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Dubai’s real estate market continues to strengthen its position as one of the world’s most dynamic investment destinations, delivering exceptional returns alongside unmatched lifestyle benefits. As traditional hubs face headwinds, Dubai has emerged as a compelling choice for investors seeking both capital appreciation and holistic opportunities.In today’s evolving global landscape, Dubai stands out as a center of growth and resilience. While the US grapples with market volatility and political uncertainty, and European markets contend with visa restrictions and economic challenges, Dubai offers something increasingly valuable: a thriving ecosystem supported by world-class infrastructure.The UAE’s business-friendly policies, zero taxation, and progressive legal framework create fertile ground for investors to capitalize on opportunities underpinned by strong fundamentals. Beyond financial returns, Dubai also offers lifestyle benefits, making it attractive not only as an investment hub but also as a second home. The AED’s peg to the US dollar further boosts its appeal for Indian investors, particularly against rupee depreciation.Dubai’s property market hit remarkable milestones in August 2025, with 18,678 transactions worth AED 51.1 billion – a 7.9% year-over-year rise in value and 15.4% growth in volume. The average price per square foot climbed 15.2% annually to AED 1,720, while rental yields continued to outperform global peers. Current rental returns of 10–12% far exceed those in the US or Europe.The Golden Visa program remains a major draw. Unlike Caribbean passport schemes costing $300,000-400,000 with limited benefits, Dubai’s Golden Visa offers 10-year residency plus access to world-class education, healthcare, and business opportunities. This has proven particularly attractive for Indian investors under LRS limits. Indians already form the largest investor group in Dubai property, suggesting significant potential once restrictions ease.Performance remains robust across segments. Apartments led with 15,900 units worth AED 30.2 billion, up 29.2% year-on-year. Villas generated AED 10.9 billion in sales, with prices rising 12.7%, reflecting resilience in the premium segment. The commercial sector recorded AED 1.2 billion in transactions, up 20.4%. Most notably, plot prices surged 86.6%, underscoring land’s appeal as a long-term asset.The new First-Time Home Buyer Programme, launched in July 2025, has already boosted momentum, with transactions crossing AED 90 billion in July–August, a 12% increase year-on-year. Developers including Emaar, Damac, and Nakheel have pledged to allocate at least 10% of units under AED 5 million to first-time buyers, widening access beyond ultra-high-net-worth investors.The rental market continues to rise, with average apartment rents at AED 85,000 (up 6.3%), villa rents at AED 190,000 (up 8.6%), and commercial rents at AED 62,900 (up 6.6%). Combined with Dubai’s tax-free environment, these figures reinforce its unmatched investment appeal.Transaction activity remains strong across established hubs like Business Bay and Jumeirah Village Circle, while newer districts such as Jabal Ali First and Dubai Investment Park Second are gaining traction. Supply is expected to grow, with 70,000 new units slated for completion by end-2025, yet demand is likely to keep pace as Dubai’s population surpasses four million.For ultra-high-net-worth Indian investors, three factors are key: choosing the right advisor, selecting properties with long-term growth potential, and recognizing that Dubai is more than an investment — it’s a global lifestyle upgrade. The market rewards patient investors with 4–5 year horizons, offering consistent benefits from both capital appreciation and rental income.Dubai’s real estate market in 2025 reflects a rare convergence of growth momentum, diverse opportunities, and lifestyle advantages. As global markets evolve, Dubai continues to attract investors who recognize that true wealth creation requires not just returns, but also resilience, infrastructure, and quality of life.For those seeking dynamic opportunities with exceptional potential, Dubai remains one of the world’s most compelling choices.(The author is Executive Director & Head Real Estate, Client Associates and Harpreet Singh Director, SY Capital)(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views, and opinions given by experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)

Sebi, in collaboration with the Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI) and key Market Infrastructure Institutions such as NSE, BSE, NSDL, and CDSL, has released the findings of the Investor Survey 2025, highlighting a significant participation gap in India’s investment landscape.Although 63% of Indian households, around 213 million, are aware of at least one securities market product, only 9.5%, or roughly 32.1 million households, actively participate in the markets.The nationwide study, conducted by Kantar, surveyed over 90,000 households across 400 cities and 1,000 villages, making it one of the largest surveys of its kind. It captured insights from investors, non-investors, intenders, lapsers, and intermediaries to provide a comprehensive picture of the investment ecosystem.Urban participation rates were significantly higher at 15%, compared with just 6% in rural areas. Delhi and Gujarat recorded the highest engagement levels at 20.7% and 15.4%, respectively.However, even among those who invest, only 36% possess a high or moderate level of knowledge about securities markets, underscoring the widespread need for better financial education.Investor behaviour showed a strong preference for capital preservation, with nearly 80% of households prioritising safety over