(Commonwealth_India) Wealthy Indians are increasingly exploring opportunities abroad, with the United Arab Emirates emerging as their preferred destination. With India easing its rules on overseas investments, experts say as much as $20 billion could be sent abroad every year by high-net-worth families and companies.
Many perceive this change as an opportunity. “This is a turning point,” says Amit Goenka, chairman and managing director of Nisus Finance. He believes affluent Indians are ready to explore new opportunities in foreign markets, from real estate to equities, and expects the scale of investment to grow quickly.
The UAE has already been a second home for Indian money. From luxury apartments overlooking the Burj Khalifa to small businesses and industries, Indians are the single largest group of foreign investors in the Gulf. The new rules simply make it easier for them to move capital freely. Last year alone, India’s outbound investments rose nearly 70 percent to $41.6 billion, a clear sign of the hunger for global exposure.
Families are also playing their part. Under the RBI’s Liberalized Remittance Scheme, Indians can send up to $250,000 abroad each year. What was once mostly used for children’s education or medical expenses is now also being channeled into property and financial investments. Outward remittances under the scheme hit a record $29 billion last year, with the UAE drawing a big slice of that money.
It’s not difficult to see why. Dubai’s property market is buzzing. In 2024 alone, transactions exceeded $200 billion, attracting thousands of new investors. Walk around Jumeirah Village Circle or Al Furjan and you’ll see cranes, construction, and families moving in—areas where firms like Nisus Finance are placing their bets. Yet with growth comes the need for fresh capital—over $100 billion every year—and private players are stepping in to fill the gap.
At the same time, Dubai is experimenting with the future. It is piloting tokenized real estate, where ownership can be split and traded digitally. Analysts believe tokenized assets could become a $16 trillion global market by 2030. Goenka says the topic is no longer science fiction—his firm is already blending blockchain, AI, and property technology into its investment approach.
Beyond real estate, the Gulf is remaking itself as a hub for logistics and manufacturing. With global supply chains shifting away from China, Dubai and Abu Dhabi are offering single-window approvals, easy land access, and attractive licensing deals. The UAE’s Vision 2040 plan aims to grow the population to nearly 14 million, sparking demand for new schools, hospitals, and infrastructure.
For Indians, this shift is deeply personal. Last year, more than 4,300 ultra-wealthy families moved to the UAE, bringing with them an estimated $5 billion. Their arrival has spurred demand not just for high-end homes, but also for private schools, family offices, and even chefs and staff who understand their tastes. The ripple effect is transforming neighborhoods and creating new ecosystems of services and jobs.
Global giants are also piling in. Blackstone, Brookfield, and sovereign wealth funds are buying into the UAE’s growth story. Free zones such as DIFC and ADGM are revising their regulations to cater to the needs of global capital. Even the local REIT market, which is still relatively small, is expected to expand similarly to Singapore and the US.
“The UAE’s real estate market is evolving from legacy family capital to professionally managed global capital,” Goenka says. To him, this isn’t a slowdown—it’s a sign of maturity. His firm is targeting $1 billion in investments to help bridge the funding gap.
The unfolding story illustrates how the ambitions of two countries are converging. India is giving its wealthy families and businesses the freedom to invest globally, while the UAE is offering a deep, dynamic market with room to grow. Together, they are building a financial bridge that is reshaping not only real estate but also the very flow of capital across the region.
