Thread drift...thread drift...thread drift.
Trader,
You have to remember that the money you use to pay off the house in DXB is money that you would otherwise not have access to. So your exposure is only the deposit, fees, and any investment you make in the property. So having paid the mortgage for a decade with basically free money, even if the property value has gone down, as long as the mortgage has decreased enough you may still be in front.
This is different to investing at home where its your after tax dollars that pay down the loan. Still takes some intestinal fortitude and not for the faint hearted.