I’ve been going through annual reports and investor presentations of several DFM companies over the last few weeks, and one thing keeps bothering me.

It feels like many retail investors here don’t actually buy businesses—they buy familiarity.

The conversation almost always comes back to the same names:
- Emaar
- Emirates NBD
- Salik
- DEWA

Don’t get me wrong. These are quality businesses. I own some of them myself.

But here’s what I struggle with.

If everyone already knows they’re great companies, isn’t a lot of that quality already reflected in the price?

At the same time, I see companies like Lulu Retail, Aramex, Watania, and a few smaller names posting improving earnings or trading at much lower valuations, yet they receive almost no attention.

Maybe the market is right and these deserve to trade cheaply.
Or maybe retail investors (myself included) naturally gravitate toward companies that feel “safe” because they’re household names.

I also wonder whether we focus too much on dividend yield.
For example:
Company A pays an 8% dividend but grows earnings slowly.
Company B pays almost no dividend but compounds earnings at 15–20% annually.

Ten years later, which investor actually ends up wealthier?

Another thing I’ve noticed is that DFM discussions rarely revolve around valuation.
People ask:
“Is Emaar a good company?”
Almost nobody asks:
“Is Emaar a good company at today’s valuation?”

Those are two completely different questions.

The same applies to real estate.
Many investors are comfortable putting AED 2 million into a single apartment but hesitate to invest AED 200,000 into a diversified portfolio of listed companies.

Is that because property genuinely offers a better risk-adjusted return, or because we can physically see it?

I’m not trying to argue that everyone should chase turnaround stocks or ignore blue chips.

I’m genuinely wondering whether the average UAE retail portfolio is built around minimizing anxiety rather than maximizing long-term returns.

Curious how others here think about this.

Do you mostly buy market leaders regardless of valuation?
Do you actively look for mispriced companies?
What percentage of your portfolio is in “boring compounders” versus contrarian bets?
Interested to hear from people who’ve invested through multiple market cycles, not just the last couple of years.

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I’ve spent the last two weeks doing on-the-ground research across Dubai, meeting with agents, direct owners, and developer sales teams to understand what’s actually happening in the market.
Here are my observations:
I’m seeing discounts of up to 20% on some off-plan and ready properties through direct negotiations.
For many off-plan projects, developers are already offering 4% DLD waivers plus an additional 10–15% discount if you’re negotiating at the sales office.
If buyers can already get these discounts directly from developers, it raises the question: why would they buy a resale unit at a higher price?
JVC surprised me the most. It feels like there’s a new project every 100 meters, which makes me wonder how the market will absorb all the upcoming supply.
A few months ago, I was seeing 4-bedroom villas in Damac Lagoons around AED 2.7M. Now I’m hearing deals closing in the AED 2.1M–2.3M range.
I’ve also come across several distress deals in Damac Hills 2.
My personal view is that we’re entering a buyer’s market in many segments. If sales remain slow over the next six months and new supply continues to come online, I think some areas could see further price corrections. Of course, I don’t expect every community to behave the same—prime locations may hold up much better than oversupplied areas.
Another factor I’m watching is leverage. Many off-plan investors bought expecting to flip before handover, but that strategy becomes much harder when developers themselves are offering aggressive discounts on new inventory.
This is only my personal observation based on two weeks of intensive research, site visits, and conversations with people in the market. I could be wrong, and I’m genuinely interested in hearing other perspectives.
Because of what I’m seeing, I’ve decided to hold onto my cash for now instead of buying additional properties.
What’s your view?
Are you seeing the same trend, or do you think this is only affecting certain communities? I’d love to hear opinions from investors, agents, brokers, developers, and end users. Please share your experience with actual deals rather than asking prices.

I am 22 and I've been paying almost all the bills in my house and I'm finding it very hard to save up. I do not have enough for my own health. Everytime I've saved up enough, it all goes away in one go.

Those who are or have been in similar situations, how are you coping and if you're able to keep savings, what are your tips?

I am looking that there is a lot of movement in investor community.

People are buying selling business like anything.

Many people leaving but creating fresh opportunities.

What’s your take on this is it good or bad?