Dubai Real Estate Market Report — April, 2026

Dubai Real Estate Market Report – April 2026

April 2026 saw Dubai's real estate sector generate 14,045 transactions worth AED 48.24 billion, with pricing settling at a median of AED 1,837/sqft. Once plots and buildings are excluded, the core Apartment, Villa and Commercial segments produced 13,810 deals worth AED 41.50 billion — a decline of 21% on both counts compared with April 2025.

That top-line drop, however, masks what actually happened: values held their ground even as volumes retreated. Every one of the three core categories posted a higher price per square foot, and the softness was concentrated in a steep villa slowdown and a milder dip in apartment activity rather than any general erosion in pricing.

Headline figures

Year-on-year performance by category

Apartments bore the brunt of the slowdown. Transactions dropped 17% to 11,425 — 2,275 fewer than the year before — and this single category accounts for most of the market's overall retreat. Value, however, eased by just 10% to AED 24.12 billion, cushioned by firmer pricing: the median climbed to AED 1,838/sqft, 11% above a year earlier and 43% over the 2014 baseline, marking the strongest April price per square foot across the 13-year series. The typical apartment sold for AED 1,450,000, up 14%.

Villas absorbed the sharpest hit. Deal volume was nearly cut in half, sliding 47% to 1,823 (1,609 fewer transactions), with value down 45% to AED 13.40 billion. Pricing nonetheless moved in the opposite direction: the median stayed at AED 1,772/sqft, 17% higher year-on-year and 125% above 2014 — itself an April series high — while the median villa price jumped 38% to AED 4,800,000. Fewer villas changed hands, but at noticeably richer prices.

Commercial stood alone in expanding. Deal count rose 34% to 562 — the strongest April commercial volume across the 13-year series — as value leapt 277% to AED 3.98 billion. The median hit AED 3,498/sqft, twice the April 2025 figure and 221% above 2014, another series-high for the month, with the median deal size up 73% at AED 3,196,680. By total value the ranking ran Apartment, Villa, Plot, Commercial then Building; but on median ticket size, Plot came out on top.

Every category, including plots and buildings

Outside the three principal segments, plots added 231 deals worth AED 6.69 billion at a median AED 679/sqft. Their AED 7,000,000 median ticket outstripped every other category this month, including villas and commercial — a sign that land deals involve far bigger parcels even while pricing per square foot stays the lowest of all.

Primary versus resale

Off-plan supply kept its grip on the market. Primary sales made up 76% of volume and 79% of value — 10,535 deals worth AED 32.59 billion — leaving resale with the remaining 24% of transactions (3,275) and 21% of value (AED 8.91 billion). That resale carries a slightly smaller share of value than of volume points to secondary units trading at lower average prices than fresh launches.

Where the activity was

Business Bay ranked first by value at AED 3.45 billion, ahead of Dubai Islands (AED 2.81 billion), Saih Shuaib 1 (AED 2.14 billion), Dubai South (AED 1.93 billion) and Hadaeq Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid (AED 1.88 billion). Measured by transaction count, Dubai South came out on top with 1,157 deals, ahead of Jabal Ali First (885), Al Barsha South Fourth (830), Wadi Al Safa 5 (810) and Dubai Islands (732). Dubai Islands and Dubai South were the only two areas to feature on both leaderboards, pairing sizeable ticket values with strong deal flow.

Rental market

The leasing market divided neatly along renewal and new-letting lines. Renewal rents strengthened across all three property types: apartments climbed 8.38% to a median AED 59,901, villas rose 7.33% to AED 161,000 and commercial gained 9.09% to AED 120,000, with renewal contract volumes up between 2.70% and 4.92%. New lettings, by contrast, were weaker and uneven — the new apartment median held flat at AED 70,000 (rent per sqft down 1.06%), new villa rent slipped 2.78% to AED 175,000, and new commercial rent inched up 2.65% to AED 132,417 — while new-contract counts declined in apartments (-19.49%), villas (-4.71%) and commercial (-20.98%).

