Dubai expands property access for first-time buyers, renters and owners.
Dubai: Residents looking to buy their first home, manage rental payments or secure property-linked residency now have a wider range of options, with industry executives highlighting the First-Time Home Buyer Programme, Flexi Rent and recent changes to property-linked residency as key measures shaping the market.
The First-Time Home Buyer Programme has already translated into completed transactions, while Flexi Rent allows participating landlords and property companies to offer tenants monthly, quarterly or semi-annual payment options. Dubai’s Taskeen service has also removed the previous Dh750,000 minimum property value requirement for sole owners seeking a two-year investor residency visa, according to inputs from Bayut.
These measures build on longer-standing initiatives, including the Golden Visa, the expansion of freehold ownership and changes to the regulatory framework governing off-plan property sales.
First-time buyers shift from renting to owning
The First-Time Home Buyer Programme, introduced by the Dubai Land Department last year, has emerged as a significant pathway to homeownership for residents who have never previously owned a freehold property in Dubai, according to Firas Al Msaddi, CEO of fäm Properties.
The programme is open to residents aged 18 and above who meet the eligibility criteria. It offers preferential access to selected properties, incentives from participating developers and banks, as well as tailored financing options.
Al Msaddi said more than 3,200 residents had purchased homes through the programme within a year of its July 2025 launch, with total transactions exceeding Dh5 billion. By June 2026, registrations had reached almost 45,000, while the addition of nine developers brought the number of participating developers to 22.
“The First-Time Home Buyer Programme has had the most measurable impact because it is converting a very specific group of potential buyers: people already living in the UAE who have historically remained renters.”
Firas Al Msaddi, CEO of fäm Properties
He said the programme’s expansion gives buyers greater scope to compare projects, payment plans and financing options, particularly as rising rents continue to put pressure on many Dubai households.
Zacky Sajjad, Director of Business Development and Client Relations at Cavendish Maxwell, pointed to an earlier snapshot from the programme’s first six months, when more than 41,000 residents had registered, over 2,000 had purchased their first homes and total purchases had exceeded Dh3.25 billion.
Nearly 50% of those buyers had lived in Dubai for more than five years without previously owning a property, according to Sajjad.
He said the programme offers several benefits, including priority access to new developments, preferential pricing from participating developers, tailored mortgage products and the option to pay certain registration fees using eligible credit cards.
Taskeen lowers property value threshold for sole owners
Dubai’s property-linked residency framework has also evolved through the Taskeen service, according to Bayut.
Individual buyers who fully own a residential property can now qualify for a two-year investor residency visa regardless of the property’s value, removing the previous Dh750,000 minimum threshold for sole owners.
Joint ownership is treated differently, with each investor required to hold a minimum ownership share of Dh400,000 to qualify. Property owners can also obtain residency visas for sponsored family members under the scheme.
Al Msaddi said the change has widened the entry point for buyers purchasing property partly to secure residency, with enquiries increasing for properties below Dh750,000. He said the trend is particularly evident among overseas buyers seeking residency and UAE residents looking to purchase their first home.
Harry Martin, Head of Off-plan and Capital Markets at betterhomes, said the Golden Visa continues to have the greatest influence on buyer behaviour among the initiatives introduced in recent years.
“Recently, outside of government-based incentives, we have seen developers offer greater flexibility around payment plans, both before and after handover. This has kept liquidity in the market and supported sentiment across most sectors. Pricing has adjusted slightly in some areas with denser supply, but this is something that must come from private developers and depends on the pressure points within their own businesses.”
Harry Martin, Head of Off-plan and Capital Markets at betterhomes
“Buyers are now thinking in decades, not deal cycles,” Martin said.
He pointed to the ability to secure 10-year residency through a property investment of Dh2 million or more, alongside the expansion of freehold ownership zones and stronger regulatory requirements for off-plan sales.
Martin also noted that developers have introduced greater flexibility in payment plans both before and after handover, while pricing has adjusted slightly in areas with denser supply.
Flexi Rent targets upfront rental costs
Renters are also seeing changes in how rental payments can be structured.
Flexi Rent allows participating landlords and real estate companies to offer monthly, quarterly and other flexible payment schedules, including semi-annual options, instead of relying solely on traditional annual cheque arrangements.
According to Bayut, the initiative does not change the annual rental value of a property but is designed to make payment timing easier to manage for tenants who receive their income monthly.
“Greater payment flexibility can help tenants manage their finances more effectively and consider a wider range of homes, while giving landlords access to a broader pool of financially capable renters.”
Fibha Ahmed, Vice President of Sales at Bayut & dubizzle
Al Msaddi said Flexi Rent addresses a practical challenge for renters by allowing participating landlords and property companies to offer monthly, quarterly or semi-annual payment structures.
Dubai rental index and Abu Dhabi rent measure
Dubai’s Smart Rental Index, introduced in 2025, has also changed the information available to tenants and landlords during rental negotiations.
Sajjad said the index provides a more building-specific, data-driven basis for determining rental values and permitted increases, reducing reliance on broader area averages.
Abu Dhabi has taken a different approach to existing tenancy renewals. Sajjad said the emirate temporarily reduced the permitted annual rent increase from 5% to 0% in June 2026 for existing residential, commercial and industrial tenancy renewals, until further notice.
He cited ADREC data showing that new lease prices had risen by around 15% year on year across Abu Dhabi and by 23% in investment zones before the measure was introduced.
“For renters, Abu Dhabi’s temporary 0% rental increase measure arguably has the greatest immediate financial impact because the benefit is very easy for households to understand. An existing tenant renewing during the period of the measure is protected from an annual rent increase.”
Zacky Sajjad, Director of Business Development and Client Relations at Cavendish Maxwell
Buying process remains a key part of the appeal
The executives also pointed to the purchasing process and the range of ownership options available to both international and resident buyers.
Martin said cash property transactions in Dubai can be completed within days, from offer acceptance to title deed transfer. Sajjad highlighted the Dubai Land Department’s registration framework, authorised trustee offices and high level of digitisation as factors supporting the buying process.
International buyers can purchase property in designated freehold areas without becoming UAE residents, according to Al Msaddi. Buyers can also enter the market across a range of price points through off-plan payment plans, mortgages and programmes targeting first-time purchasers.
Martin also pointed to the absence of stamp duty, capital gains tax, inheritance tax and income tax on rental income, contrasting Dubai’s property market with those of London and Singapore. Sajjad said affordability has become a more significant consideration as property prices have risen in recent years.
Sajjad said expatriate first-home owner-occupiers can currently borrow up to 80% of a property’s value when the home is valued at Dh5 million or less, subject to individual bank affordability assessments and lending criteria.
Industry experts said the combination of first-time buyer support, residency options and greater flexibility in rental and purchase arrangements is reshaping the choices available to residents weighing whether to continue renting or move towards homeownership.
