Buying a new home is number one priority for 25 per cent of investors in the UAE, followed by starting or investing in a new business venture (21 per cent) and retirement (13 per cent), a report said.

The Franklin Templeton Global Investor Sentiment Survey which polled over 11,500 investors in 23 countries showed that the UAE was the second most confident country, after India.

In line with this, the H Holding Enterprise, a major investment firm in the UAE, recorded unprecedented growth across all its investment arms, including real-estate and hospitality divisions, said Hafeez Abdullah, the company’s chairman.

“Around 94 per cent of UAE investors expect to meet their targets in 2015. Our real-estate arm Omega Properties has had a very positive year exceeding our expectations. Our other operations in hospitality are doing well too,” said Abdullah.

“The UAE has a unique investment environment where all industries grow in harmony. The focus on tourism sector, for instance, has brought several opportunities to the real-estate market, such as hotels, infrastructure and facilities management. Also, there is a well-planned strategy to enhance collaboration between the public and private sectors for the benefit of all kinds of investors,” added Abdullah.

According to the UAE Economic Report 2015 by Bank Audi, the real estate sector is considered one of the key drivers of the country’s national economic activity. Both Abu Dhabi and Dubai markets recorded a positive yearly change in terms of performance and prices in the residential and office markets.

The same report also shed light on the tourism sector, saying that its improvement was driven by a number of initiatives and mega tourism and leisure projects by the UAE government, encouraging each emirate to have its own niche in the market.

“This is the right time to invest in the UAE. We have diversified our capital across other industries that have potential for growth in the medium and long run, including video production, for example. We are stepping confidently into new investment sectors following successful launch of brands like Monte Carlo Stars, LUA, O2 and L Club in the hospitality scene, as well as the growing real-estate brand Omega Properties,” added Abdullah.

“Opportunities in various sectors are drawing the attention of investors from around the globe. Well established local firms have equal opportunities to expand their businesses during the coming period,” concluded Abdullah. – TradeArabia News Service