The UAE is well known as a tourism destination for people around the world, with year on year visitor number growth from 2022 to 2025, culminating in a record 19.59 million overnight visitors in 2025. Dubai International has been the world’s busiest international airport for the past 11 years, with a record 92.3 million passengers in 2025.
However, the UAE is also home to approximately 11.5 million people. Taking a step back in time, the UAE was formed on 2 December 1971 as an independent federation of six emirates - Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm Al Quwain, and Fujairah (and joined by Ras Al Khaimah in 1972). The first census as a country took place in 1975 determined the population to be just over 500,000 people. By 2050, the World Health Organisation estimates the UAE population will be approximately 15.4 million people.
Growth factors
This continuous growth has been the result of various factors, including favourable tax regimes; business opportunities, lifestyle, safety, and a geographically ‘central’ location.
Additionally, long-term residency initiatives such as the ‘Golden Visa’ (valid for 10 years) and other investment based visas have seen continued high-net-worth migration to the UAE. According to Henley & Partners, approximately 10,000 millionaires moved to the UAE in 2025.
This continued and sustained growth in the residential and tourism sectors has seen a corresponding increase in the level of real estate activity to meet this demand.
In Dubai for example, real estate investments in 2025 exceeded Dh680 billion across 258,600 deals and are on track to meet the objectives of the Dubai Real Estate Sector Strategy 2033 which seeks to raise transaction volume to Dh1 trillion. On the residential side, an estimated 150,000–250,000 units are expected between 2025 and 2027 in Dubai alone.
From a tourism perspective, the UAE hospitality sector has approximately 1250 hotels across the UAE, with the majority in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The number of rooms (approximately 217,500 at the end of 2025) is expected to increase to 235,000 rooms by 2030. Of the hotel properties, and in line with the UAE’s position as one of the most popular tourism destinations, Knight Frank has found that:
- 26% are classified as upscale.
- 22% are classified luxury.
- 21% are classified as upper upscale.
Branded developments
The growth in the residential and tourism sectors has also seen a corresponding increase in local and international entities exploring brand partnerships and mixed-use in the real estate sector. An increase in the number of branded residences and lifestyle-led concepts has been a significant trend in the post-COVID period. CBRE, the global real estate services and investment firm, reported that branded residence transactions increased by 26 per cent during the first nine months of 2025. This comprised approximately 7,700 units sold and representing UAED 50 billion in sales.
Some notable examples of pipeline branded residences in the UAE in 2025-26 are:
Mercedes-Benz Places by Binghatti
- A AED30 billion master planned community in Downtown Dubai in a collaboration between Mercedes Benz (German automotive manufacturer) and Binghatti (a UAE based property developer).
- This is the first ‘Mercedes Benz’ branded community in the world and, notably, uses the term ‘places’ rather than ‘palaces’.
The Armani Beach Residences Ras Al Khaimah
- The first Armani-branded beach villas in the world and collaboration between Armani and RAK Properties (a Ras Al Khaimah developer).
- This project is part of the Ras Al Khaimah’s Vision 2030, which seeks to enhance economic, social, and environmental value through high-quality developments.
Bugatti Residences by Binghatti
- An ultra-premium residential tower in Business Bay in a collaboration between Bugatti (the ultra-performance hypercar brand) and Binghatti.
- In December 2025, it was announced that a 47,200 square feet penthouse in the tower sold for AED 550 million - the highest price ever paid for a penthouse in the Middle East.
IP aspects of branded developments
From an intellectual property perspective, the ‘brand value’ of a globally recognised name in a premium or luxury sector can dramatically enhance the appeal of a particular residential development, and particularly at the upper end of the market. On the other hand, it is essential for the brand owners that the standards that they have established for service, quality and excellence are strictly adhered to by the developer in order to avoid any ‘tarnishment’ of their brand through a negative experience by the purchaser.
The same principles equally apply to the hospitality sector. In many cases, the hotels are owned by an investment entity or developer, but managed and operated by a ‘household name’ international hotel brand. The hotel owner has the benefit of an immediately recognisable ‘name’ in an international market while the hotel brand avoids the capital costs of constructing and developing the property. However, as with branded residences, a negative guest experience can result in a tarnishment of the hotel brand, particularly where only the brand has been licensed and the hotel owner is providing the actual service, or contracted with a different third party to fulfil this role.
Considerations for the developer
Where a developer is considering a name for its property or development, the first step is to ensure that the proposed name does not conflict with any earlier third party user or prior trade mark registration. Assuming that a clearance search does not identify any conflicting trade marks or prior use, then filing trade mark applications for the name is recommended. This should ideally happen before the market is aware of the proposed brand, and therefore minimising the risk that a third party becomes aware of the proposed brand via social media or an industry sector trade journal, and files an opportunistic trade mark first. The risk is enhanced where the opportunistic filing takes place outside the UAE and elsewhere in the region, and so making it more difficult and costly to challenge. By filing first and before any announcement, the developer can then use strategies – such as the Paris Convention – to outmaneuver these third parties.
Considerations for the brandowner
This focus on ownership and control applies equally to any brand owner considering a collaboration with a developer, investor or entity under a joint-venture, licensing or other similar arrangement. Any indicia of the brand owner that are intended to be used in the collaboration should be registered as trade marks by the brand owner and not by other parties.
Additionally, such trade mark registrations should cover any goods or services intended to be offered, or may be offered in the future. This is particularly important in the UAE where brand extensions are far more common than in other countries, and where a broad range of goods and services as extensions of the core brand are commercialised.
Our Real Estate, Commercial and Intellectual Property teams have extensive experience across the above topics and regularly work together for UAE and international entities in the hospitality and residential development sectors.