Hey #1 - welcome to the Forum
A new trend has just started in the UAE and u can buy apartments but there is more to it than just one bulk payment...to tell u the truth it is cheaper to rent a place then buy it unles u are planning to stay here for a very long time..
www.emaar.com
This website might prove to be helpful.
Land for commercial reasons - Have to be national... but u can play around this one..u buy it but legally it still stays in his name... then u can go the court and "pretend" to have "leased" it from him for 99 years. Then it comes off as ur property BUT u
can't sublease (can get around this one too) or sell it off to someone else (this is an impossible situation).
Utility bills :
its a standard price all over Dubai - differs from each emirate... can get apartments where the utility bills are included in the rent so u dont have to worry abt the monthly hassle.
Hope this helps