A coffee in Dubai Marina and a very Italian question
A few mornings ago, while sitting in a cafe in Dubai Marina, an Italian investor asked me a simple question: “Simone, is this still the right time to enter, or are we too late?”. I hear this often, especially when a market has been running for years and every conversation seems to revolve around the same fear: missing the opportunity. The answer, however, should never start from urgency. It should start from a more serious question: what kind of Dubai are we actually buying?
The numbers confirm the strength of the market
According to the Dubai Land Department, Dubai’s real estate sector reached AED 252 billion in transactions in the first quarter of 2026, up 31% year on year in value and 6% in volume. During the same period, 60,303 real estate transactions were recorded, while investments reached AED 173 billion across 57,744 transactions. The figure I watch most closely is foreign investment: AED 148.35 billion, up 26%. These are strong numbers, but they are not a reason to buy anything indiscriminately.
The shift is selection, not speed
The less obvious part is this: Dubai is no longer only a market where being early matters. It is becoming a market where choosing well matters more. Demand remains strong, but the difference between a liquid asset and a product supported mostly by marketing is becoming clearer. Average price alone is not enough. You need to read the location, developer, payment plan, management quality, delivery timeline and real resale or rental demand.
What this means for investors from Italy
For an Italian investor with a meaningful ticket size, the point is not to chase the highest yield printed in a brochure. The point is to build a solid wealth position in a city that continues to attract capital, companies and international residents. This requires discipline: choosing projects with clear fundamentals, avoiding emotional purchases and thinking today about the exit scenario in three to five years. An investment of EUR 500,000 or more should not be treated as a bet on a render, but as a portfolio decision.
Why Rema Living starts from data
At Rema Living Real Estate, this is exactly how we work: we help Italian investors separate noise from value. We do not present Dubai as a shortcut, but as a market that deserves method. We analyse data, districts, risks, developers and personal objectives before discussing available units. If you want to understand whether Dubai makes sense for your portfolio, you can book a direct conversation here: https://rema.ae/prenota-il-tuo-incontro.
The practical check before signing
Before evaluating a project, always ask for three things: the developer’s track record, real comparables in the same area and a credible exit scenario. If a proposal does not survive these three checks, it is not yet an investment: it is a well-packaged presentation. Dubai still offers concrete opportunities, but today it rewards investors who arrive prepared, not investors who arrive in a hurry.