Limits on mortgage lending are not imminent and will not be imposed without consultation with banks, says the UAE Central Bank. Pawan Singh / The National
Limits on mortgage lending are not imminent and will not be imposed without consultation with banks, says the UAE Central Bank. Pawan Singh / The National

Reprieve for homebuyers as UAE mortgage rule won’t apply until mid-2013



The UAE will not impose limits on mortgage lending without consulting commercial banks, and any new rules are not imminent, the Central Bank governor Sultan Nasser Al Suweidi was quoted as saying by Al Ittihad.

The Central Bank is working on new rules for the property mortgage industry but they will take at least six to nine months to emerge, the newspaper quoted Mr Al Suweidi as saying.

"The current system for real estate financing in the country hasn't been changed," he said. "The new regulation that the Central Bank is preparing will make more liquidity available for the real estate industry."

A circular sent to commercial banks last month said mortgage loans for expatriate buyers should not exceed 50 per cent of the property value for a first purchase of a home, and 40 per cent for second and subsequent homes. Caps for UAE citizens were set at 70 per cent for a first home and 60 per cent for subsequent ones.

Mr Al Suweidi said there was a "misunderstanding" in the media and that no Central Bank ruling had been issued, only a warning to banks to be prepared for rule changes in the future.

Directives sent last month to lenders restricting mortgages are meant to "draw their attention to certain standards that are expected to be adopted under the new system," Mr Al Suweidi told Al Ittihad. "The Central Bank is usually cautious."

The new rules will be discussed with the banks before they are adopted and should allow a higher lending cap for people who are planning to live in the home they are buying as opposed to those who are investing in real estate, the governor was reported as saying.

Suweidi's office told Reuters that he was not immediately available to comment.

* With Reuters and Bloomberg

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Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.

 

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Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month

 

Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30 

 

Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

 

Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth

 

Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances

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A foster couple or family must:

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CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections" 

SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom" 

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In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458. 

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Ain Dubai in numbers

126: The length in metres of the legs supporting the structure

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16 A380 Airbuses: The equivalent weight of the wheel rim.

9,000 tonnes: The amount of steel used to construct the project.

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Key facilities
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Director Antoine Fuqua

Starring: Denzel Washington, Bill Pullman, Melissa Leo, Ashton Sanders

Three stars

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Switzerland 0

England 0

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Warlight,
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Cast: Rajkummar Rao, Nargis Fakhri, Bo Derek, Candy Clark

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