Dubai Leads Investment Preferences In UAE Residents Survey Arabian Post

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Arabian Post Staff -Dubai

Dubai has emerged as the preferred city for long-term investment among UAE residents, with 84 per cent selecting it ahead of London, New York and Singapore in a survey released on Monday.

The Ipsos research, commissioned by Dubai-based property technology company PRYPCO, found that New York and Singapore each attracted 5 per cent of respondents, while London received 3 per cent. The findings measure the preferences of people living in the UAE rather than investment flows or a worldwide ranking of financial centres.

Safety and security outweighed tax considerations as the leading attraction, with 71 per cent identifying them as the principal reason Dubai appealed as an investment destination. Property market strength was cited by 40 per cent, while 36 per cent pointed to business opportunities, the survey found.

The research also indicated considerable confidence in wealth creation. Some 89 per cent of respondents believed Dubai offered better prospects for building long-term wealth than their countries of origin, while 86 per cent considered the emirate more attractive for investment than it had been five years earlier.

Nine out of ten respondents expressed optimism about Dubai's economic outlook over the coming five years. Those expectations reflect perceptions of future performance rather than guarantees of returns, and the study did not establish whether respondents had already committed capital to the investments they favoured.

Asked where they would place Dh1 million if they had that amount available to invest immediately, 76 per cent selected Dubai. London, New York and Singapore each secured 2 per cent, indicating that the emirate retained a substantial lead when participants considered a specific investment amount rather than a general preference.

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The results were published on November 9 as Dubai's property market continued to attract attention from investors and developers. Figures from the Dubai Land Department, cited alongside the findings, showed 104 property projects valued at more than Dh111 billion were completed during the first six months of 2026.

The number of completed projects represented an increase of 52 per cent compared with the corresponding period of 2025. Together, the developments added more than 24,500 residential units, providing a measure of construction activity alongside the survey's assessment of investor sentiment.

Essa Ibrahim, PRYPCO's co-founder and president, said the findings highlighted the importance of confidence beyond financial incentives. He identified safety, stability and quality of life as factors influencing decisions about where residents intend to build wealth over the longer term.

The company linked that confidence partly to Dubai's urban planning policies, including the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan. Such initiatives form part of the investment environment, although the survey findings alone cannot establish how much any particular government policy influenced respondents' preferences.

Interest was also substantial among residents who had not yet invested. Eighty per cent of this group said they would consider investing in Dubai within the next three years, suggesting potential demand that remains conditional on personal finances and access to suitable products.

Affordability was the main obstacle identified by prospective investors. Among those without existing investments, 62 per cent said they lacked sufficient savings, while 41 per cent indicated that more affordable investment options would make participation more likely. Another 38 per cent cited improved financing arrangements as a potential incentive.

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These responses distinguish favourable views of Dubai from the ability to purchase assets. They also indicate that investment products requiring smaller initial commitments may appeal to residents who cannot finance an entire property or meet conventional deposit requirements.

PRYPCO offers fractional property investment through its Blocks platform, which allows participants to purchase interests in properties from Dh500 and receive a proportionate share of rental income. The company describes the platform as regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority.

The research was commissioned by a company operating in Dubai's property investment market, an important consideration when interpreting its findings. The published announcement did not specify the survey's sample size, fieldwork dates or margin of error, limiting independent assessment of how representative the percentages are of the wider UAE population.

The survey separately assessed residents' views of investment destinations, perceived economic prospects and barriers to participation, rather than measuring comparative investment returns across the four cities.

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