent foreign stamp duty in the country, that took a hit for a lot of our foreign investors,\u201d Gill said. \u201c\u200aIt definitely has been one of the biggest deterrents to purchases in Singapore. The market has dropped by about 30 per cent.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Many buyers pivoted towards commercial real estate in Singapore, where stamp duties are significantly lower or don\u2019t apply at all. But commercial spaces didn\u2019t appeal to everyone, Gill said, adding that some saw them as \u201ctoo transactional\u201d or \u201cimpersonal\u201d compared to residential properties. That hesitation, combined with tightening policy at home, pushed SLH\u2019s clientele to start looking more seriously at the Middle East, the closest alternative offering both luxury and investment upside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
SLH is also a partner of the UAE Business Council in Singapore, which has helped the firm build the right connections and deepen its understanding of the Dubai market. Through that support, the firm has been able to guide clients through regulatory processes when purchasing property in the UAE, which Gill said is a key selling point for first-time investors entering the market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u200aWe are literally their proxies for what and why they should see certain properties, and we see through all of them before our clients go into the purchase,\u201d Gill said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She has seen a shift in what clients want. In Singapore, real estate has mostly been about numbers. It\u2019s been about getting the right price, the right address, Gill explained. But post-Covid, buyers are looking for more: space, views, amenities, somewhere they\u2019d actually want to live in during a lockdown. That\u2019s where Dubai delivers, she said. \u201c\u200aDefinitely the Middle East has been huge for us\u2026 and we continue to see that expansion in the next five years at least,\u201d Gill noted, adding that \u200alast year, 50 per cent of business was in the Middle East, and 50 per cent was at home in Singapore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u200aBoth Dubai and Singapore really offer the best in the world at this point,\u201d Gill asserted. She said that for high-net-worth buyers, especially those spending Dh20 million and above, luxury villas remain the top choice. \u201c\u200aDubai is still about 30 per cent cheaper than Singapore at this point in time.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Majithia said many Asian investors, or at least his clients, are drawn to off-plan developments for their staggered payment structures, which ease liquidity pressure. Gill echoed that sentiment, noting that she\u2019s seen several entrepreneurs scoop up multiple off-plan units to lease out and generate a second stream of income.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201c\u200aThere is a huge interest in Palm Jebel Ali. Everybody\u2019s really excited about it. It\u2019s twice the size of the Palm Jumeirah. Its \u200abetter and bigger, so that is one place a lot of people are looking at,\u201d Majithia said. Another hotspot drawing investor interest is Dubai South, he said, which is the area set to benefit from the upcoming Al Maktoum International Airport expansion. With the airport expected to become the world\u2019s largest over the next six to eight years, the anticipated economic ripple effect is making Dubai South an increasingly strategic location for buyers looking ahead. But beyond new developments, waterfront properties will always remain among the most sought-after investments in Dubai, and that\u2019s especially true for buyers from Asia, Majithia said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, not all purchases are purely an investment play. Roughly 30 per cent of SLH\u2019s recent clients have fully relocated to the UAE with their families \u2014 a sign that many aren\u2019t just parking capital in Dubai, they\u2019re planting roots. \u201cThere is a strong emphasis on privacy, schools, healthcare, and long-term family establishment,\u201d McKintosh said, explaining why there are more Asian families moving to the UAE. \u200aPurchases are also informed and encouraged by Golden Visa frameworks, he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While Dubai is gaining ground, not just as an investment hub for real estate but a new ideal for second or primary homes, Singapore is still seen as a safe haven, thanks to its strong governance and stability, Gill explained. Some Asian buyers remain cautious about the Middle East and are unsure about the region\u2019s property cycles and still view Dubai through the lens of past market volatility, she added. There\u2019s hesitancy, especially among more conservative investors, who worry that the current boom could be shortlived.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cBeyond the five years, I think it will stabilise,\u201d Gill said in terms of the buying rush. She doesn\u2019t believe Dubai will ever fully eclipse Asia\u2019s legacy real estate hubs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Majithia also believes the trend will eventually plateau. \u201cWe might see some sort of correction in certain segments of the property market.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For now though, demand is evolving but not slowing, Knight Frank\u2019s McKintosh emphasised. Foreign ownership will continue to be good for the UAE\u2019s overall real estate performance, broadening the demand base, while sustaining pricing strength, and encouraging continued development activity, he explained. \u201cFor many, Dubai no longer complements Asia, it competes.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Source: Khaleej times<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Published: 21 November 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" With property markets cooling across Asia, high-net-worth buyers are finding their next big opportunity in Dubai Across Asia, the luxury property market is losing steam. In Singapore, higher stamp duties and tighter loan limits have curbed appetite at the top end. In China, developer defaults, unfinished projects, and weaker consumer confidence have pushed high-net-worth investors […]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":36120,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[347,2924,10,11,5631],"class_list":["post-36119","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-dubai","tag-investment","tag-luxury","tag-real-estate","tag-ultra-luxury"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/elite-bricks.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36119","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/elite-bricks.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/elite-bricks.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elite-bricks.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elite-bricks.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36119"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/elite-bricks.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36119\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36121,"href":"https:\/\/elite-bricks.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36119\/revisions\/36121"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elite-bricks.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36120"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/elite-bricks.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36119"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elite-bricks.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36119"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/elite-bricks.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36119"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}