The emirate of Ras Al Khaimah is the next investment hotspot offering 30-50 per cent return on investment (RoI), Abdulla Al Abdouli, Chief Executive Officer of Marjan has said.

 

Speaking to members of the Dubai Chapter of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI), he urged investors to benefit from the opportunities in the emirate’s real estate and hospitality sectors, at a conference held in Dubai on Sunday.

 

The conference, Opportunities Unlimited: Investing in a World of Possibilities, is one of the many knowledge series organised by the ICAI Dubai Chapter to help its members benefit from investment opportunities across the UAE and India – where most Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) invest in equity, bond, real estate, commodities and currencies, among other asset classes.

 

“Dreams do not come true by dreaming. Neither hard work can make dream come true, nor smart work can make it true. For making a dream come true, two things are required – smartness and boldness. Smartness to understand and gather knowledge, boldness to put into action,” said by CA Jai Prakash Agarwal, Chairman of ICAI Dubai Chapter while addressing this important event on Investments and Opportunities.

 

Agarwal also lauded the commendable role played by the Indian Chartered Accountants and his fellow members, as ICAI Dubai touched the highest number of members this year in 43 years and stands at 3150+ members and counting. He added that Indian Chartered Accountants have charted out a vision to grow not only in numbers, but also in knowledge and resources as well.

 

Ras Al Khaimah is the northernmost of the seven emirates that form the UAE, having a population of 400,000 and $14 billion gross domestic product (GDP). It has been attracting investment across real estate, tourism and manufacturing industrial sector.

 

In the first half of 2025, 3,000 off-plan homes, valued at Dh6 billion were sold, while 550 ready properties worth Dh646 million changed hands. Rental yields in the emirate remain attractive, averaging 5.6 per cent, with apartments outperforming villas at 5.7 per cent versus 2.3 per cent. 

 

The emirate’s transformation is being catalysed by mega-projects like the Dh14.3 billion Wynn Al Marjan Island resort, set to open in 2027, and a Dh5 billion investment pipeline from RAK Properties, which includes 12 luxury developments across Mina and Al Marjan Island.

 

“If investors can’t make at least 30 percent return on investment, then I feel bad and then I work to ensure the investors get a much higher return so that they benefit as well as we expand our economy with more properties and hotels,” Al Abdouli said.

 

“Currently investors in real estate are getting 30-50 percent ROI and that’s a healthy return, good for investors. Ras Al Khaimah is the new investment hotspot and I urge all investors to invest and benefit from the opportunities.”

 

The population of Ras Al Khaimah is expected to jump more than 50-62.5 percent to 600,000 to 650,000 by 2032, from 400,000 now, he said. “This will require us to deliver 45,000 new homes in the next six years. Tourism and hospitality sectors are also going to grow at a faster pace as Ras Al Khaimah has a vast beach and mountains at the backdrop that, if developed properly, will attract millions of tourists,” he said.

 

“We currently have around 8,000 hotel keys, serving 1 million tourists a year. Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Authority envisions this to jump to 5 million tourists who will need accommodation. We are building new hotels to deliver 8,000 more hotel keys in the next few years.

 

“In addition to eco- and adventure tourism, we are also transforming Ras Al Khaimah to a gaming destination that will attract international tourists. So, demand for homes and hotels will continue to grow and this is the right time to invest in Ras Al Khaimah.”

 

Marjan Island has emerged as one of the UAE’s fastest-growing investment and lifestyle destinations. In 2024, the emirate welcomed 1.28 million visitors, achieving a 12 per cent increase in tourism revenue, with a vision to triple visitor numbers by 2030.

 

He said Al Marjan Island, the flagship project of Marjan, stretches 4.5 km deep into the Arabian Gulf creating 2.7 million sq m of reclaimed land where developers are building 12,000 apartments, 600 villas and it is on track to deliver 15,000 hotel keys, of which 3,500 have already been delivered.

 

Due to high investor demand, Marjan has launched RAK Central – a new master-planned community – where all the plots have been sold out. “We are soon going to announce a new mega master-planned community in the coming days – that will offer greater investment opportunity for investors,” he said. - TradeArabia News Service