Dubai Real Estate Market Report — January, 2025

Dubai Real Estate Market Report – January 2025

Dubai's property market began 2025 with its strongest January on record. Across every property type, 14,212 transactions changed hands for a combined AED 44.64 billion — both series records — while the citywide median stood at AED 1,554/sqft.

On the narrower apartment, villa and commercial basis, the market recorded 13,853 deals, up 22% on January 2024, and AED 36.07 billion in value, up 20%. Most of that momentum came from villas, even though apartments notched their own January volume record.

Headline figures

Year-on-year performance by category

Villas were behind the growth. Transactions more than doubled from a year earlier, up 118% to 3,567 — 1,927 more deals than the prior January and the strongest January villa volume in the 12-year series. Value followed suit, rising 74% to AED 16.70 billion, and the median climbed to AED 1,420/sqft, up 20% to a series-high January reading and now 96% above the 2014 level. Interestingly, the median villa ticket dropped 12% to AED 2,868,480: even as per-foot pricing hit a record, the typical villa changing hands was a more modestly priced home.

Apartments stayed the market's mainstay by count, with 9,924 sales — up 5%, or 511 deals, the highest January apartment volume in the series. Pricing, however, eased. The median dropped 3% to AED 1,671/sqft (still 62% above 2014), and total apartment value fell 8% to AED 18.21 billion despite the record deal count. The median apartment ticket edged up 3% to AED 1,350,000, so more units changed hands at slightly softer per-foot prices.

Commercial quietly outperformed. Just 362 deals were logged, yet that was still the highest January commercial volume since 2015 (+18%), and value nearly doubled, up 91% to AED 1.16 billion. Buyers traded up as well: the median commercial ticket climbed 34% to AED 1,651,454, and per-foot pricing rose 10% to AED 1,450/sqft, a series-high January reading.

Every category, including plots and buildings

Land punched well above its transaction count. Just 359 plot transactions generated AED 8.57 billion in value, at a median AED 427/sqft. Plots sell for far less than built product on a per-foot basis, yet each carries a hefty median ticket of AED 5,500,000 — a reminder that a small number of land deals can shift the citywide totals.

Primary versus resale

Off-plan sales continued to lead. Primary transactions made up 65% of volume — 8,985 deals worth AED 21.78 billion — with resale accounting for the remaining 4,868 deals and AED 14.29 billion. Resale notably punched above its weight on value, capturing 40% of the money from just 35% of the deals, a five-point gap suggesting secondary-market buyers concentrated in higher-priced, ready stock.

Where the activity was

Wadi Al Safa 5 topped the city on both measures, leading the value table at AED 2.60 billion and the volume table with 1,394 transactions. Marsa Dubai (AED 2.26 billion), Palm Jebel Ali (AED 2.04 billion), Al Yufrah 1 (AED 2.01 billion) and Dubai South (AED 1.86 billion) rounded out the value leaders, while Al Barsha South Fourth (974), Dubai South (925), Al Yelayiss 1 (867) and Business Bay (749) attracted the most deals — a spread showing the month's activity concentrated in the emerging southern and master-planned communities.

Rental market

The rental market remained firmly tilted toward landlords. New apartment leases climbed to 11,406 contracts (+4.81%) at a median AED 70,000, up a steep 16.67% year on year, while the 14,970 renewals sat at a clear discount, AED 55,000. New villa rents rose 12.79% to a median AED 175,000. The exception was new commercial rent, which fell 8.14% to AED 90,000 even as new commercial contracts surged 29.92% — though commercial renewals moved the opposite way, up 15.52% to AED 103,968.

Supply

Developers kept new supply flowing at pace. Some 16,543 units across 49 projects launched, against 4,419 units delivered from 15 completions — a launch-to-delivery ratio of 3.7 and a net 12,124 units added to the forward pipeline. New stock is being announced far faster than it is being handed over, a trend worth monitoring as this off-plan weight matures.

