Student accommodation and senior living concepts are key to shaping the GCC’s real estate sector over the next decade, according to leading real estate advisory and property consultancy, Cavendish Maxwell.

These and other concepts like serviced living, co-living, private clubs, shared ownership and other professionally managed residential developments represent some of the region’s biggest future investment opportunities, as traditional lines between where people live, stay, work and socialise are becoming increasingly difficult to define, the company said.

Branded residences – a sector in which the Middle East is leading the way in terms existing and pipeline projects – will remain an important market component, but the next chapter is set to become much broader, according to Cavendish Maxwell experts.

Zacky Sajjad MRICS, Director of Business Development and Client Relations, Cavendish Maxwell, said: “For much of the past decade, the GCC’s residential and hospitality story has been dominated by luxury, with branded residences, five-star hotels and increasingly ambitious mixed use developments helping cities like Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh stake their claim on the global investment map. The next 10 years are likely to see a shift towards co-living across several concepts, with market fundamentals underscoring the demand.

“Governments across the region want to attract new international talent, grow tourism, expand universities, increase home ownership and diversify their economies. At the same time, populations are growing and becoming more internationally diverse, while the expectations of residents are changing. Increasingly, people are not simply buying or renting four walls; they want convenience, flexibility, community, services and experiences.

“This changes the conversation for developers and investors. It is no longer a question of whether to build residential or hospitality: it’s about understanding who will live there, how they want to live, what services they value and what they are prepared to pay for them. The GCC continues to demonstrate an extraordinary ability to deliver high-quality real estate at scale and, with the economic and demographic changes taking place across the region and strengthening the case for new concepts, there is a real opportunity for investors and developers to apply that capability to a wide and diverse range of alternative living concepts that will further enhance the strength of the property sector,” he added.

While not every international model will translate directly into a GCC context, they will work if adapted appropriately. Co-living in London, student accommodation in Manchester or senior living in the United States cannot simply be replicated in Dubai or Riyadh without considering local demographics, cultural expectations, affordability, regulation and family structures.

“Take senior living as an example,” said Zacky Sajjad. “With the rising cost of living, accommodation and care in countries such as the UK, the UAE is potentially an attractive alternative for internationally mobile retirees seeking a high quality of life, safety, connectivity, year-round sunshine and access to high-quality healthcare and hospitality led services. Rather than replicating the traditional retirement home model there is an opportunity to rethink senior living altogether combining independent living, hospitality, wellness, healthcare and community.

“The same argument can be made for purpose-built student accommodation. The UAE’s higher education sector has expanded considerably with a growing university ecosystem and ambitions to attract more students from across the Middle East, Africa, Asia and further afield. As that population grows and becomes increasingly international there is a logical opportunity for professionally managed accommodation designed specifically around student needs, incorporating community, security, amenities, technology and study facilities,” he added.

Cavendish Maxwell also believes that co-living also deserves greater attention, particularly in Dubai. Although they are now starting to moderate after sharp rises since the pandemic, residential rents can be unaffordable for some residents, particularly young professionals and those newly arriving in the city. A professionally managed co-living model could provide a more flexible and accessible entry point while offering something traditional house sharing often does not, purpose designed communal areas, services, amenities and a genuine sense of community.

Zacky Sajjad continued: “These examples demonstrate why alternative living sectors should not simply be viewed as concepts imported from mature international markets. The GCC has a golden opportunity to create its own versions, drawing on one of the region’s greatest strengths – hospitality. The result could be a new generation of hospitality-led living concepts sitting somewhere between traditional residential and hotel accommodation and responding to how people increasingly want and need to live.

“Data and market intelligence is critical in identifying genuine gaps in demand rather than following the latest property trends. The next stage of the GCC property market will not only be about building more homes or hotels, but more about creating more sophisticated choices for living and delivering the next chapter in the region’s real estate success story.”

Aleph Hospitality, the largest independent hotel management company in the Middle East and Africa, has secured 1,330 keys so far this year, across nine properties in six countries.

With a portfolio of more than 50 hotels in 38 cities across 24 countries, representing over 7,000 keys, Aleph Hospitality is on track to reach its target of managing 100 hotels by the end of 2029.

