Real Estate Tokenization Opens New Investment Opportunities in the Maldives and Dubai

Two strategic financial and tourism hubs in Asia and the Middle East are undergoing significant transformations in the real estate sector. Dubai and the Maldives are becoming epicenters of digital real estate revolution, where billion-dollar projects are being converted into tradable tokens.

Dubai Leads with the Second Phase of Tokenization Initiative

The Dubai Land Department recently announced the launch of the next phase of its real estate tokenization pilot program, demonstrating ongoing commitment to innovation in the property sector. This achievement builds on the success of the first phase, where approximately $5 million worth of real estate was converted into digital tokens, resulting in about 7.8 million tokens tradable on the secondary market.

According to Reece Merrick, Managing Director of Ripple Labs for the Middle East and Africa, this momentum reflects confidence in blockchain technology as the future financial solution. Ctrl Alt, a key infrastructure partner in this pilot and licensed as a Virtual Asset Service Provider in Dubai, will manage the issuance of asset management tokens that facilitate transfers on the secondary market.

Maldives Joins the Global Tokenization Ecosystem

Not only Dubai, but the Maldives is also preparing for a transformative step by announcing plans to tokenize a Trump-branded resort. The collaboration between DarGlobal, a real estate development company, and World Liberty Financial—an crypto entity supported by U.S. President Donald Trump and his family—demonstrates how the Maldives is attracting high-caliber international investment.

“We clearly see tokenization as a way to transform real estate project funding,” said Ziad El Chaar, CEO of DarGlobal, to Cointelegraph. “It will open investment access to many more investors who previously had no opportunity to participate in the premium property market.”

Blockchain Technology Infrastructure Supports Expansion

The technology underpinning this initiative relies on XRP Ledger as the backbone for on-chain transactions. Ctrl Alt and Ripple Custody ensure that each real estate tokenization transaction is recorded and secured on a proven secure and efficient blockchain infrastructure. Collaboration with Securitize, a leading tokenization platform provider, adds credibility and scalability to this ecosystem.

Market Impact and Long-Term Growth Projections

The Dubai Land Department projects that the tokenization initiative could contribute up to $16 billion by 2033, representing 7% of the total property transaction volume in the jurisdiction. This ambitious projection reflects the transformative potential of this technology in reshaping the global real estate investment landscape.

Dubai and the Maldives being chosen as real estate tokenization hubs is no coincidence. Both regions offer a unique combination: a regulatory environment open to crypto innovation, advanced financial infrastructure, and a reputation as international investment destinations. Participants at the Mar-a-Lago event hosting the Maldives project announcement included influential figures from traditional finance such as David Solomon (CEO of Goldman Sachs) and representatives from the crypto sector including Brian Armstrong (CEO of Coinbase), illustrating the convergence of traditional and digital finance.

Opening Investment Access to the Global Market

The most profound significance of this trend lies in democratizing access to premium real estate investments. By breaking high-value property assets into tradable tokens, individual investors from various countries—including from the Maldives itself—can participate in projects that were previously exclusive to large institutions or ultra-high-net-worth individuals. This marks a fundamental shift in how real estate assets are distributed and monetized in the digital age.