Middle East Conflict: Punjabi investors hit pause button on Dubai Real Estate market
Indians account for near 15 per cent of all Dubai property transactions
Punjabis are not only concerned about their near and dear ones in caught in the Middle East war zones, but are also anxiously watching the impact it would have on the real estate market in Dubai.
Real estate industry insiders said that Punjabis have invested significantly in Dubai's real estate market, with Indians accounting for near 15 per cent of all Dubai property transactions and Punjabis contributing near 7 per cent to 10 per cent of the share.
For the last few years, the Dubai real estate market has seen lot of investment from India, especially Punjab. The ongoing Iran-US, Israel conflict is likely to slow down real estate investment in Dubai from Punjab, at least in the short term.
A Sales Trainer with BNW Developments, UAE, Ishrat Singh said that the conflict would not impact any long term investment, but it could effect on short term investment. “The new investor could adopt a cautious approach, with some buyers adopting a wait-and-see attitude,” he said.
Kanwaljeet Singh, who has invested in the real estate in Dubai in the last six years, said the conflict should not have any impact on the real estate.
Industry data reveals that people from India have bought more properties in Dubai than other nationalities in 2025. Of all the Dubai property transactions in 2024, Indians contributed approximately Rs 84,000 crore. While the exact amount invested by Punjabis was not available, it is said to be a substantial portion of this total, given Punjab's dreams of owning a property in Dubai, driven by high rental yields, tax benefits and residency perks.
“The uncertainty and perceived risk associated with the conflict may lead to a cautious approach among investors, causing a temporary slowdown in transaction volumes,” said Aman Sharma, a Dubai-based real estate developer.
Apart from top businessmen, many Bollywood and Punjabi actors and singers have also bought property in Dubai. Many Punjabis have earned a good reputation in Dubai real estate business and even opened their branch offices in Punjab
A Mohali-based real estate agent Shalinder Anand said the Middle East Conflict has come as warning to those have moved their entire investment to the foreign shore. “If the situation worsened, what would be the fate of the investments,” he quipped.
