Abu Dhabi Leads The UAE In Affordable Accommodation

Real estate authorities in Dubai should follow Abu Dhabi’s lead in providing rental options for low earners or risk areas becoming as unaffordable for the average population as parts of London, according to Cluttons’ head of research.

- Robert Anderson

In August, the Department of Municipal Affairs and Transport at the Abu Dhabi City Municipality announced a workshop to encourage developers to build accommodation for those earning Dhs4,000 ($1,090) to Dhs6,000 ($1,634) a month, and bachelors earning Dhs2,000 ($545) to Dhs4,000.

Rents for each group would range from Dhs1,400 ($381) to Dhs2,100 ($572) and Dhs700 ($191) to Dhs1,400 a month respectively.

“It’s good the authorities have stepped in”, said Faisal Durrani, adding that a similar approach would be beneficial in Dubai.

“Developers are launching things branded affordable and the municipality is trying to set land aside for affordable housing. But it's important to have a unified strategy as to what it means, who qualifies, and how long you can stay there. Any grey areas need to be cleared up.”