News: Abu Dhabi vs Dubai for Property Investors: Nisus Finance-28-06-2026
Investors unsettled by the Iran war should look to Abu Dhabi ahead of Dubai, Amit Goenka, founder of Nisus Finance, said at HT’s India Next Real Estate Summit. Dubai has global money, he said, but Abu Dhabi is where the economy is accelerating, and its institutional players are a main reason for his preference.
Goenka was speaking with Santhosh Kumar, vice chairman of the Anarock Group, in a session on global investments and capital flow that covered Dubai real estate, cross-border capital and the UAE corridor.
Office space, apartments and villas offer the best yields in Abu Dhabi, Goenka said. He cited 5 per cent availability of office space against 15 per cent demand, calling it a great place to invest now.
Dubai has become one of the most favoured overseas property destinations for Indians because of high rental yields, tax efficiency, infrastructure, ease of ownership and residency-linked programmes, and Indian buyers have consistently been among its largest investor groups. Recent geopolitical developments, including the US-Iran war, have made investors more selective.
Goenka acknowledged that geopolitical risk is a concern but said it is a global event, with trade, oil prices and gas supply affected worldwide, including in India. Rental demand in the UAE has not fallen even in wartime, he said, and people still have faith in the country, though futuristic ideas are on a bit of a pause.
He said Dubai had lacked an investment cycle allowing exits and people were making money very fast. The war is turning it into a mature market for sophisticated investors, who will now research before investing as Indians do at home. Calling it a "great time" to look at Dubai, he said any black swan event throws up opportunities.
At the peak of the conflict, between March and April, prices rose 7 per cent overall, Goenka said, because most investors are unlevered cash buyers. Those investing in the UAE are not desperate and can wait for their yields, he added.
He also listed Dubai’s strengths: it is easier from a regulation and compliance standpoint, the most affordable and dollar pegged, giving an investor a currency gain of 5 per cent every year. Both speakers pointed to dollar appreciation as a benefit of UAE investments.
Kumar said that after the West Asia crisis and the recent speculated agreement between Iran and the US, there is hope things will settle. Dubai and the Middle East have stayed connected to the world, Dubai is among the places offering safe returns, and those wanting to invest in the UAE should not hold back, he said. Its global connectivity is a key advantage, and for Indians the convenience and the UAE’s tax-free status add to the appeal.
From March to June, 26 per cent of Dubai transactions were by Indians, Kumar said, as price corrections create opportunities.
The war has not fully ceased. Days after US President Donald Trump and the Iranian side signed a 14-point interim peace deal with a 60-day negotiation window, strikes have continued from both sides, and over the weekend Bahrain and Kuwait also came under risk of attack.
