I Found the Last Underpriced Waterfront in Dubai (Before It's Gone)

On my ongoing series of The Dubai Connect podcast about the top areas to invest in 2026, today I'm at the Emaar Sales Centre in Port Rashid Yachts and Marina. We are going to discuss why this area is a location you should be looking to invest in the upcoming year. Emaar is the largest developer in the UAE, actually the largest developer in the world outside of China, known for landmarks such as the tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa, the biggest mall in the world, the Dubai Mall, and master communities. And as I've mentioned many times before, the concept of master communities has been mastered by Emaar. And that matters. Why? Because you have an ever-growing population here. We always hear about the traffic. We hear about the expansion and the explosion of tourism. And we need to make sure that there is a higher ecosystem that is able to cater to families living in a master community, including hospitals, including schools, including retail. And that is what we're talking about here in Rashid Yachts and Marina. Now, of course, we know that location, location, location matters. So why am I so trusting of Rashid Yachts and Marina? Well, it's data-proven. It's actually proven in studies such as the Knight Frank report, which did a global analysis of waterfront locations, and then even hyper-focused here in Dubai, where true coastline and waterfront is even more scarce. And with that scarcity means value. Rashid Yachts and Marina, as you can see here on the master plan, is a low-rise community. It's one of the only true coastlines left in Dubai, and it is part of the Master 2040 Plan. And when there is a vision of His Highness for Dubai, for an area, what does that mean? It means more money for the infrastructure, more investment ROI for you. Some numbers show that only 7 percent of Dubai coastline is actually available for you as a freehold investor. Now, with 7 percent only left, we want to get you in to be able to maximize in these underdeveloped areas and maximize your profit margins. Now, if you're an investor, the key obviously to maximize your ROI is to get into an underdeveloped area in an off-plan project, meaning that you're going to purchase this off-plan project and with Emaar, takes about 4 years for it to be built. And with that, you're getting it under market pricing. The sweet spot, if you want to sell that project for capital appreciation, is usually just before handover. Of course, the other two powerful opportunities you have here in this specific location of Rashid Yachts and Marina is to hold on to that unit or investments and be able to secure long-term rentals, which average about 6 to 9 percent as of today. But then the additional amount that comes with short-term rentals, because you're talking about a waterfront destination that is part of a yacht marina lifestyle. It's going to be a destination with high-end restaurants and shops that all of Dubai will be coming to. Think about Dubai Marina, but updated and upgraded. And connectivity, that is huge. We know it's been proven that when an area is connected to a landmark of Dubai, that that increases value. So you're talking about 10 to 12 minutes from Downtown Dubai, very close to the airport, coastline that is connected to one of my other favorite areas that we'll talk about in the next video of this series, Maritime City, and also then via the Infinity Bridge to Dubai Islands. Look, I know you're probably hearing, "Oh, this project is the best. This project is the best." I mean, after all, you probably have about 50,000 real estate agents here in Dubai. I believe I have been assigned the most challenging of buyers, which are my fellow Americans. We tend to be more cynical. Some are just starting. Well, there are many that live here. Actually, I think about 50,000, so I need to check on that stat. But it's been a little bit of a road to really help break misconceptions about investing in Dubai. That Dubai is actually very safe to invest in. I have a video that you can watch. I was honored to have the Dubai Land Department on my podcast to talk about the safety of investing here. Also, Dubai is a very transparent real estate market. So I've been able to overcome a lot of those objections for the Americans. But at the same time, the majority of my American investors aren't even planning on coming to Dubai. Although I think they should. So because of that, when they come to me for their first investment, they're a little skeptical, they're a little hesitant, and they say, "Give me the safest." Well, what's the safest? It's one that's already been proven. And Emaar, just Google them. You don't even need me to tell you. It's all out there to show how people have doubled and tripled their money depending on the location, okay? But that Emaar has proven longevity, has proven a track record, and Emaar always picks the top prime locations. In fact, Emaar builds the landmarks. When you think of Dubai, you think of the Marina, you think of the Burj Khalifa, you think about the Dubai Mall. Now in Dubai Creek Harbor, which is considered the new downtown of Dubai, we're talking about another tall tower, talking about another mall that's going to be three times the size of Dubai Mall. All these are by Emaar. And then they build these master communities. So when I'm talking about a development and a developer, you can go and check out on The Dubai Connect podcast. I'm not sitting or talking about randoms. My job has been to come here, understand the processes A through Z, which I share in various many videos. But most importantly then, to be able to know what's upcoming and how to maximize your dollars. Minimum risk, maximum outcome, and that's what Emaar is. Now when we talk specifically about locations, you're going to have that nice double whammy of Emaar with a waterfront destination. So that's why Emaar's Rashid Yachts and Marina is a prime opportunity for investors in 2026. To go a little bit more into the connectivity, because Emaar's Rashid Yachts and Marina is part of the Sheikh's vision to revitalize the old Dubai, there's been billions of dollars spent on the infrastructure here: bridges, roadways, et cetera. When you drive here right now, you see mass construction. It's crazy to get in and out of the area, but eventually this will be part of the metro, it will be part of the RTA, and you'll be able to be in downtown by Burj Khalifa in 10 to 12 minutes. That is huge, because now we're talking about also DIFC, right next to downtown. The executives, the high-income earners that want that waterfront location to live in, want a more secluded, low-rise community, and want a trusted name like Emaar that's known for high quality, timely delivery, and if they're an investor, maximum ROI. Now keep in mind there are some challenges in order to secure an Emaar project. Emaar is a globally recognized name. As I've mentioned before, especially with securing the prime units with Emaar, you have to think strategically. Meaning, you have to understand the process of purchasing an off-plan project with a top-tier developer such as Emaar. This includes the purpose of the EOI, an expression of interest, a fully refundable deposit that just shows that you're serious, and it places you in line on the day of allocations on a first-come, first-served basis. Because we're competing with global investors that already know Emaar. They're not coming to make their first or second investment. They're buying in bulk. They're buying many units sight unseen. They're not waiting for brochures when it comes to Emaar. Emaar is already trusted and has proven itself here in this market. So with that, please understand it's not the simplest process, but that's why I'm here to help guide you and to educate you also on how the payment plan works for Emaar. The 80/20 payment plan, if you want to understand that more, reach out.