Launched

• Samana Resorts - Tower B – Me'Aisem First (Samana), 969 units
• Aman Residences Dubai - Tower 2 – Jumeirah Second (H&H), 78 units
• Coventry Gardens – Wadi Al Safa 5 (Gfs), 97 units
• Empire Lake Views – Wadi Al Safa 2 (Empire Developments), 634 units
• Maison Elysee Iii By Pantheon – Al Barsha South Fourth (Pantheon), 379 units
• Equiti Garden – Jabal Ali First (Bnh), 133 units
• Damac Islands - Maldives 3 – Al Yelayiss 1 (Damac), 313 units
• Azizi Venice 6 - Retail – Dubai South (Azizi), 2,389 units
• Sobha Solis Tower D – Al Hebiah First (Sobha), 2,327 units
• Parkwood Tower A – Hadaeq Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid (Emaar), 196 units
• La Cle By Maaia Developers – Jabal Ali First (Maaia Developers), 58 units
• Alma Gardens – Wadi Al Safa 2 (Alma Development), 82 units
• Damac Islands - Bali 1 – Al Yelayiss 1 (Damac), 294 units
• Moonsa Residences 2 – Warsan Fourth (City Properties), 125 units
• 999 Residences By Reef Luxury Development - 2 – Jabal Ali First (Reef Luxury), 148 units
• Dusit Rijas – Wadi Al Safa 3 (Rijas), 153 units
• Almaan 101 – Al Barsha South Fourth (Mn Vision), 102 units
• Liv Maritime – Madinat Dubai Almelaheyah (Liv), 258 units
• Woodland Terraces – Wadi Al Safa 3 (Amis), 76 units
• Urban Park Residences – Al Hebiah Fourth (Urban Venture), 187 units
• Parkside Boulevard – Al Barsha South 3 (Tabeer), 171 units
• Glorious Central Residences – Warsan Fourth (Glorious Future), 151 units
• Cove Edition Residence 4 By Imtiaz – Wadi Al Safa 5 (Imtiaz), 260 units
• Mews Mansions – Nad Al Sheba First (Al Ali Property Investment), 10 units
• Aura Central – Al Barsha South 3 (Aura Infinite), 38 units
• Api - Barsha Residential Tower – Al Barsha First (Al Ali Property Investment), 335 units
• One Park Square By Iman – Al Barsha South Fourth (Iman Developers), 269 units
• Bond Enclave – Al Barsha South 3 (Pearlshire), 156 units
• Greenspoint – Dubai South (Emaar), 196 units
• Sky Hills Astra Tower B – Al Barsha South 2 (Tecom Investments), 1,806 units
• Damac Islands - Bali 2 – Al Yelayiss 1 (Damac), 338 units
• Sunset Bay One By Imtiaz – Dubai Islands (Imtiaz), 66 units
• Cove Edition Residence 3 By Imtiaz – Wadi Al Safa 5 (Imtiaz), 260 units
• Damac Islands - Maldives 2 – Al Yelayiss 1 (Damac), 379 units
• Eden Hills – Hadaeq Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid (H&H), 273 units
• Greygate Residences By Ade – Al Barsha South Fourth (Ade Properties), 228 units
• Flora Isle-Rt2 – Dubai Islands (Octa), 155 units
• Montage – Al Jaddaf (Keymaven), 253 units
• Hz Residences 5 – Warsan Fourth (Al Helal Al Zahaby), 124 units
• Guzel Towers – Al Barsha South Fifth (Tiger), 522 units
• Damac Islands - Bora Bora 4 – Al Yelayiss 1 (Damac), 47 units
• Celine By Vision – Wadi Al Safa 2 (Vision Developments), 104 units
• Aura Elite – Nadd Hessa (Aura Infinite), 86 units
• Vistara House – Jabal Ali First (Object One), 141 units
• Ghaff Land Residence – Al Hebiah Second (Arabian Gulf), 168 units
• The Boulevard By Prestige One – Wadi Al Safa 5 (Prestige One), 387 units
• Capital Horizon Terraces – Dubai Islands (Capital International), 63 units
• Ellison – Al Yelayiss 2 (Nshama), 148 units
• Binghatti Hillside – Al Barsha South 2 (Binghatti), 411 units

Delivered

• Vincitore Boulevard 6 – Al Barsha South 3 (Vincitore), 685 units
• Jumeirah Living Marsa Al Arab – Um Suqaim Third (Meraas), 31 units
• Platinum By Vision – Wadi Al Safa 2 (Vision Developments), 100 units
• Creek Crescent – Dubai Creek Harbour (Emaar), 243 units
• Amal Tower – Al Hebiah Fourth (Consolidated Urban), 349 units
• Cf9 - B – Al Wasl (Meydan), 551 units
• Peninsula Five - 3 – Business Bay (Select Group), 408 units
• The Grove By Iman – Hadaeq Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid (Iman Developers), 126 units
• Palace Beach Residence Tower 2 – Marsa Dubai (Emaar), 562 units
• Karma – Wadi Al Safa 2 (Vision Developments), 90 units
• Binghatti Gardenia – Al Barsha South Fourth (Binghatti), 308 units
• Jasmine Lane – Me'Aisem First (Dune Developers), 138 units
• Mag 22 – Nad Al Sheba First (Mag), 23 units
• Trillionaire Residences By Binghatti – Business Bay (Binghatti), 738 units
• The Residence – Warsan Fourth (Boission Star), 67 units

Most expensive sales

Top apartment sales

1. AED 45,000,000 – One Za'Abeel Tower, Zaabeel First
2. AED 36,000,000 – Bulgari Residences 6, Jumeirah Bay Islands
3. AED 31,059,117 – Baccarat Residence T1, Downtown Dubai
4. AED 25,263,445 – Baccarat Residence T2, Downtown Dubai
5. AED 25,000,000 – Cavalli Couture - Tower 2, Al Wasl

Top villa sales

1. AED 425,000,000 – Emirates Living
2. AED 140,000,000 – Hadaeq Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid
3. AED 130,000,000 – Bukadra
4. AED 64,000,000 – Palm Jumeirah
5. AED 57,391,000 – Al Hebiah Fourth

Notes on methodology

Scope. Headline totals and the category table take in every property category present in the data, Plot and Building included. The primary/resale split, top-area rankings and the year-on-year series apply to Apartment, Villa and Commercial only, so those numbers are deliberately smaller than the headline and should not be added across sections.

Rounding. Headline totals stand as the authoritative rounded figures. Category-level breakdowns are rounded independently and may not add up exactly to the headline.

Definitions. Price figures are medians rather than averages. Year-on-year measures compare the period against the same period a year earlier. All values are stated in AED; areas in square feet.