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29 March 2024

Dubai is GCC residents' top choice for living: Survey

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By Staff

More than two-thirds of GCC residents say the UAE is their first choice for living based on the quality and design aesthetics of their residences, according to a new survey.

The survey, commissioned by Ellington Properties, a homegrown boutique property development company in Dubai, further states over 66 per cent chose the emirate for the design quality of the residential projects with 58 per cent stating they would invest in villas or townhouses as their first preference for property investment in the emirate.

The other cities that ranked in order of preference for living, based on the parameters of design quality and interior design, are Abu Dhabi, Muscat, Doha, Jeddah, Riyadh, Kuwait City, Manama and Dammam.

The survey by YouGov is part of an ongoing study by Ellington Properties to quantify the perceptions of real estate in the GCC.

The survey covered over 2,700 GCC residents who expressed their views on key elements such as design, value associated with homes and convenience.

Over 74 per cent of the respondents, drawn in from across the GCC, consider Dubai to have the best designed homes with high-quality architecture and interior space.

Abu Dhabi, Doha, Riyadh and Jeddah are in the top five rankings followed by Kuwait City, Dammam and Muscat.
Robert Booth, Managing Director, Ellington Properties, said: “As a customer-focused organisation with an eye for detail, we believe that understanding investor perceptions is crucial in delivering a better product that meets and exceeds their expectations.

“This also ensures complete transparency in all our operations, adding to investor confidence. The findings of the survey underline the value that investors attach to design excellence and build quality.”

The study reported that the main reasons for consumers to invest in properties within the GCC are rental income and real estate value (48 per cent each) followed by location (43 per cent).

Further, investors closely evaluate developer credentials, property size and in-built white goods in making their investment decision.

“The study highlights that potential investors strike a tasteful balance between classic elegance and cutting-edge design.

They prefer large residential spaces and appreciate design from first principles to last detail – an ethos that we reinforce in our projects,” said Joseph Thomas, Managing Director, Ellington Properties.

While the focus of the study was to understand the preferences of the GCC population for real estate offerings based on the aesthetics and design quality of the homes, Ellington also covered other aspects of investor behaviour.