Dubai property market: prices and transactions according to DLD data (as of November 2026)

In short: according to the Dubai Land Department (DLD), more than 270,000 real estate transactions with a total value of AED 917 billion were registered in Dubai in 2025 – 20% more than in 2024 (AED 761 billion). In the first quarter of 2026, the value of transactions reached AED 252 billion (+31% year on year), and their number 60,303 (+6%). These figures describe market activity, not a forecast: the number of transactions tells you neither how much a buyer will earn nor how prices will change. Below, in this Dubai property market report, we gather the official figures with dates and sources, explain how to read them and show where you can check transactions in a specific building yourself.

Updated: November 2026

Key points

• 2025: more than 270,000 transactions worth AED 917 billion; investments of more than AED 680 billion in 258.6 thousand transactions (DLD, January 2026).
• Q1 2026: 60,303 transactions worth AED 252 billion; foreign investment of AED 148.35 billion (DLD, April 2026).
• Rentals 2025: 1.38 million registered tenancy contracts worth AED 126.4 billion (DLD, February 2026).
• Investors: about 193.1 thousand in 2025, including 129.6 thousand new ones; UAE residents made up 56.6%.
• Prices: there is no current official price index that can be quoted – median prices per square metre are published by brokerage firms (secondary data).

Transactions in figures: 2024–2026

Period	Transactions	Value	Investments	Source
2024	226,000	AED 761 billion	217,000 worth AED 526 billion	DLD, 26.01.2025
2025	more than 270,000	AED 917 billion (+20%)	258.6 thousand worth more than AED 680 billion	Government of Dubai Media Office, DLD data, 12.01.2026
Q1 2026	60,303 (+6%)	AED 252 billion (+31%)	57,744 worth AED 173 billion	DLD, 09.04.2026

Sources: the DLD announcement on the 2024 results, the Government of Dubai Media Office announcement on the 2025 results and the DLD announcement on the first quarter of 2026. In 2025 the DLD recorded a total of 3.11 million procedures (sales, rentals and other services), and in the first quarter of 2026 – 718,160.

As of the update date, we have not found a summary of the first half or the first three quarters of 2026 on the DLD website. The media report such figures citing the DLD, but we do not quote them without the source announcement.

Who is buying

According to the announcement on the 2025 results, the number of investors rose to about 193.1 thousand (+24%), of whom 129.6 thousand were buying for the first time, and UAE residents made up 56.6% of investors. In the first quarter of 2026, the DLD reported 48,448 investors, including 29,312 new ones, and foreign investment worth AED 148.35 billion in 48,445 transactions. This means that the market is largely made up of buyers from outside the UAE – and that competition for attractive units is international.

Rentals and new projects in 2025

According to the DLD announcement of 23 February 2026 on the rental market in 2025:

• 1.38 million tenancy contracts were registered (+6%), with a total value of AED 126.4 billion (+17%);
• there were more than 513 thousand new contracts (+10%) and more than 514 thousand renewals (+3%);
• 124 projects worth AED 27.5 billion were completed, and 937 projects were under construction (+25%);
• the number of units sold rose to 147.5 thousand, worth AED 280 billion;
• 10,182 active real estate offices were operating in Dubai.

The large number of projects under construction means two things for a buyer: a wide choice of off-plan units and a growing supply of ready homes in the coming years. We explain how payments for a unit under construction are protected in the article Off-plan in Dubai: escrow and Oqood.

Where most transactions took place

The announcement on the 2025 results lists the ten areas with the highest number and value of transactions. The names are official DLD areas, which do not always match the marketing names of communities.

2025 ranking	Top five areas
Number of transactions	Al Barsha South Fourth, Business Bay, Wadi Al Safa 5, Dubai Airport City, Dubai Marina
Value of transactions	Business Bay, Dubai Marina, Palm Jumeirah, Burj Khalifa, Al Barsha South Fourth
Number of mortgage transactions	Al Barsha South Fourth, Dubai Marina, Jebel Ali First, Wadi Al Safa 5, Burj Khalifa

We compare the character of these neighbourhoods in the article Dubai neighbourhoods for buyers.

Prices per square metre: what firms report (secondary data)

The DLD publishes data on individual transactions, but not a current official price indicator that we could quote. We deliberately do not cite the DLD price index: under the terms on the DLD website, it may not be used commercially, including for valuations and investment decisions. Median prices are calculated by brokerage firms and portals – on their own data and using their own methods.

For example, in its Q3 2026 report (15.10.2026), the brokerage firm betterhomes gives a median in September 2026 of AED 1,404 per square foot for apartments (+2.2% year on year) and AED 1,638 for villas and townhouses (+4.1%). For apartments, that is about AED 15,100 per m² (1 square foot = 0.0929 m²). The same firm notes that median apartment rents fell by 3.8% between June and September 2026. The report does not cite the DLD as its source – these are secondary data, to be treated as indicative when looking at Dubai property prices in 2026.

The median and the average can differ significantly – we explain this using the Polish market as an example in the article Average price vs median. For a specific unit, transactions in the same building matter more than the average for the whole city.

How to check DLD data yourself

On its Real Estate Data page, the DLD provides a search tool for transactions, tenancy contracts, projects, valuations, buildings, brokers and developers. In the transactions tab you choose the period, type (sale, mortgage, gift), registration type (ready or off-plan), freehold, area and usage, and you can download the results as a CSV file. Each row includes, among other things, the date, amount, area, number of rooms, project and nearest metro station. For data from previous years, the DLD refers you to the data.dubai portal.

• Compare similar units: the same project, number of rooms and a similar floor area.
• Separate off-plan from ready: prices of units under construction and ready units are different markets.
• Look at the transaction type: mortgages and gifts are not sales – do not count them towards prices.
• Factor in costs: the price comes with, among other things, the 4% DLD fee – see buying costs in Dubai.

How to read these figures

The total value of transactions in DLD announcements covers different types of procedures – in DLD data, sales, mortgages and gifts are separate types – so it is not the “value of flat sales”. Record turnover reflects market activity, but it does not ensure price growth or rental income: with a large number of projects under construction, supply will keep rising in the coming years. Convert dirham amounts into zlotys with care – the dirham is pegged to the dollar, so the result in zlotys also depends on the USD/PLN exchange rate.

How we help

For a chosen building or neighbourhood, we will prepare a summary of transactions from DLD data with the download date – without forecasts or “guaranteed” rates of return. We hold consultations about Dubai in Polish, Russian, Ukrainian and English. If you are considering financing, start with the article UAE mortgages for non-residents; we describe the whole buying process in the article How to buy property in Dubai from Poland. Ask for data on a specific building.

Frequently asked questions