returns. This conservative approach extended to younger demographics as well, with 79% of Gen-Z households displaying risk-averse tendencies.The report identified key barriers to investment, including product complexity, lack of knowledge, low trust, and fear of losses. Among non-investors planning to invest within the next year, common expectations included simpler digital platforms, streamlined processes, relatable success stories, and lower entry barriers.In terms of education, social media, mobile apps, and TV or digital ads emerged as the most preferred channels for learning about investments. Gen-Z respondents favoured short-form videos and reels, while older cohorts leaned towards articles, podcasts, and workshops. Across age groups, there was strong demand for financial education in regional languages.Awareness and usage of Sebi’s grievance redressal system were limited, though those who engaged with the platform reported nearly 90% satisfaction with the outcomes.Encouragingly, 22% of non-investors already aware of securities products indicated an intent to invest within the next year.The report concludes that unlocking this untapped potential will require building trust in financial systems, simplifying the investment process, and expanding financial literacy efforts, particularly through regional language initiatives.Also read: Goldman Sachs' Rs 10,000 crore India portfolio: 4 stocks rally 50-155% in 1 year(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views, and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)

US President Donald Trump has made it clear he wants the Nobel Peace Prize when it is announced next week but experts predict he has little chance against those toiling on forgotten causes outside the limelight.The prestigious prize will be announced on Friday, October 10 but before that, Trump's assault on science is likely to stir debate when the laureates for the medicine prize are revealed on Monday, followed by daily announcements for the awards for physics, chemistry, literature, and economics.Trump said this week it would be an "insult" to the United States if he did not win the Nobel Peace Prize, but experts in Oslo, where the award is based, say he has virtually no chance due to his "America First" policies and divisive style."It's completely unthinkable," Oeivind Stenersen, a historian who has conducted research and co-written a book on the prize, told AFP.Trump "is in many ways the opposite of the ideals that the Nobel Prize represents", he said."The Nobel Peace Prize is about defending multilateral cooperation, for example in the UN... and Trump breaks with that principle, he follows his own path, unilaterally," he added.The US leader claims to have resolved six or seven wars in as many months -- a figure experts say is grossly exaggerated."The Nobel Committee should assess whether there have been clear examples of success in that peacemaking effort," the head of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Karim Haggag, told AFP.Tens of thousands of people are eligible to submit a candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize.This year, 338 individuals and organisations are known to have been nominated but their names are kept secret for 50 years. Forgotten conflicts Haggag said the prize ought to go to actors working quietly behind the scenes.The Nobel Committee should shine a light on "the work done by local mediators and local peace builders on the ground", he said."These are actors who have been forgotten in many of the world's forgotten conflicts," he said, citing Sudan, the Sahel and countries in the Horn of Africa -- Somalia, Ethiopia and Eritrea.Sudan's Emergency Response Rooms -- networks of volunteers risking their lives to feed and help people enduring war and famine -- are one such group, he noted.Media watchdogs such as the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders could also be honoured after a deadly year for reporters, especially in Gaza."Never before have so many journalists been killed in a single year," Nina Grager, the head of the Peace Research Institute of Oslo, said.Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny, is meanwhile among bookies' favourites.Last year, the Nobel Peace Prize went to Japan's atomic bomb survivors' group Nihon Hidankyo for its efforts to ban nuclear weapons.Switzerland's Kracht for literature? The other Nobel that generates frenzied speculation is the literature prize, to be announced on October 9.Switzerland's Christian Kracht, considered one of the greatest contemporary authors in the German-language world, is a favourite in literary circles.At this year's Gothenburg Book Fair, held annually a few weeks before the Nobel prize announcement, "many members of the Swedish Academy (which awards the literature prize) were there, sitting in the front row during his event", culture critic Bjorn Wiman at Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter told AFP."And that is usually a sure sign," he said.After the Academy gave the nod to South Korea's Han Kang last year, Wiman thinks this year "it will go to a white man from the Anglo-Saxon, German or French-language world".The Nobel season opens Monday with the medicine prize, followed by the awards for physics on Tuesday and chemistry on Wednesday.The economics prize wraps up the Nobel season on October 13.The mechanisms of innate immunity, the identification of leukaemia stem cells and the discovery of an appetite-regulating hormone are among the medical research fields that could be honoured.This year's laureates in the science disciplines could use their win to sound the alarm over Trump's billions of dollars of funding cuts for scientific research. The Nobel Prize consists of a diploma, a gold medal and a cheque for around $1.2 million.