Can Foreigners Buy Property in the UAE? Rules by Emirate (2026)

Short answer: Yes. Foreign nationals can buy freehold property in Dubai's designated areas and own property in Abu Dhabi's investment areas, Ras Al Khaimah's freehold areas, Ajman's decreed areas and Sharjah's development areas and projects. In Umm Al Quwain, confirm the current rules with the land department. We found no published Fujairah rule. Rules differ by emirate.

• Each emirate sets its own rules. The UAE government portal says property laws for expatriates differ from one emirate to another.
• In the ownership laws we read, nationality matters in one way only. These laws treat UAE nationals, GCC nationals and everyone else differently. None names a particular non-GCC nationality.
• Dubai: non-UAE nationals can hold freehold with no time limit, or usufruct or leasehold for up to 99 years, in areas the Ruler designates.
• Abu Dhabi: since 2019, non-nationals can own and acquire all real rights in investment areas.
• Sharjah: since November 2022, all nationalities can own property without a time limit in development areas and projects.
• Off-plan sales must be registered. In Dubai, an off-plan sale is void unless it is entered in the Interim Property Register.

This is general information, not legal advice. Rules change. Confirm the position for any property with the emirate's land department or a UAE-qualified lawyer before you pay anything. Rules checked October 2026.

Yes, but the answer depends on the emirate, because each one sets its own ownership and registration rules.

The UAE government portal says laws on property ownership by expatriates "are different from one emirate to another". Most emirates reserve general ownership for UAE nationals, and usually GCC nationals, then open specific areas to everyone else.

Freehold has no end date. Usufruct is the right to use property someone else owns. Musataha is the right to build on someone else's land.

Foreigners can buy freehold property in Dubai only in areas the Ruler has designated for non-UAE nationals.

Article 4 of Law No. 7 of 2006 restricts the general right to own property in Dubai to UAE nationals, GCC nationals, companies wholly owned by them, and public joint stock companies. In areas determined by the Ruler, it lets non-UAE nationals hold "freehold ownership of Real Property without time restrictions", or usufruct or leasehold for up to 99 years. The same law makes the Land Department the only body authorised to register property.

Regulation No. 3 of 2006 set out the first list, with plots in Dubai Marina, Palm Jumeirah, Emirates Hills, Jebel Ali, Al Barsha South, The World Islands and Sheikh Zayed Road, among others. Because the Ruler designates areas, treat that list as a starting point and ask the Dubai Land Department to confirm a specific plot. Our guide to Dubai areas covers the main communities.

The UAE portal adds that non-residents can buy and that "there is no age limit to own property in Dubai." Under Law No. 13 of 2008, every off-plan sale must be entered in the Interim Property Register, or it is void.

Yes, expats can own property in Abu Dhabi's investment areas, and the law's definition of property includes plots of land.

Law No. 13 of 2019, issued on 16 April 2019, replaced Articles 3 and 4 of Law No. 19 of 2005. General ownership stays with nationals "and their equivalent", public joint stock companies with no more than 49% non-national shareholding, and people named by resolution. Non-national individuals and companies "may own and acquire all the principal or collateral real rights" in properties within investment areas. The 2005 law, published by ADREC, defines real property to include plots of land and says the Executive Council sets the investment areas.

The UAE portal names nine areas: Yas Island, Saadiyat, Reem, Mariya, Lulu, Al Raha Beach, Sayh Al Sedairah, Al Reef and Masdar City. Its description of 99-year ownership deeds that exclude land reflects the older position, so ask ADREC what your title deed will say. Profound lists projects on Al Reem Island, Saadiyat Island, Yas Island, Al Raha Beach and in Masdar City, all on that list, plus our wider Abu Dhabi projects.

The Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC), set up in November 2023 by the Department of Municipalities and Transport, issues title deeds and ownership certificates.

Yes, since November 2022 all nationalities can own property in Sharjah's real estate development areas and projects.

On 27 October 2022 the Ruler issued Law No. 2 of 2022, replacing Article 4 of Law No. 5 of 2010. As published in Arabic in the Sharjah Official Gazette (the Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported it in English on 31 October 2022), the new article limits ownership to UAE and GCC citizens, with four exceptions: the Ruler's agreement, inheritance, transfer to a first-degree relative, and "ownership in real estate development areas and projects in accordance with the regulations set by the Council."