In Nigeria, Aleph Hospitality signed management agreements with the Akwa Ibom State Government for the Ibom Hotel and Golf Resort, the Arise Palm Resort and the Ibom International Hotel and Convention Centre, 483 keys in total. In July it signed the 200-key Crowne Plaza Multan, its first hotel in Pakistan, due to open in 2028. Also in July, the company took over the 279-key Mövenpick Grand Al Bustan in Dubai, its third property for West F5 Investments, and in January the company signed the 101-key Best Western Premier Royal Golf View in Kigali, its third hotel in Rwanda. Three further agreements were signed during the year: the 118-key Wimby Resort, a 5* resort in Tanzania, and two additions to the Onomo portfolio in Ivory Coast, the 96-key Onomo Angre in Abidjan and the 53-key Onomo Allure Koa Lodge, both signed on top of the 26-hotel agreement concluded with African Hotel Development in 2025.

Aleph Hospitality attributes the year’s activity to entering markets ahead of wider operator interest, a flexible and tailored-to-fit management as well as strengthened decision-making in the regions. The growth in Africa also marks a change in deal structure: more owners are pairing an international brand franchise agreement with a credible, independent operator running day-to-day operations, in place of a management agreement under which the chain runs the hotel.

Neil George, Partner and Co-CEO of Aleph Hospitality, said: “More than 1,300 keys in nine months is the visible part. Underneath it is a management model which adjusts to owners’ assets, whether it is a repositioning, a transition or a pre-opening, and regional teams who know the market inside out. We have also seen a structural shift in African hotel contracting, and our forthcoming report with W Hospitality Group quantifies how franchised projects in the African pipeline have risen from 40 in 2020 to 146 this year.”

The executive team has grown with the portfolio. Abdellah Essonni joined in April as Regional Vice President, North Africa, based in Casablanca, and Rob Kucera was appointed Regional Vice President, East & South Africa, in August, based in Cape Town. At the head office in Dubai, Aline Barhouche joined as Chief HR Officer and Marc Matar as Vice President, Food & Beverage, with Estelle Chambost promoted to Vice President, Learning & Development.

Long stays are gaining ground at Mileo The Palm, where demand has increased by 20%, generating approximately 600 room nights as guests increasingly use hotels for relocations, extended family visits and longer periods of living in Dubai.

The trend is being driven primarily by guests already based in the UAE, alongside strong demand from Russian, CIS and UK markets. Rather than checking in for a conventional holiday, these guests are increasingly using the hotel as a temporary home while relocating, hosting visiting family members or spending an extended period in the city.

The shift is also changing how guests use the hotel once they arrive. Mileo The Palm has recorded 30% higher spending on ancillary hotel experiences among long-stay guests especially during weekends, with food and beverage emerging as one of the most popular areas of expenditure beyond accommodation.

Studios currently represent the most popular room category, followed by one- and two-bedroom suites, reflecting demand for accommodation that offers greater space, flexibility and the practicalities required for everyday living.

“Long-stay guests are not simply looking for somewhere to sleep; they are looking for somewhere that can genuinely become home for that period,” said Hossam Nabil, General Manager of Mileo The Palm. “What we are seeing is a greater expectation for the freedom and practicality of residential living, without having to give up the service, dining and experiences that come with staying in a hotel. That balance becomes increasingly important when a stay moves from a few nights to several weeks or months.”

At Mileo The Palm, this behaviour is extending well beyond the guest room. Longer-stay guests are making regular use of the property’s dining, wellness and leisure facilities, particularly over weekends, creating a different relationship with the hotel compared with shorter leisure stays.\

The property combines fitted kitchenettes across its accommodation with seven F&B concepts, private beach access, a rooftop infinity pool, Mileo SPA, fitness facilities and a Kids’ Club, allowing guests to maintain the routines of residential living while continuing to access hotel services and amenities throughout their stay.

As the segment develops, Mileo The Palm is now looking beyond accommodation alone and towards a broader proposition designed around the way long-stay guests live, dine and spend their time.

“The next phase for Mileo will be less about simply selling longer stays and more about developing a dedicated long-stay ecosystem around accommodation, dining, wellness and leisure,” added Hossam.

The growth in extended stays reflects an evolving use of Dubai’s hotel inventory, with properties increasingly serving not only traditional leisure travellers but guests seeking a more flexible middle ground between a short hotel stay and residential accommodation.