DUBAI: Property investment – both commercial and residential – can bring reliable returns, said Pakistani exhibitors at the International Property Show (IPS) that took place in Dubai. They said they used the event to develop connections and sign ventures with developers from around the globe.
A variety of Defence Housing Authority (DHA) projects from across Pakistan were present at this year’s event.
“The Quetta market as well as the larger Pakistani market has huge potential for international investors and developers,” Chaudhary Azhar Munir, administrator, DHA Quetta, told Business Recorder.
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The close to 19,000 acres that make up DHA Quetta are located close to the city’s international airport and have room for both commercial and residential properties.
There is also an area of 600 acres that’s “exclusively kept for an economic zone,” said Munir and has good access to Gwadar and China-Pakistan Economic Corridor routes.
Munir is hoping to partner up with Chinese companies to build a solar park in DHA Quetta to make its energy supply greener, cheaper, and sustainable.
At IPS, he was looking for developers who would be willing to invest in building homes in DHA projects.
“We ran a feasibility study through an international firm and we realised that by 2042, in the next 17 years, Quetta will need one million housing units primarily based on two factors: population growth rate and the trend of urbanisation.”
Good luck struck for DHA Quetta on day one of the three-day tradeshow as it signed an MOU with a UAE-based firm. While its name could not be disclosed, Munir did say the owner was keen to visit Pakistan in the coming days.
This won’t be the first foreign developer who has invested in DHA Quetta. Metas Trading Ltd., a Qatari construction company, has already built several homes, a testament to the trust foreign investors are willing to put into Quetta and Pakistan, according to Munir.
Meanwhile, representing DHA from Punjab was Ehtesham Fiaz, general manager, Rana Estate & Builders – a registered dealer of DHA Gujranwala.
“DHA Gujranwala is basically a golden triangle,” he said, referring to the surrounding industrial areas of Gujarat, Sialkot, and Mandi Bahauddin.
The community, said Fiaz, is open to people from all over the world because it’s a viable investment opportunity.
The 9,500-acre land is the perfect residential community for business owners who want to bring their business to Pakistan, he said. With 40% of two sectors in Phase I of DHA Gujranwala already developed and occupied, the future is looking bright, said Fiaz. He said people at the event had shown great interest in the development.
Where most of DHA’s exhibitors at the IPS were showcasing commercial and residential projects, Malir Industrial Park, launched in December 2024, was focused on exclusively attracting industrial clients.
The 2,200 acre gated park is a project of the Pakistan Economic Zone Development & Management Company, said Col. (R) Atif Gulzar Shaikh, chief engineer, Malir Industrial Park.
Shaikh said the project is strategically placed near two highways and has quick access to Karachi’s ports. It aims to deliver a high standard of industrial services to its clients, who will be housed in similar-sector clusters for better collaboration. “We came here to give our project an international standing point,” he said, talking about their presence at the IPS. “We want to let the people know that an industrial park is coming.”
The park offers state of the art infrastructure, said Shaikh.
“We are going to provide the best road infrastructure and utilities,” he said. “We want to provide a sustainable environment in our industrial park, and we want to meet the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. No waste will be going untreated outside the industrial park.”
Exhibitors’ efforts seemed to hit home with attendees.
Bee Mearini, head of commercial for Dubai-based Elite Property, said the industrial park’s location would be attractive to her clients who are importing raw materials from Pakistan to produce items in the UAE.
She added that the advantage of visiting IPS “is to get to know my peers and get involved with developers.
“For the general public, I think if you want to buy something off-plan, this is the place you need to come to because there are so many vendors.”
The 21st edition of the International Property Show ran at the Dubai World Trade Centre from 14-16 April, with participation from more than 300 exhibitors representing 85 countries and an expected attendance of over 25,000 visitors.
This year’s edition coincided with the launch of the Dubai Real Estate Sector Strategy 2033, which aims to reinforce the emirate’s position as a global capital of real estate by promoting transparency, encouraging innovation, and establishing an integrated and sustainable investment environment.
In a statement, Marwan Ahmed bin Ghalita, Director-General of the Dubai Land Department, said the event reflects growing confidence in Dubai’s real estate market.
Pakistanis were among the top five buyers of real estate in Dubai in 2024, according to property consultancy Better Homes.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
