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In 2025, Indians were the biggest group of foreign buyers in Dubai's housing market, spending an estimated ₹85,000 crore to ₹95,000 crore on homes, according to Anarock Property Consultants, as mentioned by Times of India. Last year, Dubai saw almost $250 billion (around ₹23 lakh crore) in real estate deals across different types of properties, showing strong investment activity even with geopolitical issues in the area. A report indicated that Indians made up 23% of foreign home purchases in Dubai in 2025, up from 12% in 2023, when investments were around ₹37,000 crore. Among foreign investors who are not from Arab countries, buyers from the UK and China were the second and third largest groups in Dubai's property market.
“India has a very important role in this market. Indian citizens make up about 20-22% of foreign property buying in Dubai, making them the leading group of investors. This increase can be explained by several reasons, like being close geographically, the stability of the UAE dirham tied to the US dollar, and the appealing rental returns, which usually fall between 6% and 9%,” the report stated. The consultancy also noted that the ongoing geopolitical issues in West Asia might make investors more cautious in the short term.
“The existing geopolitical issues will likely make investors more careful. The number of transactions might decrease shortly as buyers look at the changing risks. However, Dubai’s role as a global financial and lifestyle center, along with a varied group of investors and flexible policies, continues to support its real estate market strongly," the report noted. Prashant Thakur, the Executive Director and Head of Research and Advisory at Anarock Group, mentioned that most Indian buyers are interested in purchasing apartments and villas as their investment choices.
“Many Indians purchased apartments and villas for investment purposes,” Thakur told TOI, adding that several builders provide rental management services for buyers from abroad. “In Dubai, rental returns are healthy, ranging from 6% to 8%, compared to just 2-3% in India,” he said.
