Ras Al Khaimah is preparing for an upward real estate recovery

The real estate market in Ras Al Khaimah is preparing to enter an important phase, with development projects moving from “off-plan sale” to actual operation between 2028 and 2029.

Real estate developers told Emirates Today that “the market is being built now,” describing the period between 2026 and 2027 as “the major construction station,” at a time when coastal land prices have risen by about 20%.

They stressed that the market is preparing for an “upward recovery” cycle during the year 2026, with the start of the rental movement and attracting residents, to reach its peak in early 2027, with the delivery of world-class projects in the housing and hospitality sectors.

They explained that “Al Marjan Island” is no longer a traditional coastal project, but rather a clear global investment destination in tourism, hospitality and real estate, pointing out that the entry of international development brands into both “Al Marjan Island” and “RAK Central” has increased the emirate’s competitiveness.

They said that European investment in Ras Al Khaimah is expanding at a rapid pace, driven by business incentives, at a time when tourism infrastructure will provide a new wave of trading in residential lands and waterfronts, noting that rental returns in Ras Al Khaimah currently range between 5 and 10%, depending on the regions.

An investment destination

In detail, the CEO of Marjan Company, Engineer Abdullah Al-Abdouli, told Emirates Al-Youm, “(Marjan Island) is no longer a traditional coastal project, but rather a clear global investment destination in tourism, hospitality and real estate.”

He added: “The location of Marjan Island is currently consolidating Ras Al Khaimah’s position on the global tourism map,” pointing out that the period between 2026 and 2027 will be the “major construction station” for the projects, with the delivery and full operation phase beginning between 2028 and 2029, which will move the market from “development” to actual operation.

He said: “The market is building now,” advising investors to seize the opportunity before the operation phase and prices rise.

Al-Abdouli pointed to rental returns ranging between 5 and 9%, which vary according to regions and products, pointing out that “hospitality” achieves the highest return due to the increasing tourist demand.

Al-Abdouli revealed the “Murjan Beach” plan, which targets 12,000 hotel rooms, 22,000 residential units, and 6.5 million square feet of green space. He added that coastal land prices have grown by about 20% recently, due to internal and external demand, with offers starting from 800,000 dirhams for residential apartments, up to 90 million dirhams for luxury villas.

Upward recovery

For his part, the General Manager of Ejada Real Estate Company, Muhammad Al-Abhari, said: “The market is preparing for a cycle of (upward recovery), and this will become clear during the year 2026, with the start of the rental movement and attracting residents, to reach its peak in the beginning of 2027, with the delivery of world-class projects in the housing and hospitality sectors.”

Al-Abhari added that the investment return in Ras Al Khaimah currently ranges between 7% and 10%, with expectations to rise to 12% over the next five years, driven by the delivery of iconic projects and the increase in hotel operation.

In response to a question from “Emirates Today” about selling and rental prices, Al-Abhari said: “The prices of studio units on Al Marjan Island start at 800 thousand dirhams, with annual rents in some of its areas ranging between 55 and 60 thousand dirhams, while the prices of luxury apartments reach 1.5 million dirhams, with rents approaching 100 thousand dirhams annually.”

He stressed that the entry of international development brands into both “Marjan Island” and “RAK Central” has increased the emirate’s competitiveness, indicating that European investment in Ras Al Khaimah is expanding at a rapid pace, driven by business incentives.

Pivotal areas

In the same context, the consulting engineer, Nasser Al-Mulla, presented to Emirates Al-Youm an assessment of the development movement in four pivotal areas: Al Dhait South, describing it as “the heart of family housing and balanced growth.”

Al-Mulla pointed out “a gradual improvement in quality and services and wider areas for residential construction” in the Al-Raffa area, while the “New Corniche” area constitutes a waterfront that quickly raises the value and attracts investment and commercial demand.

He stressed that the “Al Maareed – Al Rams” area constitutes a future leap due to the Al Maareed Walkway, the Yacht Club, and the “Mira Coral Bay” project.

Al-Mulla expected that the period 2026-2027 would witness an increase in real estate values ​​in the Corniche and Al-Maarid, with the development of Al-Rams ports, noting that the tourism infrastructure will provide a new wave of trading on residential lands and waterfronts, and confirmed that there are opportunities in the market currently, for better investment in the future.

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