3004 people from 102 countries around the world have told us what investing in the GCC real estate market means for them.

Your aspirations, fears and expectations regarding the property market in this region can be found in the following pages of this report.

Those words are no exaggeration. As one expert told us during the course of our research, “Property is, for many people, the biggest investment they will ever make.” Those of you already invested, and for those of you about to embark on the biggest decision of your life, this report will give you the knowledge, and therefore confidence you need to move forward.

The aim of this survey is to give you an inside look at how your fellow investors perceive the challenges and opportunities within your property market...and what the experts make of it all.

ArabianBusiness.com decided to run this survey after launching what is already one of the most comprehensive portals for buying property in the region. ArabianBusiness.com/Property is  unique in that as well as offering investors hundreds, and soon thousands of properties to choose from,  our aim has been to back that up with the latest news and analysis of the property market. Knowledge is the key to a successful, and ultimately profitable, transaction.

For an overview of our findings the best place to start is either the Frequently Asked Questions section or the tabs leading to the top level graphs found at the top of this page. In the FAQ we examine the major themes of the survey and offer a general overview of both how the study was conducted and of the results it returned.

The scope of questions we asked you, coupled with the level of response, has allowed us to drill deep into the data to reveal, for example…

• Investment is the primary reason people buy a property in the GCC ; despite the fact that most feel the real estate market is already very expensive.

• You are most likely to take out a larger mortgage on your second and third property and more than four times more likely to buy off-plan than a residence that has already been built.

• Although you may prefer a Sharia-compliant, Islamic lender, you are more likely to go for the financer offering the best rates .

• Despite the fact that you are not staunchly loyal to any one particular developer, you don’t feel that build quality is in any way above international standards.

• And you are probably going to outlay less than 10% of the cost of your property investment, less still if it is your second or third property.

To help us offer you an inside perspective into the results of the survey, we also spoke to a number of experts with keen insight into the market. You’ll find their comments on things like demand growth, affordability and the future of the Gulf market in a series of interviews in the special features section.

Whether you are an owner, speculator, still renting or teetering on the brink of your very first purchase, the ArabianBusiness.com Property Survey will give you an insight into the market place and, help you make informed purchasing decisions – something that will be necessary if you expect a return on your investment in an increasingly mature market.

The ArabianBusiness.com 2008 Property Survey is a resource not only for potential and current investors, but also for companies across the region looking to better understand their clients.

The successful property investors of 2008 will be those who understand the market and the opportunities and pitfalls with it. They will understand not all properties are created equal – neither are developments, regions or, in your view, developers.

In short, the ArabianBusiness.com 2008 Property Survey provides both investors and industry insiders with the insights and tools they need to take advantage of one of the hottest markets in the world.

To get started, simply click here .

To find the latest property in the region click here .