Prime Highlights:
- Dubai-based investment firm EIGHTClouds has launched a US$300 million Real Estate Investment Fund focused on income and long-term growth through residential properties across the UAE.
- The fund targets well-established communities with strong tenant demand, offering investors a steady, income-focused opportunity.
Key Facts:
- Founded in 2022, EIGHTClouds supports brands in beauty, wellness, food, beverage, and technology while providing capital and strategic guidance.
- Dubai’s residential market is growing, with GDP up 4.9%, population up 5.4%, and over 208,000 new residents added last year, supported by projects like the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan and Dubai South airport expansion.
Background:
Dubai’s EIGHTClouds has launched a US$300 million real estate fund to invest in UAE homes for income and growth.
Founded in 2022 by Mark Aitchison, EIGHTClouds is a small private equity firm that supports brands in beauty, wellness, food, beverage, and technology. The company provides funding, operational support, and strategic advice to help businesses grow locally and internationally.
The fund plans to buy income-generating residential properties in well-established communities where demand from tenants is strong. It targets over $600 million in gross asset value over its first decade and expects to include around 1,000 units across more than 15 key residential corridors. The portfolio blends long-term rental units targeting yields of nine percent or more with premium short-term units expected to reach 18 percent.
Oliver Wall, Head of Investment at EIGHTClouds, said the fund was created to address a structural gap in Dubai’s residential market. “Most capital either buys single units or invests in large-scale developers. Our fund institutionalizes residential exposure with governance frameworks, cash flow discipline, and asset-level underwriting to prioritize occupancy, leasing speed, and yield durability,” Wall explained.
The fund has a minimum investment of $50,000, allowing participation from high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and sophisticated private investors across the GCC and UK. As the fund grows toward its $300 million target, Wall expects increasing institutional participation.
Wall said rental income will help keep returns stable even if property prices change. He also pointed out that Dubai has one of the highest rent-to-price ratios in the world, higher than London, Singapore, and New York.
With transparent management and easy access to funds, the investment offers a steady income opportunity for both individual and institutional investors interested in Dubai’s residential market.