On 1 November 2022, the Sharjah Executive Council allowed all nationalities to own property "of all kinds without limitation of time in real estate development areas and projects".

The UAE portal's Sharjah section still describes the older rule: a usufruct of up to 100 years under Executive Council Resolution No. 26 of 2014. The 2022 law and decision came later. Profound lists Sharjah projects including Aljada and Al Mamzar. Ask the developer and the Sharjah Real Estate Registration Department to confirm a project is in an approved development area.

Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah allow foreign ownership in approved areas. Umm Al Quwain's current rules should be confirmed with its land department, and we found no published rule for Fujairah.

Ajman

Article 4 of Ajman Law No. 3 of 2023 limits ownership to citizens and those treated as citizens, companies wholly owned by them, and public joint stock companies. The areas where non-citizens may own, and the term of ownership, are set by Amiri decree. The law, published in Arabic by the Department of Land and Real Estate Regulation, also provides an initial registration certificate for units under construction in development areas. Browse our Ajman projects, including Al Zorah, and confirm the plot's status with the department.

Ras Al Khaimah

Law No. 11 of 2021 on the land register bars foreigners other than UAE and GCC nationals from acquiring buildings or land, except by inheritance. The ban covers full ownership, bare ownership and usufruct, and a lease of more than 50 years counts as ownership. A company is foreign unless UAE or GCC nationals own at least 51%. Article 13 allows foreign ownership in areas the Ruler approves.

RAK Municipality's service guide says non-Emirati customers can own in freehold areas, and lists Al Hamra Village, Mina Al Arab, Al Marjan Island, RAK Central, Julphar Towers, Al Maareedh (plots) and the upcoming Beach District. Its Lands and Properties Sector registers transactions. See our Ras Al Khaimah projects, including Al Marjan Island, Mina Al Arab and Hayat Island.

Umm Al Quwain

Umm Al Quwain's Land and Properties Department publishes only a 2006 ownership law, and newer rules for foreign buyers have been reported but not officially published. Confirm the current position with the department before you buy. See our Umm Al Quwain projects.

Fujairah

We found no published rule on foreign ownership on an official Fujairah website. Fujairah Municipality has a lands and properties department; ask it what a non-GCC buyer can own and where.

Under the ownership laws we read, only in one way: UAE nationals and, in most emirates, GCC nationals have wider rights, and the laws do not distinguish between other nationalities.

Dubai, Sharjah and Ras Al Khaimah name GCC nationals alongside UAE nationals in the general right to own. Abu Dhabi says nationals "and their equivalent", and Ajman says citizens and those treated as citizens, so GCC buyers there should check with the land department.

For everyone else, the laws we read do not distinguish by nationality. Under these laws, a buyer from the United States, the United Kingdom, India, Russia or China faces the same ownership rules as any other non-GCC buyer. Anti-money-laundering checks still apply: Ajman's and Ras Al Khaimah's land departments list the UAE's legislation, and ADREC publishes a know-your-customer policy.

Oman lets non-Omanis own land or built units in licensed integrated tourism complexes, except in Musandam, where they can only take built units on a usufruct of up to 99 years.

Royal Decree 12/2006 issued the rules on property ownership in integrated tourism complexes. Article 1 of those rules, as replaced by Royal Decree 65/2007, allows Omanis and non-Omanis, individuals and companies, to own land or built units in licensed complexes, for residence or investment. The state may limit ownership to Omanis in any complex. Under Ministerial Decision 109/2022, non-Omanis may buy only built units in Musandam Governorate's complexes, on a usufruct of no more than 99 years. The 2006 decree puts implementation with the housing ministry, now the Ministry of Housing and Urban Planning, whose minister signed the 2022 decision. The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism publishes the 2007 decree and the 2022 decision. The original 2006 text is reproduced on Qanoon.om, which states that it is not an official source. For projects in Muscat and our other Oman projects, check the project is a licensed complex.

We read each law in its official text on a government website wherever we could find one, and checked them on 26 October 2026. Each rule above links to the page or law we used. Where a law is published only in Arabic (Sharjah, Ajman, Ras Al Khaimah, Umm Al Quwain and Oman), we read the Arabic text and summarised it. One point rests on a non-official publication, and we say so where it appears: the original 2006 text of Oman's decree, from Qanoon.om. Where we found no official text, we say so.

This is general information, not legal advice. Rules change. Before you commit to a purchase, confirm the position with the emirate's land department or a UAE-qualified lawyer.