The key facts
- Dubai Executive Council approved a plan to develop 48 urban centers with a budget exceeding 2 billion dirhams, covering 12% of the emirate's territory
- The plan aims to increase property values in targeted areas by 20 billion dirhams by 2040
- The proportion of residents living near metro stations is set to rise from 52% to 74%, while public service coverage will increase from 74% to 85%
Three policies approved in a single meeting
At a meeting held on Tuesday, October 27, under the chairmanship of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Defence, the Dubai Executive Council approved three documents simultaneously: the Urban Centers Development Plan, the Sustainable Demographic Planning Policy, and the Digital Power of Attorney System. According to The National, the Urban Centers Development Plan is designed to increase property values in the covered areas by 20 billion dirhams (5.45 billion US dollars) by 2040.
What exactly does the Urban Centers Development Plan change?
With a budget exceeding 2 billion dirhams, the plan covers six major urban centers and 42 auxiliary sub-centers, accounting for 12% of the emirate's urban area. It is built on three pillars: quality of life, economic return, and infrastructure efficiency. The plan proposes concentrating population and jobs around public transport stations, diversifying land use, and bringing housing closer to workplaces. Specific targets include increasing the share of residents living near metro stations from 52% to 74% and expanding public service coverage from 74% to 85%. For property owners in targeted areas, this represents the government's stated projection for asset value growth by 2040; however, the plan is an approved program rather than a one-off measure, and its effects will unfold over time.
Demographic Policy and Digital Powers of Attorney
The Sustainable Demographic Planning Policy aligns demographic forecasts with economic and urban development strategies. It aims to boost employment in high-productivity sectors in line with Dubai's D33 economic agenda, attract talent, and raise average household income and purchasing power. Sheikh Hamdan emphasized that the goal is to ensure economic growth meets the expectations of citizens and residents of the emirate. The third initiative is the Digital Power of Attorney System, developed and managed by Digital Dubai. It enables individuals and legal entities to digitally authorize others to conduct low-risk transactions on their behalf without requiring notarization or legal certification. The system utilizes the UAE PASS digital identity platform, operates paperlessly, and aims for 100% effectiveness in combating fraud and achieving a customer effort score of 90 points.
