Real Estate & Construction.

Real estate transactions in Dubai totalled $64.2bn in 2013, up sharply from $42bn in all of 2012. The residential, retail, hospitality and industrial segments all experienced solid growth. Property sales jumped by more than 20% in 2013, with serviced apartments also recording strong growth figures. Demand for Dubai property seems to be coming from all corners of the world. According to the Dubai Land Department, Indian nationals invested $2.4bn in Dubai real estate in 2012, followed by the British ($1.3bn), Pakistanis ($1.1bn), Iranians ($826m) and Russians ($640m). Regulatory changes and new loan-to-value limits for residential mortgages are being introduced to cool the market and discourage property flipping. Competition in the $1.5bn facilities management industry is set to increase as new projects come on-line.

This chapter contains an interview with Sultan Butti bin Merjen, Director-General, Dubai Land Department.