The UAE is first in the world on safety — and why that reaches apartment prices

The UAE holds first place in an international safety ranking compiled from surveys of residents. The country has held the upper part of such lists for several years.

What the score is made of

Rankings of this type are built on surveys: people are asked whether they feel safe by day and by night, whether they worry about burglary, assault, car theft. Those are subjective answers — and that is exactly why they predict behaviour well.

Why this bears directly on property

• Safety enters the decision to relocate. In expat surveys it consistently sits in the top three factors alongside work and taxes. Every person who moves is a tenant, and after a few years often a buyer.
• It changes the structure of demand. Families with children choose a jurisdiction on this criterion first, and a family tenant rents for longer and pays more reliably.
• It lowers the cost of ownership. Where bars on windows, perimeter security and vandalism insurance are unnecessary, running a property is cheaper.
• It supports short-letting. Tourist flow into a city regarded as safe is more resilient to external shocks.

The sober view

First place in a ranking does not mean an absence of crime and does not remove the need for ordinary care. And as an investment argument, safety works indirectly: it supports demand but guarantees the return on no particular apartment.

The practical value of the measure is different — it explains why the inflow of residents into the Emirates stays steady in periods when neighbouring markets lose theirs.