Luxury Branded Real Estate Drives Dubai Market

Limited Edition Collection of Luxury Homes the Highlight of Cityscape Global 2015. DAMAC Properties Showcases Select Living with Bugatti, FENDI, Versace, Paramount and Trump Limited edition collections of fashion & lifestyle branded luxury living experiences are the highlight of Cityscape Global exhibition, taking place in Dubai this week.

As prices in the Dubai market stabilizes, one leading luxury developer says it is the high-end, most sought-after units, which remain in high demand, and those which carry a desirable brand association are top of the wish list.

DAMAC Properties has just announced its latest brand association, with a limited number of exclusive villas designed and conceptualized by Bugatti within its AKOYA Oxygen master development. The company is also working with Versace, FENDI, Paramount Hotels & Resorts and the Trump Organisation.

"As you can see from the levels of interest here at Cityscape Global 2015, there remains serious interest in the Dubai real estate market," said Niall McLoughlin, Senior Vice President, DAMAC Properties . "We have seen a huge response to our limited edition collection of branded developments. It is clear that savvy buyers are excited by these exclusive living concepts which embody the brand of such globally admired companies such as Versace, FENDI, Paramount, Trump and Bugatti."

"It is critical that the brands are truly inspirational, quality companies that share our ethos of the highest quality in finish and design," added McLoughlin. "These branded villas and apartments are at the forefront of luxury living concepts the world over and are helping to enhance the Dubai real estate market in the eyes of international investors."

DAMAC Properties continues its drive as one of the most established luxury developers in the region, with a focus on construction and delivery this year. The company has released more homes within its two mega developments, including mansions overlooking the golf course by The Trump Organization at AKOYA by DAMAC and the region's first Rainforest within the lush green surrounds of AKOYA Oxygen.

The company has also launched a number of new concepts in the hospitality division including serviced Nova villas at AKOYA Oxygen and the new Paramount Residences at the Paramount Tower Hotel & Residences. DAMAC Maison - The Vogue and NAIA Breeze serviced have also opened this year as the company expands its luxury hotel apartments offering.

"The first nine months have seen a stabilization in valuations across the board in Dubai, which is a welcome sign of a maturing market," said McLoughlin, "However, the right projects, in the right location with trusted and established developers are still experiencing high demand from global investors and Dubai remains one of the most buoyant markets in the world."

DAMAC Properties is also working on its first project outside of the Middle East, with a 50-storey tower in the heart of London, UK. AYKON Nine Elms is a luxury private apartment tower complex with interior designs and styling from Versace Home.

The company has also recorded more than 50% growth in net profit for the first half of 2015, with figures of AED 2,650 million ($721m). Book sales also remained strong, highlighted the continued demand for the right product in the Dubai real estate market. Sales topped AED 5 billion in the first six months of the year, at AED 5,109 million ($1,390million).

As of 30th June 2015, DAMAC Properties has delivered 14,375 homes and has a development portfolio of over 37,000 units at various stages of progress and planning.

DAMAC Properties is participating at Cityscape Global from 8-10 September 2015 at Dubai World Trade Centre, on stand S3-B10 in Sheikh Saeed Hall 3.

Regulation for the Real Estate Appraiser Profession to be Addressed with Issued Resolution

With the efforts to properly regulate the Dubai real estate industry, Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum issued a resolution to regulate the real estate appraiser profession. The resolution aims to restrict the profession to qualified real estate appraisers and those who are listed in the database of the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA).

Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, on Wednesday approved the Resolution No. 37 of 2015 regarding the regulation of the real estate appraiser profession.

The resolution also aims to ensure the accurate and regulated appraisal of real estate assets for the purpose of attaining credit facilities from banks.

RERA will be responsible for registering and renewing the registration of trained appraisers, as well as approving and renewing permit applications of sole proprietor establishments who wish to practice the profession. The resolution stipulates that only Emiratis are permitted to be real estate appraisers, and they must have the necessary qualifications and training that are specified by the resolution issued by the Director of Dubai’s Land Department. The appraiser must have a minimum of two years work experience or has completed the training specified in the aforementioned resolution.

Single proprietor establishments that are licensed to practice the real estate appraiser profession must sign an agreement with the body, requesting its services. The agreement must contain the obligations and rights of each party and specify the property that requires appraising, the purpose for carrying out the appraisal and the date in which the process will be completed.

A list attached to this resolution specifies the violations and value of fines. The value of the fine will be doubled if the same violation is committed within a year.

The new fold in real estate appraising is a welcome development for the real estate sector—a sector that needs more security measures and regulation in order to attract more investors, an issue that has been put on the spotlight recently.

Dubai Real Estate show a remarkable growth, exceeds 129 billion Dirhams

The Dubai Real Estate sector achieves an annual growth of 2.5% in the first half of 2015 in spite of a bleak expectation

Ismail Al Hammadi, Founder and CEO of Al Ruwad Real Estate Consultants, reported that the real estate sector in Dubai showed notable success against a number of international studies which predicted that the real estate sector will see a downfall of 20% in the beginning of the year. But instead, it achieved an average annual rise of 2.5% in the first half of the year in 2015.

