Government Investment and Buyer Confidence keep Dubai Building

The Dubai property scene has taken a hit this year but will still attract investment, report Alex Evans and Ben Dahlstrom in the Times online.

Dubai, the virtual city that once existed only in stunning computer-generated images, is taking shape and emerging out of the sands. For some, it’s the greatest example of what can be achieved through focused government investment and investor confidence. For others, it’s a bold experiment that could still fail spectacularly as the world goes into economic slowdown.

Despite the rising cost of steel and cement, Dubai has 4m sq m of property under construction, worth a staggering £2.7 trillion. It is looking to rising tourism, an increasing local population and new buyers from emerging economies for future demand, with its favourable tax status drawing businesses, professionals and those looking for a luxury haven to the city.

Whatever your view of Dubai, its global visibility is impressive. Aspirational buyers from India’s burgeoning middle class are looking for holiday home investments, while Russia’s senior professionals are seeking tax-friendly and prestigious destinations with renewed impetus, following that country’s recent stock market collapse.

Unlike other second-home destinations such as Florida and Spain, where concern about buyer interest prevails, the main anxiety about Dubai has always been about delivery now – will the property be finished on time and of the quality promised? – although doubts have also been raised over projections of potential oversupply in the future. In the meantime, a dearth of available units means rents are still high and, despite attempts to cap rent increases, professionals are seeing less benefit from their tax-free earnings.

The prevailing view, however, is that Dubai will ultimately deliver. An estimated 140,000 accommodation units due to be completed by 2010 are predicted to bring rents down, making the city more attractive to international workers – and thereby creating further demand for rental property.

As the Dubai stock market has convulsed and the extent of sovereign and corporate debt has been revealed, there has been an understandable loss of investor confidence in the sustainability of its growth, and the security of investment in the region.

On the other hand, Dubai’s government has introduced several confidence-boosting measures over the past year. Developers are now obliged to hold all payments in escrow and a new online registration system (Ogood) will create transparency by introducing a property index. To avoid cases of off-plan units being sold to several buyers, developers must preregister before selling. And it is not just buyers who need more regulation. To protect developers from “flippers” (off-plan buyers who want to sell before completion and may not be able to pay the full price if they do not find a buyer), the authorities have declared that buyers defaulting on payments or breaching contracts will forfeit 30% of the sale price to the developer.

Dubai has always been a bold market. Bolstered by local wealth, international expertise and government support, it will continue to generate interest.