Which country is the most attractive to invest in?

Question

Which country is the most attractive  to invest in (from the following list) and why?

Greece, UK,Egypt , UAE, Cyprus, Indonesia, Georgia, Portugal, Oman, Spain, Montenegro, Qatar and, Thailand  and Saudi Arabia?

Mike Lambert · Answer

@Juan Diaz

Some of what you wrote makes sense but I have to totally disagree with the conclusions for the following reasons:

a. You forgot the most important factor: the ability to get a mortgage and the cost of borrowing. In some EU countries like Spain and especially Portugal, foreigners can get a mortgage and they can get finance up to 80% of the acquisition cost and therefore basically use free money from the bank. I say that because interest rates can be as low as 2.5%, below the inflation rate! Given this, you'll get a much higher return in Portugal than in the UAE. There's no contest. So, in Portugal and Spain, you can get stability and the rule of law and the best returns. You can't beat that.

b. You probably mentioned that Greece is the best from the residency angle because it's one of the few remaining EU countries that hasn't abolished it's golden visa and it still has a property option while Portugal, who has the best program has excluded real estate. I disagree for three main reasons:1. There is no residency requirement to get a golden visa in Greece but, if you want the EU citizenship, which is what everybody wants, you'll have to live for 7 years in Greece and very few people want that. Portugal's golden visa is the only one that can lead to getting the coveted EU passport without any residency or living in the country requirement.2. Even financially, Portugal is still the better option. Let's compare:(i) In Greece, you'll have to buy a property for €800k if you want to be in a good area or €400k if you are ok being in the middle of nowhere and make no money with your property. Let's be generous for Greece and assume you could go with just a €400k investment.(ii) Let's now look at what you could do with those same €400k in Portugal instead. You could apply for the Golden Visa by making a €250k donation to science or the arts. You're left over with €150k, which you use as a down payment to buy a nice €750k villa, that will give you high capital gains and rental income over time vs. your €400k property in Greece in the middle of nowhere that'll give you neither capital gains, nor rental income.(iii) Let me add to this that I'd never invite in Greece. Are you old enough to remember what happened to that country during the 2010's. Yes, things are a bit better but not that much.

c. Finally, I'd never invest in the UAE or Saudi Arabia for stability and rule of law reasons. Not to mention that there's likely a huge bubble there that could explode like it already did in Dubai. In places like Portugal and Spain, you have strict zoning rules that limit the supply of properties and therefore pretty much guarantee a strong capital appreciation. In the UAE and Saudi Arabia, there's so much more desert they can build on.

Juan Diaz · Answer

If you’re looking at countries you mentioned, the UAE (especially Dubai and Abu Dhabi) is the most attractive overall right now.

Why? The economy is growing fast, real estate is booming with record-breaking sales, and the rules for investors are clear and business-friendly. On top of that, the UAE keeps improving transparency, and its tax system is simple compared to most. It’s a safe, liquid market that still offers upside.

That said, the “best” country depends on your goals.

• If you want residency or a Golden Visa, Greece still works, though costs are higher now.
• If you want big growth potential, Saudi Arabia is pouring billions into mega-projects under Vision 2030.
• If you prefer stability and transparency, markets like the UK, Spain, or Portugal are tried-and-true, though less explosive in returns.

If you want residency or a Golden Visa, Greece still works, though costs are higher now.

If you want big growth potential, Saudi Arabia is pouring billions into mega-projects under Vision 2030.

If you prefer stability and transparency, markets like the UK, Spain, or Portugal are tried-and-true, though less explosive in returns.

In short:

• UAE = balance of growth + investor friendliness.
• Greece = residency angle.
• Saudi Arabia = big upside, higher risk.
• UK/Spain/Portugal = stability and rule of law.

UAE = balance of growth + investor friendliness.

Greece = residency angle.

Saudi Arabia = big upside, higher risk.

UK/Spain/Portugal = stability and rule of law.