Saadiyat Island, Al Reem Island, Al Raha Beach, Al Reef and Yas Island identified by Reidin as hotspots for real estate investment in the UAE capital

“Five key areas have been identified: Saadiyat Island, Al Reem Island, Al Raha Beach, Al Reef and Yas Island, all developments that are less than five years old which have proven popular among tenants, especially when compared to the older and more traditional stock available.”

“Saadiyat Island is one of the most popular areas in the capital and has a projected population growth that will increase tenfold over the next two decades.”

Echoing the trend of many developers taking part in Cityscape Abu Dhabi this year, Reidin reinforced the message that affordable housing is a prime choice because it offers a healthy anticipated return on investment thanks to the growing demand from tenants and the population of the UAE.

Guglani added: “In the case of yields for investors, on a global scale, affordable housing tends to produce the best returns. And even speaking on the UAE specifically, Al Reef, which happens to be one of the more affordable areas in our analysis, has approximate yields of around 6.5% to 7.5% depending on apartment and villas.

“Another good point for investors is that the unit mix in Abu Dhabi is quite varied and coupled with no cap on the rental increases plus the new regulations to be introduced by the government, makes for a very secure investment.”

Cityscape Talks provided an opportunity for visitors and real estate industry professionals to attend sessions where they can learn directly from expert insight on the property market both regionally and internationally.

Over the three days, topics such as innovation in the real estate industry, confidence in the real estate market, and the art of boosting property value were discussed by experts from some of the top developers and organisations in the region.

Discussing ways to boost property value, Yann Dhalluin, the Commercial Director for Kohler said the ‘smart bathroom’ is an under-appreciated facet that developers are now waking up to.

“It’s always a great opportunity for us at the Cityscape Talks to connect with designers and developers to tell them about the latest trends in the sanitary ware industry, and to change the perspective people may have and introduce people to what the future of the bathroom is going to look like.

“In the next five years, the bathroom is going to become more advanced with the introduction of products such as the smart toilet, a voice-command mirror and even a shower that can provide a spa-like and energizing experience.

“From generation X to Y to Z, we are seeing more integration with technology in the home and this is certainly a trend that we see continuing in the form of having a connected living space with devices interacting with the user.

“While this technology is all quite new, developers are waking up to the fact this is the direction homes are going in and are asking the right questions. And as this tech evolves, it becomes more efficient and introduces new functions, we will see a lot more developers introduce features for smart homes.”

Additionally, Dhalliun discussed how future developments in the smart bathroom could have real-world implications for health and safety in the home.

“However, what we’ve been looking at is taking this a step further and to see how a bathroom can look after someone’s well-being. We’re talking about a bathroom that would include sensors on the floor of the bathroom that will alert emergency services if someone fell over. This is how the industry is moving forward and we are trying to spearhead these developments and changes in order to benefit end-users and provide developments with that added value.”

The three-day real estate and investment event, which ran from 17-19 April at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), was held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces.

Cityscape Abu Dhabi was support from Platinum Sponsor Azizi Developments and Gold Sponsor ARADA, and will return from 16-18 April 2019. For more information visit: www.cityscapeabudhabi.com.