Registration in the Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC) will help foreign businessmen invest in any real estate in Dubai.
The Dubai International Financial Center (DIFC) and the Dubai Land Department (DLD) have signed a key Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) allowing investors from other countries to buy any non-freehold properties, both inside and outside this free economic zone through companies registered in it.
This initiative marks just another important step towards strengthening DIFC free zone status as the largest financial and business hub in the Middle East.
As of May, over 1600 companies have already been registered within DIFC. Foreign investors choose DIFC, as the registration here presupposes 100% ownership of real estate and an independent judicial system application in case of any disputes arising. However, companies registered in DIFC were not allowed to purchase properties outside of DIFC. Thus, most of the investors registered within DIFC were predominantly large companies.
Now, any company registered in
However, despite all the changes, companies, whose owners are not citizens of the GCC countries will still be limited to purchasing real estate units only in areas intended for possession by foreigners (freehold).
On the other hand, despite the restrictions, a strategic Memorandum between the DLD and DIFC will simplify the process of land registration for the owners of these companies.
Enhanced investment opportunities based on DIFC registration are likely to contribute to the growth of structured investments in the Dubai real estate sector, offering a wider range of options for structuring future projects.