Women accounted for 30% of Dubai realty transactions in Q1 2018

Women buyers are an active part of Dubai's real estate market and they continue to represent a growing share of total buyers. In Q1 2018, 2,431 female investors participated in 2,780 transactions and invested Dh4.4 billion in the Dubai property market, according to statistics from the Dubai Land Department. They cumulatively invested Dh27 billion in the property market in 2017, as per DLD data.

"According to recent Q1 2018 figures reported by the DLD, women investors accounted for almost 30 per cent of the total number. We see a higher percentage of these acquisitions to be investment driven, mostly as a second/additional home within the family," says David Godchaux, Group CEO of Core Savills.

It has been a decade since the property market faced its toughest challenges beginning in late 2008. The Dubai real estate market has since undergone a major transformation as it continues to mature and develop in line with the city’s growth.

We spoke to five property market experts to understand the fundamental differences between 2008 and today, the major challenges that the real estate industry had to overcome and continue to grapple with, as well as the industry’s biggest achievements to date.

Value Added Tax (VAT) is now a reality, and although residential real estate in general is either exempt or zero-rated, commercial property dealings will attract an extra 5 per cent on top, affecting residential in a more roundabout way.

So what is taxable?