Overview
The Oliva Score is an independent 0 to 100 rating that compares Dubai projects on six dimensions: financial value, market dynamics, location quality, developer trust, risk, and liquidity. Every dimension is computed from authoritative public registries and weighted so that no single signal can dominate the result. Macro context (rates, GDP, currency) is computed separately and shown in the Market Context panel on each project page. It moves every Dubai project together, so it sits outside the composite that ranks one project against another.
Oliva is a Dubai brokerage. We do not accept paid placements, developer sponsorships, or ranking buyouts. A project with weak fundamentals shows a weak score regardless of marketing spend. This is the single most important commitment we make to investors, and we will not compromise on it.
The six dimensions
Each dimension carries a fixed share of the overall score. The weights below sum to 100% and apply to every project. The full list of metrics within each dimension is shown next to its underlying data source.
Financial Value
Whether the price is fair relative to the area, the income the property can generate, and the flexibility of the payment terms. This is the largest single dimension because price discipline matters more than any other factor over a full holding period.
Metrics used
- Price vs area median (DLD)
- Gross and net rental yield (Ejari)
- Cap-rate spread over the risk-free rate
- Payment plan flexibility and duration
- Price psf percentile and DLD rental index
Sources: DLD, Ejari
Market Dynamics
The health and momentum of the local sub-market, read through real transaction activity. We measure supply against demonstrated demand, look at price trend persistence, and weight resale against off-plan flow to flag whether the area is heating up or cooling off.
Metrics used
- Supply-demand ratio and absorption rate
- Transaction volume and value growth YoY
- Price trend YoY and DLD sale-index trend
- Off-plan vs resale share, mortgage share, foreign-buyer share
- Population growth context
Sources: DLD, demographics
Location Quality
The strength of the physical surroundings. Amenity density, transit links, schools, healthcare, retail, walkability, and the sub-area premium combine into a single location score. Walkable, well-served addresses score higher because their tenant and resale pool is durably larger.
Metrics used
- Amenity density and walkability (OSM, Google Places)
- Transit accessibility and metro distance
- Education proximity and school quality (KHDA)
- Healthcare, retail, beach, and green-space access
- Sub-area premium and landmark proximity (Dubai Pulse)
Sources: OSM, Google Places, KHDA, Dubai Pulse
Developer Trust
The reliability of the developer behind the project. We measure track record at the developer level: how many projects they have delivered, on what timeline, how their resale prices behaved, and whether their RERA licence is current. Newer developers are flagged rather than penalised.
Metrics used
- Total project count and unit count (RERA, DLD)
- On-time delivery rate across prior projects
- Years active and areas covered
- Resale premium of past projects (DLD)
- RERA registration status and rent-contract volume (Ejari)
Sources: RERA, DLD
Risk Assessment
Downside exposure specific to the area and project. We measure 36-month price volatility, oversupply risk against absorption pace, concentration risk where one developer dominates an area, and historical drawdowns. The aim is to surface what could go wrong, not what is likely to.
Metrics used
- Price volatility and area drawdown max (DLD historical)
- Oversupply and off-plan cancellation risk
- Concentration risk and single-buyer concentration
- Yield-curve signal and economic diversification (FRED)
- Geopolitical risk, oil shock, construction-risk flags
Sources: DLD historical, FRED
Liquidity & Exit
How quickly an investor can convert the property back into cash. We read transaction velocity in the area, days on market, rental demand, and the health of the broader capital market. Thin secondary markets get marked down even when the rest of the picture looks strong.
Metrics used
- Transaction velocity and days on market (DLD)
- Rental demand and rental price growth (Ejari)
- Resale frequency in the area
- REIT health and yield-curve spread
- Exit-timeline depth for the unit type
Sources: DLD, Ejari
Why Macro isn't in the score
Macro factors (interest rates, GDP growth, inflation, currency stability, oil prices) move every Dubai project identically in a given quarter. They set the backdrop for the market as a whole, but they don't determine whether one project is a better investment than another.
We compute the macro dimension and show it in the Market Context section of each project page, so investors can see the environment a project is being purchased into. But it does not enter the composite score. Only project-level fundamentals, price, location, developer, risk, liquidity, determine the ranking.
How to read the score
The score is calibrated against the live Dubai data distribution, not a theoretical ideal. Bounds are rebased quarterly so the bands stay anchored to the real market.
- 80+ Exceptional. Reserved for projects that are top tier across every fundamental simultaneously.
- 70 to 79 Top-tier. Strong on most dimensions; one or two areas to verify.
- 55 to 69 Solid. Good fundamentals, with at least one trade-off to understand.
- 40 to 54 Below average. Multiple weak dimensions; only sensible for very specific theses.
- Under 40 Caution. Material weakness in fundamentals; demand a thorough explanation before proceeding.
Methodology
- Each metric is normalised to a 0 to 100 scale using bounds calibrated to the live Dubai data distribution.
- Dimensions combine into the overall score via the fixed weights shown above, which sum to 100%.
- Missing data is excluded from the calculation rather than penalised. We surface data completeness separately so investors can judge confidence.
- Scores are recomputed nightly at 02:00 UTC against the latest DLD, Ejari, RERA, and macro feeds.
View the score for a specific project
Search by project name, developer, or community to open the full dimension breakdown.
Data sources
Every input behind the Oliva Score can be traced to a named authoritative source. We do not use surveys, opinion polls, or proprietary black-box feeds.
DLD (Dubai Land Department)
Official transaction registry for every Dubai property sale, since 1988.
Ejari
Dubai’s official rental contract registry, used for observed yields and rental demand.
RERA
The Real Estate Regulatory Agency. Developer licensing, project registration, escrow status.
OSM / Google Places
Open Street Map and Google Places for amenities, points of interest, and walkability.
KHDA
The Knowledge and Human Development Authority, source for private-school ratings and capacity.
FRED
St. Louis Fed’s public macro data feed, used for treasury yields and global indicators.
Dubai Pulse
Dubai government open-data platform for landmarks, mosques, parks, and civic infrastructure.
FAQ
Is the Oliva Score paid placement?
No. Oliva is a Dubai brokerage. No developer can pay for a higher score, sponsor a ranking, or influence the algorithm. The methodology is fully algorithmic and applied uniformly across every project.
How often does the Oliva Score update?
Scores are recomputed nightly at 02:00 UTC against the latest DLD transaction registry, Ejari rental contracts, RERA developer filings, and macro data feeds.
Why can't a project reach 100?
Our calibration is anchored to the live Dubai data distribution. A 100 would mean a project is top-tier on every single fundamental simultaneously, which no real project in any market is. We rebase the bounds quarterly so the scale always reflects the live market rather than a static target.
Why is Macro Context shown separately rather than in the score?
Macro factors (interest rates, GDP, currency, oil) move every Dubai project identically in a given quarter, so they don't differentiate one project from another. We still compute the macro dimension and show it in the Market Context panel on each project page so investors can see the environment, but it does not enter the composite that ranks projects against one another.
Can I see the raw data behind a score?
Yes. Every metric is sourced from public DLD transaction records, RERA project filings, Ejari rental contracts, or named macro feeds. Each project page shows the underlying numbers per dimension.
Related pages
Spotted something we could improve? Email javier@joinoliva.com.