Area guides
A short overview of all seven emirates of the UAE and how foreign freehold ownership works across them, before you narrow your search to a specific region.
The UAE is a federation of seven emirates, and each one sets its own rules for where a foreign buyer may hold freehold title. This guide lists all seven and states only what is common to their legal structure, not the specific freehold zones inside each one, that level of detail needs a dated source and is covered separately area by area.
Dubai is one of the seven emirates of the UAE federation and sits on the Arabian Gulf coast. Foreign freehold ownership is available in designated zones within the emirate; the specific list of zones is not stated here.
Abu Dhabi is one of the seven emirates of the UAE federation and is the capital of the country. Foreign freehold ownership is available in designated zones within the emirate; the specific list of zones is not stated here.
Sharjah is one of the seven emirates of the UAE federation, bordering Dubai on the Arabian Gulf coast. Where the emirate designates zones for foreign freehold ownership, the specific list is not stated here.
Ajman is one of the seven emirates of the UAE federation and the smallest of the seven by area. Where the emirate designates zones for foreign freehold ownership, the specific list is not stated here.
Ras Al Khaimah is one of the seven emirates of the UAE federation, on the northern Arabian Gulf coast. Foreign freehold ownership is available in designated zones within the emirate; the specific list of zones is not stated here.
Umm Al Quwain is one of the seven emirates of the UAE federation. Where the emirate designates zones for foreign freehold ownership, the specific list is not stated here.
Fujairah is one of the seven emirates of the UAE federation and the only one located entirely on the Gulf of Oman coast rather than the Arabian Gulf. Where the emirate designates zones for foreign freehold ownership, the specific list is not stated here.
This overview states only that each emirate is part of the UAE federation and that a foreign freehold ownership structure exists in designated zones where applicable. A confirmed, dated list of freehold-designated zones for each emirate is not published in this article yet, it requires a source from the relevant land authority and will be added once available. To understand what freehold and leasehold mean as legal terms, see the freehold and leasehold guide; to browse listings by emirate, use the catalogue; to model the cost of a purchase, use the calculators section.
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