Sharjah: Rising Property Prices Make More Investors Eligible For Golden Visa

Sharjah's property market is benefitting from the spillover effects of other major emirates due to affordability and growing demand for the much sought-after Golden Visa.

Industry executives said pushing prices of larger property units in prime locations have risen above Dh2 million after the strong performance of the market, making investors eligible for the 10-year residency permit.

This was reflected in the strong performance of the emirate's real estate market in 2026 as official figures showed a record Dh65.6-billion worth of transactions, a substantial growth of 64.3 per cent compared to Dh40 billion in the previous year. Similarly, the number of transactions rose to 132,659 in 2025, an increase of 26.3 per cent compared to 2024.

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Property prices in Sharjah grew at a double-digit rate over the past few years, especially after 2023 when the emirate allowed all foreign nationals to invest in the real estate market. In 2025, industry executives said property prices appreciated up to 20 per cent.

Lamia Al Jewaied, head of studies and research bureau at Sharjah Real Estate Registration Department, said the Golden Visa is a great initiative.

“We see that many people buy real estate assets because they get the Golden Visa, and more and more people are buying properties because of the long-term residency visa,” she told Khaleej Times in an interview on the sidelines of the Acres 2026 exhibition, which opened in Expo Centre, Sharjah, on Wednesday.

Spillover benefit

Introduced in 2019, the Golden Visa has been one of the major attractions for foreign and resident property buyers, especially in Dubai. Properties worth Dh2 million and above are eligible for the long-term residency visa.

Noreen Nasralla, senior vice president for marketing strategy and branding for Alef Group, also confirmed that the long-term residency is a major attraction for property buyers in Sharjah now.

“There is a spillover effect from other emirates, as we see investors also believing and starting to shift to Sharjah. Sharjah is known for different projects that focus on affordability and the element that is related to cultural belonging. We are also seeing investors and end-users who are interested in the proximity of our projects to strategic and iconic landmarks in Sharjah, such as the airport and the academic city,” she said during an interview on the sidelines of the Acres 2026 exhibition.

Property prices in other major emirates of the UAE have also seen a spike in prices over the years, pricing out some of the low-budget buyers.

Importantly, property buyers can also merge their multiple units to be eligible for the Golden Visa. For example, an owner of properties worth Dh1 million each can also apply for the Golden Visa.

Echoing his industry peers, Raymond Khouzami, vice chairman of Sharjah-based Al Thuriah Group, said there are not many units above the Dh2 million price, but the group has units above this price range that help in the Golden Visa.

“Demand is growing for Golden Visa units, so we are now having bigger apartments, which are 3,500 square feet to 4,000, and we were surprised by a very strong demand. There is more demand for larger units because end-users want spacious apartments. We are planning to launch new towers with bigger units,” he added.

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