Investment Options for Expats in Dubai

Saving in the bank account has never been a good option as the interest rates are minimal and the money just doesn’t grow. If you are an expat living in Dubai and you wish to afford the luxurious lifestyle along with financial security, you will need to invest your money.

Investment can be a complex matter; therefore, we have curated a comprehensive list of the various investment options available for financial planning in Dubai. Read on to know more:-

Real Estate:-

Dubai is one of the fastest growing economies and investors from across the globe are interested in investing in real estate in Dubai. Keeping aside the economic growth, Dubai is one of the favorite destinations for tourists which again makes Dubai the most suitable option for real estate investment. Lastly, the Dubai Expo 2020 is predicted to have a huge impact on almost all the sectors in Dubai, including real estate. Considering all these factors along with an increase in population in Dubai, expats investing in real estate in Dubai can gain significant returns on their investment.

Stocks -

The first thing that strikes our mind when we think about investment is the stock market. For an expat, investing in stocks in Dubai can prove to be a fruitful financial venture. However, the ones who fear taking risks or are easily disheartened by loses, the stock market is not an option.

Dubai has two types of stock exchanges:-

a) Dubai Financial Market - A Sharia-complaint stock exchange, regulated by the securities and commodities authority (SCA) DFM is the first stock exchange to have its own Initial public offering in 2006. The stock exchange trades shares of companies for nearby regions such as Bahrain, Oman, Kuwait, and several other gulf countries.

b) NASDAQ - The second stock exchange in Dubai is NASDAQ. It enlists both international and domestic companies, regardless of their size. The stock exchange offers to trade in equity derivatives and REIT (Real Estate Investment Trusts). The stock exchange is located in Dubai International Financial Centre and is regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA).

Bonds

Investing in bonds is considered safer for people who do not wish to take many risks. Bonds also offer better returns when compared to any other investments such as fixed deposits or certificates. Bonds are nothing but debt instruments issued by the companies that provide interest against it. The value of these bonds is returned upon maturity. In Dubai, under Islamic law, interest is considered as haram and therefore, bonds are traded in the forms of Sukuk. Sukuk refers to an Islamic financial certificate which is similar to a bond; the only difference is that Sukuk involves ownership of the asset while bonds are purely debt obligations. However, there are certain bonds that are traded in the conventional western format as well. National bonds are easily manageable and can be purchased in a minimum amount of AED 100 or more than that. These types of bonds can be cashed at any exchange house within a minimum holding period of 90 days.

Mutual Funds

Mutual funds are a good investment option for long term investment and can be considered as a cheaper alternative for stocks. Mutual funds are managed by a fund manager who invests the money pooled by the investors in different stocks, bonds, securities, etc. Mutual funds are a safe and fruitful option when it comes to investing. Mutual funds are other important tools for financial planning in Dubai.

Funds

There are innumerable funds available at the Dubai International Financial Centre. Expats can consider them as one of the important tools for financial planning in Dubai.  Several kinds of funds available in Dubai are equity funds, value and growth funds, active and passive funds, sector funds, fixed-income funds, etc. an expat can invest in any of the bonds as per his/her financial objective.

Gold

Gold is one of the best options to invest in Dubai. It can be sold at any time and profit can be earned. Also, gold is a tool to fight inflation. However, it is advised that before you start considering gold to be a tool of financial planning in Dubai, carefully analyze the gold market.

Deposits or e-saver accounts

The banks in Dubai offer accounts that offer very high returns to the customers. Deposit accounts range from a fixed deposit of 1- 24 months with higher interest rates. However, these accounts do not come with any debit cards. I hope the above mentioned points will help you do good financial planning in Dubai.