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"Dubai's new first-time buyer scheme is clever and could attract Brits"

ended 11. July 2025

BRITS locked out of the UK housing market are being targeted by a new Dubai scheme offering flexible payment plans, early access to off-plan properties and a currency-driven discount of over £100,000 on homes priced under £1 million.

The emirate has just launched a first-time buyer initiative open to all nationalities living in Dubai, including British expats and new arrivals. It promises exclusive access to new developments from the city’s top property firms, with flexible financing and preferential pricing — a move experts say could tempt even more frustrated young Brits to ditch the UK for tax-free life in the Gulf.

Currency expert Prem Raja, Head of Trading Floor at Currencies 4 You, said the launch of the scheme lands at the perfect time for British investors.

Since January, the weakened USD/AED rate has shaved more than £100,000 off the Sterling price of a property worth AED 5 million  – the scheme’s upper limit – cutting it from around £1.12 million to £1 million. Combined with Dubai’s lifestyle appeal and generous rental yields, Raja said the move creates “a very compelling window of opportunity” for British buyers seeking either a home or an investment abroad.

Ben Perks, Managing Director at Orchard Financial Advisers, commented: “There are a growing number of young Brits that are completely disenfranchised with the UK property market. One in five young adults don’t think they’ll ever be able to buy a property. Add in the state of the economy and rising taxes, and people will start to think the grass looks greener elsewhere. Dubai's new first-time buyer scheme is clever and could attract Brits. I’m sure other countries will follow suit and come up with ways to entice our hard-working youngsters.”

Pete Mugleston, Managing Director at Online Mortgage Advisor, said the UK government should take Dubai’s move as a warning shot. “If they don’t get on with building the 1.5 million homes they promised, they risk watching Britain’s younger generation walk away. For those struggling to buy here or craving a different pace of life, Dubai’s offer will turn heads.”

The appeal isn’t limited to first-time buyers. Tony Redondo, Founder of Cosmos Currency Exchange, said Dubai’s offer could be especially attractive to entrepreneurs “already clobbered by £40 billion in extra taxes” in the UK. With rental yields of 5%–8%, no income tax, and residency options via the Golden Visa, he described the scheme as the cherry on top of a market that’s now far cheaper in Sterling terms than it was six months ago.

But not everyone’s convinced. Samuel Mather-Holgate of Mather and Murray Financial said while Dubai is clearly trying to “replace those streaming out” of the UK, the shine might be fading. “You’d think every influencer and their dog already lives there,” he said, adding that rivals like Zagreb, Sydney and Ibiza are clawing back expat interest. He also warned that falling property prices and the risks of buying off-plan could outweigh the perks.

The Dubai First-Time Home Buyer Programme, launched earlier this month by the Dubai Land Department and Department of Economy and Tourism, is open to all UAE residents who don’t currently own freehold residential property in the city. Buyers can access exclusive mortgage deals and priority access to new launches via a QR code system on the Dubai REST app. The emirate hopes the scheme will help push annual property transactions beyond AED 1 trillion by 2033.

5 responses from the Newspage community

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Prem Raja
Head of Trading Floor at Currencies 4 You
Dubai may well have one eye on the UK's first-time buyers, many of whom are disillusioned with our government, taxes and struggling with affordability. Dubai’s new first-time buyer scheme is a smart move, especially with its inclusive approach for all nationalities and partnerships with top developers. The property cap of 5 million AED fits comfortably within the budgets of many British expats. But what makes this even more appealing right now is the currency advantage. Back in January, 5 million AED would’ve cost around £1,116,000. Today, due to the recent weakness in USD/AED, the same investment costs just £1,000,000- a saving of over £100,000 simply from exchange rate movement. For Brits looking at Dubai as a lifestyle or investment destination, the combination of a softer AED, flexible payment plans and early access to new launches creates a very compelling window of opportunity. Timing, both in market and currency terms, has rarely looked better.
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Ben Perks
Managing Director at Orchard Financial Advisers
There are a growing number of young Brits that are completely disillusioned with the UK property market. One in five young adults don’t think they’ll ever be able to buy a property. Add in the state of the economy and rising taxes, and people will start to think the grass looks greener elsewhere. Dubai's new first-time buyer scheme is clever and could attract Brits. I’m sure other countries will follow suit and come up with ways to entice our hard-working youngsters.
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Pete Mugleston
Mortgage Advisor & Managing Director at onlinemortgageadvisor.co.uk
This new first-time buyer scheme in Dubai will likely be the first of many to try and entice young Brits away. It's an intriguing scheme and you can see the attraction for those struggling to get on the property ladder here, or who simply want a different pace of life. The UK government should take this seriously and crack on with building the 1.5 million new homes promised at the last election. If they don't, and young Brits feel the country isn't offering the life they feel they deserve, an exodus could be on the cards.
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Tony Redondo
Founder at Cosmos Currency Exchange
Last one out of the UK, switch the lights off. Dubai’s 2025 First-Time Buyer Scheme, open to all UAE residents, offers flexible payment plans and early access to properties under £1m. Entrepreneurs already clobbered by an additional £40bn of taxes in the last Budget and almost certain to be clobbered again this October are very likely to be attracted to the tax-free investment regime and residency via the Golden Visa, with Dubai’s booming economy and 5%–8% rental yields. The cherry on top of this cake? The Dirham is pegged to the Dollar, so the USD’s 9% drop in 2025 against the Pound makes properties nearly £100K cheaper than in 2024. However, UAE residency requirements and a potential price correction by 2026 may need to be borne in mind.
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Samuel Mather-Holgate
Managing Director & IFA at Mather and Murray Financial
It's impressive that Dubai are adapting and looking to bring in first-time buyers. However, you would imagine that every influencer and their dog are already living in Dubai. The shine might be coming off the mega city, with the allure of other destinations like Zagreb, and old favourites such as Sydney and Ibiza clawing back much of the expat loving nomads. Dubia will be looking to replace those streaming out, and this is a novel incentive. I would be worried about falling prices in the next five years, though, and a new build off-plan property is the last thing you want in that eventuality.