{
  "id": 6081393,
  "title": "The UAE’s confidence capital: Why global investors are looking beyond property to the nation behind it",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/07/the-uaes-confidence-capital-why-global-investors-are-looking-beyond",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-09-07T01:04:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Gulf News",
    "slug": "gulf-news",
    "url": "https://gulfnews.com/opinion/op-eds/the-uaes-confidence-capital-why-global-investors-are-looking-beyond-property-to-the-nation-behind-it-1.500664721"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Global investors are increasingly seeking opportunities beyond real estate in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) due to the country's strong economic growth and diversified property market. The 22nd edition of the International Property Show (IPS) 2026, set to take place at Dubai World Trade Centre from September 7 to 9, 2026, reflects this shift in investor focus. IPS 2026 serves as a real estate investment platform that aligns with the Dubai Land Department's goal of attracting global capital, bringing together developers, investors, institutions, and innovators.\n\nThe IPS 2026 exhibition highlights the UAE's progression as a top real estate investment destination. The country's economy expanded by 6.2% in 2025, with non-oil GDP growing by 6.8% to Dh1.5 trillion. Key sectors contributing to non-oil economic activity include trade, finance and insurance, construction, and manufacturing. This diversification is crucial for the property market, as sustainable real estate demand requires more than just investors buying and selling properties; it requires a thriving ecosystem with companies, jobs, entrepreneurs, families, tourists, logistics, education, healthcare, and economic activity.\n\nThe UAE has been building such an ecosystem for decades, and the IPS 2026 is a testament to this progress. In the first quarter of 2026, real estate transactions in Dubai reached Dh252 billion, up 31% year-on-year in value, with total real estate investments amounting to Dh173 billion and 48,448 investors, including 29,312 new investors. Foreign investment alone reached Dh148.35 billion. Abu Dhabi recorded Dh117 billion in real estate transactions during the first half of 2026, while Sharjah saw approximately Dh29.5 billion in property trading value across 59,460 transactions.\n\nInvestors are drawn to the UAE's property markets due to their different risk-return profiles, offering various investment opportunities. Dubai provides international liquidity and large-scale urban growth, Abu Dhabi offers long-duration capital preservation and specific premium communities, and Sharjah caters to family-led residential demand and different price points. The UAE's property markets also offer stability, which is crucial in today's uncertain global environment.",
  "summary": "There is a tendency to explain the rise of UAE real estate through architecture: the towers, waterfronts, branded residences and master-planned communities that have reshaped the country’s skyline. But buildings alone do not explain why international capital continues to arrive. The more important story is the nation behind those buildings. When the 22nd edition of IPS 2026 opens at Dubai World…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Channel News Asia",
        "title": "Beyond cargo: The family culture behind MSC",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/07/beyond-cargo-the-family-culture-behind-msc",
        "published": "2026-09-07T01:43:35.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}