ع
U.S. buyers ranked fourth among international investors in Dubai real estate during the first half of 2026 with a 9 percent share of foreign purchases, behind Indians, Britons and Egyptians, according to a Harbor Real Estate analysis of DXBinteract data reported by Khaleej Times. Ghada “GG” Benitez, a California-licensed realtor and RERA-certified Dubai broker who heads GG Benitez International, said she had foreseen the shift as American clients sought alternatives to elevated entry costs and taxes in coastal California markets. Her practice, which maintains offices in San Diego and Dubai, has represented more than 70 off-plan projects while emphasising full concierge support from acquisition through property management.
Benitez launched an expanded Dubai Real Estate Learning Center on September 13 to guide American and global investors through ownership structures, financing options for non-residents, Golden Visa qualifications, developer evaluations and exit strategies, a statement issued by GG Benitez Public Relations indicated. The 59-section resource builds on her three years of investor education via The Dubai Connect podcast, which has accumulated more than 2 million views across its episodes featuring developers, regulators and tax specialists. “I did not come to Dubai looking for inventory to sell,” Benitez said. “I came wanting to understand how the market worked, what protected the investor, where the risks were and where Dubai was going over the next five, ten, twenty and thirty years.”
Dubai’s residential market posted record results in 2025 with 205,400 transactions valued at AED 544.2 billion, a 25 percent increase in value and 18 percent rise in volume from the prior year, Knight Frank’s residential market review stated. Sales of homes priced above $10 million reached 500 units for the full year, including 68 transactions exceeding $25 million, as ultra-high-net-worth buyers drove luxury segment growth. Benitez, who also serves as associate director of U.S. and global relations for a Dubai brokerage, has positioned her services at the intersection of these trends by focusing on off-plan residential and commercial assets that align with American portfolio diversification goals.
Rental yields in prime Dubai communities have remained attractive relative to many U.S. markets while the emirate levies no annual property tax, factors Benitez has repeatedly highlighted in her LinkedIn articles and podcast episodes aimed at U.S. audiences. Americans can purchase freehold property in designated areas and may qualify for long-term residency through investments starting at AED 2 million under the Golden Visa programme, she has explained in investor briefings. Her background as a first-generation Arab-American with family ties to the Middle East has informed her approach to bridging regulatory and cultural questions that arise for first-time buyers from the United States.
Benitez was appointed to her current roles after developing relationships with major Dubai developers including Emaar, Nakheel and Sobha Realty, according to announcements distributed via PR Newswire on her behalf. She has moderated expert panels at the International Property Show, most recently in September discussing why American capital is flowing toward the emirate’s infrastructure and financial ecosystem. Podcast interviews with government officials, mortgage providers and economists form the basis of the learning center materials now available to clients evaluating opportunities ahead of expected supply deliveries in 2026.
Knight Frank separately projected prime residential prices in Dubai to rise by approximately 3 percent in 2026 while the broader market grows more modestly at 1 percent, as the city absorbs additional inventory from projects already under construction. Benitez has advised clients to prioritise developer track records and escrow protections when purchasing off-plan, themes that recur in her educational content. Her firm reports strong demand from U.S. families and individual investors seeking both lifestyle relocation and pure investment returns in communities that combine green space with modern amenities.
