Dubai has launched a pilot phase for real estate tokenisation, marking a major step towards integrating virtual assets into property investments. The Dubai Land Department (DLD) and the Dubai Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA) signed a first-of-its-kind global agreement to link property tokenisation with the real estate registry. This initiative falls under the “REES Real Estate Innovation Initiative.”

The goal is to enhance market liquidity, enable fractional ownership, and streamline small investor access—all while ensuring robust legal frameworks and investor protection. The move supports the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, which targets doubling the city's GDP and increasing real estate contributions to AED1 trillion ($272 billion) by 2033—a projected 70% growth in value.

Key figures including Marwan bin Ghalita (DLD) and Helal Al Marri (Dubai Economy and Tourism) emphasized the importance of digital transformation, AI adoption, and regulatory clarity to position Dubai as a global real estate innovation hub.

The collaboration will also encourage tech firms to help digitize property services, while ensuring compliance, transparency, and investor security in an evolving virtual asset landscape.