Hammadi stressed that the volume of real estate sales exceeded by 129 billion dirhams during the first six months of this year (according to the Land and Property Department in Dubai), compared to 57.6 billion dirhams during the same period last year, and that about 20 thousand investors belonging to 142 different nationalities pumped nearly 53 billion dirhams from January until June (6 months).

"What was happening on ground in Dubai is frankly quite different and very strange. Since we saw that in spite of the rate of residential property prices decrease at first, it then rose to 3% in the second quarter of the year. This is more than the annual growth rate of 2014 which was 2.5%." Al Hammadi said.

The negative speculation of the international community stemmed from the concerns caused by the Oil market and its impact on the UAE being one of the top oil producers in the world.

He also pointed out that the market has witnessed a wave of sales resulting in the developers realizing that the limited-income families are an important part in reviving the market and the reason to add to the continuing growth equation.

"Several huge projects, that have seen the light of day, enabled for more flexible options in terms of prices yet preserving the reputation of Dubai in terms of elegance and status. Some of such projects have fully been sold after less than a day of their launch, with easy settlement options of 1% interest over seven years!" Al Hammadi continued.

Al Hammadi expected that infrastructure projects for the Expo 2020 is going to create a state of sustainable stability for real estate prices in the Emirate of Dubai, particularly in light of the launch of "Meydan One ", a crucial and enormous project, which was unveiled just a few days ago. Housing, commercial and tourism projects that is to be built on 3.6 million square meters. The Project includes the "Dubai One" tower, the tallest residential tower in the world which will be up to to 711 meters high, in addition to a similar announcement of the tallest commercial tower in the world, "Burj 2020" Tower in the Jumeirah Lakes Towers area.

New and Affordable Housing Options Becoming More Available in Dubai

Now that stability is being experienced in the price rates of the real estate market, more affordable housing options now enter the market this part of the year. Developers have set their eyes on making affordable housing options. They will reveal these during the 14th edition of Cityscape Global which brings together more than 300 exhibitors from 30 different countries at Dubai World Trade Centre next month. Taking place from September 8-10, Cityscape Global is the world’s largest real estate investment and development event.

The sharp rise of property prices was attributed to the approval of Dubai as the host for Expo 2020, according to experts.

One of the projects that will be unveiled is MAG 5 Boulevard. Offering over 1,000 residential units as well as providing retail, dining, leisure and entertainment amenities, MAG 5 Boulevard is a 24-hour living, walkable community which will encompass more than 800,000 square feet of land. MAG 5 Property Development will be launching Phase 2 of the project at Cityscape.

Mohammed Al Awadhi, VP, Real Estate, Dubai World Central, said: "By 2020, DWC is projected to become a self-sustained urban ecosystem where thousands of professionals and their families will live and work."

The event will help put into perspective the next steps at the future, as well as the reality of the Dubai property market.

Event director Molman mentioned that the mid-term and long-term status of real estate in Dubai is healthy, despite the fluctuating rates. This is reflected by the number of attendees of the 14th edition of Cityscape Global, where they expect the biggest assembly of exhibitors since 2008.

Craig Plumb, Head of Research at JLL Mena, said: "We expect transaction volumes and, subsequently sale prices, to drop further in the second half of the year.  But the single digit price correction we saw in the first half of the year is a sharp contrast to declines we witnessed in 2008/2009 and is a clear indication that the market is maturing."

Something novel will take place in the Cityscape event this year. The global event that’s co-located in different conferences will be staged on the day before the exhibition. The new format is expected to facilitate the coming together of more than 800 senior real estate professionals and government official who will explore opportunities and find solutions to key challenges affecting the industry today.

The Facilities Management conference, jointly organised with Middle East Facilities Management Association (MEFMA), and the Real Estate Brokers will run alongside the ‘Dubai Market Overview’ on September 7 at the Conrad Hotel, Dubai.

Also running along with the exhibition is the Cityscape Awards for Emerging Markets. The awards programme will be looking to attract hundreds of entries from developers and architects behind real estate developments across emerging markets globally. Winners will be announced at an elaborate ceremony taking place at the Conrad Hotel, Dubai on September 8.

Elite Downtown – Roots Land Real Estate Dubai (Gallery)

Check out one of our exclusive projects in Roots Land Real Estate – Elite Downtown. If you want to learn more, check it out at http://www.rootsland.com/elite-downtown/

Topaz Residence – Roots Land Real Estate Dubai (Gallery)

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Palazzo Versace - Roots Land Real Estate Dubai (Gallery)

Check out one of our exclusive projects in Roots Land Real Estate - Palazzo Versace. If you want to learn more, check it out at http://www.rootsland.com/palazzo-versace/