Real estate has long been considered one of the most stable and rewarding asset classes globally. Within this realm, high-end properties – those situated in premium locations and built to luxury standards – are increasingly attracting long-term investors.
These assets, often associated with prestige and exclusivity, are proving to be more than just lifestyle statements. They offer tangible long-term value, consistent returns and a hedge against volatility.
What works for high-end real estate
Resilience in market cycles
Luxury real estate has shown remarkable resilience through economic cycles. While low and mid-range properties often experience dramatic price swings during downturns, high-end properties tend to hold their value more steadily. This is primarily due to limited supply, the quality of construction, location desirability and increased demand. In times of economic uncertainty, affluent investors gravitate toward tangible, safe-haven assets – making real estate a reliable store of wealth.
Capital appreciation
Premium properties typically appreciate at a higher rate over the long term compared to standard residential assets. Iconic developments in sought-after areas see strong demand, especially in cities like Dubai where ongoing investment in infrastructure, innovation and stability fuels capital growth. Investors who entered the luxury market five to 10 years ago have seen significant gains.
The UAE’s progressive foreign direct investment policies – such as 100 per cent foreign ownership and long-term visas – have created a stable, attractive environment for global investors. Combined with strong governance and continuous investment in infrastructure, these reforms drive demand and long-term value growth in the real estate sector.
Rental yield and income potential
High-end properties can deliver impressive rental yields, especially in markets with strong demand for corporate housing, tourism and short-term rentals. With the rise of digital nomads and remote work, luxury properties that offer lifestyle and convenience are increasingly favoured by tenants willing to pay a premium for quality living experiences. For investors, this translates into stable income streams that offset holding costs.
Portfolio diversification
Luxury real estate is a key diversification tool in any sophisticated investment portfolio. It is a physical asset, largely uncorrelated to stock market fluctuations or currency devaluation. For wealthy individuals, investing in trophy assets or branded residences helps spread risk across different asset classes while providing long-term capital protection.
Legacy value
Beyond financial returns, investing in high-end real estate offers intangible benefits, such as lifestyle, status and legacy. Many investors consider luxury properties not only as investments but also as generational assets. The opportunity to pass down a tangible, appreciating asset with emotional and practical utility adds another layer of long-term value.
Be mindful of risks
Despite these advantages, it’s important to approach high-end real estate investment with a well-informed strategy. Here are a few key considerations:
Liquidity
While stocks and bonds offer liquidity, real estate, particularly high-end properties, is less liquid. Selling can be a lengthy process, especially for specialised or bespoke properties. Therefore, investors should have a long-term outlook and maintain sufficient liquid assets in other parts of their portfolio. However, the UAE is one of the most forward-thinking jurisdictions globally for digital asset-backed property investment.
In short, real estate tokenisation improves liquidity by converting properties into fractional digital tokens that can be traded, allowing investors to buy and sell more easily – even during market downturns. It lowers entry barriers, enhances transparency and enables access to secondary markets, helping investors remain flexible and diversified.
High entry and maintenance costs
Luxury real estate comes with a premium price tag, and that’s just the beginning. Maintenance, service charges, furnishings and property management fees can add up. It’s essential to factor these costs into your yield and appreciation calculations. However, working with experienced developers and property managers can mitigate many of these risks and purchase prices can absorb multiple of these costs.
Over-speculation
The luxury segment can sometimes attract speculative buying, leading to inflated prices and slower absorption rates. It’s important to assess whether a development offers genuine long-term demand and intrinsic value or is driven primarily by hype.
In conclusion, investing in high-end real estate is not a short-term play – it’s a strategic decision aimed at wealth preservation, steady growth and lifestyle enhancement. When chosen wisely, luxury properties can outperform many other asset classes, particularly in dynamic, future-focused cities such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi, London or Singapore.
Investors must look beyond surface-level opulence and assess the fundamentals – location, developer reputation, architectural excellence and long-term demand. When these align, luxury real estate becomes premium – not just a status symbol but a cornerstone of generational wealth.
Mohammad Rafiee is chief executive of Richmind
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8
Power: 503hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 685Nm at 2,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Price: from Dh850,000
On sale: now
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl
Power: 153hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 200Nm at 4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Price: Dh99,000
On sale: now
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
The specs
Engine: Four electric motors, one at each wheel
Power: 579hp
Torque: 859Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh825,900
On sale: Now
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
The specs
Engine: 4 liquid-cooled permanent magnet synchronous electric motors placed at each wheel
Battery: Rimac 120kWh Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) chemistry
Power: 1877bhp
Torque: 2300Nm
Price: Dh7,500,00
On sale: Now
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Director: Saeed Roustaee
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The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
The drill
Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
ENGLAND SQUAD
Team: 15 Mike Brown, 14 Anthony Watson, 13 Ben Te’o, 12 Owen Farrell, 11 Jonny May, 10 George Ford, 9 Ben Youngs, 1 Mako Vunipola, 2 Dylan Hartley, 3 Dan Cole, 4 Joe Launchbury, 5 Maro Itoje, 6 Courtney Lawes, 7 Chris Robshaw, 8 Sam Simmonds
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Short-term let permits explained
Homeowners and tenants are allowed to list their properties for rental by registering through the Dubai Tourism website to obtain a permit.
Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.
There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.
Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Some of Darwish’s last words
“They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope.” – Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Super Bowl LIII schedule
What Super Bowl LIII
Who is playing New England Patriots v Los Angeles Rams
Where Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, United States
When Sunday (start time is 3.30am on Monday UAE time)
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The specs: Fenyr SuperSport
Price, base: Dh5.1 million
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Namoos – a word of congratulations reserved for falconry competitions, camel races and camel pageants. It best translates as ‘the pride of victory’ – and for competitors, it is priceless
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Majahim – chocolate-brown camels that can grow to weigh two tonnes. They were only valued for milk until camel pageantry took off in the 1990s
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Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
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Lowest Test scores
26 – New Zealand v England at Auckland, March 1955
30 – South Africa v England at Port Elizabeth, Feb 1896
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35 – South Africa v England at Cape Town, April 1899
36 – South Africa v Australia at Melbourne, Feb. 1932
36 – Australia v England at Birmingham, May 1902
36 – India v Australia at Adelaide, Dec. 2020
38 – Ireland v England at Lord’s, July 2019
42 – New Zealand v Australia in Wellington, March 1946
42 – Australia v England in Sydney, Feb. 1888
Who is Mohammed Al Halbousi?
The new speaker of Iraq’s parliament Mohammed Al Halbousi is the youngest person ever to serve in the role.
The 37-year-old was born in Al Garmah in Anbar and studied civil engineering in Baghdad before going into business. His development company Al Hadeed undertook reconstruction contracts rebuilding parts of Fallujah’s infrastructure.
He entered parliament in 2014 and served as a member of the human rights and finance committees until 2017. In August last year he was appointed governor of Anbar, a role in which he has struggled to secure funding to provide services in the war-damaged province and to secure the withdrawal of Shia militias. He relinquished the post when he was sworn in as a member of parliament on September 3.
He is a member of the Al Hal Sunni-based political party and the Sunni-led Coalition of Iraqi Forces, which is Iraq’s largest Sunni alliance with 37 seats from the May 12 election.
He maintains good relations with former Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki’s State of Law Coaliton, Hadi Al Amiri’s Badr Organisation and Iranian officials.
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FIXTURES
Nov 04-05: v Western Australia XI, Perth
Nov 08-11: v Cricket Australia XI, Adelaide
Nov 15-18 v Cricket Australia XI, Townsville (d/n)
Nov 23-27: 1ST TEST v AUSTRALIA, Brisbane
Dec 02-06: 2ND TEST v AUSTRALIA, Adelaide (d/n)
Dec 09-10: v Cricket Australia XI, Perth
Dec 14-18: 3RD TEST v AUSTRALIA, Perth
Dec 26-30 4TH TEST v AUSTRALIA, Melbourne
Jan 04-08: 5TH TEST v AUSTRALIA, Sydney
Note: d/n = day/night
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AGL AWARDS
Golden Ball – best Emirati player: Khalfan Mubarak (Al Jazira)
Golden Ball – best foreign player: Igor Coronado (Sharjah)
Golden Glove – best goalkeeper: Adel Al Hosani (Sharjah)
Best Coach – the leader: Abdulaziz Al Anbari (Sharjah)
Fans’ Player of the Year: Driss Fetouhi (Dibba)
Golden Boy – best young player: Ali Saleh (Al Wasl)
Best Fans of the Year: Sharjah
Goal of the Year: Michael Ortega (Baniyas)
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup – Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
World Test Championship table
1 India 71 per cent
2 New Zealand 70 per cent
3 Australia 69.2 per cent
4 England 64.1 per cent
5 Pakistan 43.3 per cent
6 West Indies 33.3 per cent
7 South Africa 30 per cent
8 Sri Lanka 16.7 per cent
9 Bangladesh 0
How it works
Booklava works on a subscription model. On signing up you receive a free book as part of a 30-day-trial period, after which you pay US$9.99 (Dh36.70) per month to gain access to a library of books and discounts of up to 30 per cent on selected titles. You can cancel your subscription at any time. For more details go to www.booklava.com
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