Supply

Developers brought 7,142 units to market across 17 projects and handed over 7,942 units across 27 projects, a launch-to-delivery ratio of 0.9. Deliveries therefore exceeded launches by a net 800 units, meaning completions ran slightly ahead of new starts this month.

Launched

• Omya Residences – Jabal Ali First (Pantheon), 416 units
• Coventry Residence – Saih Shuaib 2 (Gfs), 163 units
• Arlington Park Ii By Majid – Wadi Al Safa 5 (Majid Development Agency), 129 units
• Coventry Residence 3 – Saih Shuaib 2 (Gfs), 185 units
• Oasis Tower 2 – Al Hebiah Fourth (Dubai Sports City), 444 units
• Coventry 2 – Warsan Fourth (Gfs), 372 units
• Meriva Sunset – Dubai Islands (Ellington), 2,708 units
• Ayami Residence, By Ayat Development – Al Warsan First (Ayat), 376 units
• Lunaya – Saih Shuaib 1 (Zaya), 564 units
• Azizi Lina – Jabal Ali Industrial Second (Azizi), 242 units
• Longfor International Center – Al Warsan First (Star Lang), 72 units
• Azizi Leily – Al Jaddaf (Azizi), 272 units
• Coventry Curve – Saih Shuaib 2 (Gfs), 246 units
• Celesto Tower 2 – Wadi Al Safa 5 (Tarrad Development), 231 units
• Enchante By Grid - Rt4 – Al Barsha South 3 (Grid Properties), 286 units
• Azizi Wares – Jebel Ali (Azizi), 336 units
• Cheval Residences – Dubai Islands (Avenew), 100 units

Delivered

• Serenia Living - Tower 4 – Palm Jumeirah (Palma), 226 units
• Marquis Galleria – Al Barsha South 3 (Marquis Circle), 126 units
• Nas3 – Al Barsha South 3 (Rabdan), 288 units
• Arbor View – Al Barsha South 3 (Ellington), 171 units
• Damac Lagoons - Santorini (3) – Al Hebiah Fifth (Damac), 96 units
• Jebel Ali Village Townhouses - Phase 3 – Jabal Ali First (Nakheel), 196 units
• Regalia – Business Bay (Deyaar), 913 units
• Pearl House Iii By Imtiaz – Al Barsha South Fourth (Imtiaz), 165 units
• Volna By Kasco – Al Jaddaf (Kasco), 73 units
• Divine Residencia – Al Hebiah Second (Takmeel), 69 units
• Jebel Ali Village – Jabal Ali First (Nakheel), 278 units
• Ab Cavalier – Al Barsha South Fourth (Ab Developers), 171 units
• Cresswell Residences – Dubai South (Esnaad), 72 units
• The Haven Garden – Al Barsha South Fourth (Metrical), 199 units
• Waha Living By Al Yakka – Al Satwa (Alyakka Developer), 71 units
• The Cove Ii Townhouses – Dubai Creek Harbour (Emaar), 743 units
• Binghatti Apex – Al Barsha South Fourth (Binghatti), 552 units
• Haven Living – Dubai Islands (Metac), 50 units
• Aark Residences – Wadi Al Safa 5 (Aark Developers), 100 units
• Damac Lagoons - Costa Brava (1) – Al Hebiah Fifth (Damac), 555 units
• Olivo Park Residences By Evera – Al Barsha South Fourth (Evera Development), 122 units
• Jebel Ali Village Townhouses - Phase 2 – Jabal Ali First (Nakheel), 132 units
• Jannat – Me'Aisem First (Deyaar), 362 units
• Koro One – Al Satwa (Koro), 144 units
• Jebel Ali Village Townhouses- Phase 1 – Jabal Ali First (Nakheel), 286 units
• Sobha Hartland - The Crest Tower A – Al Merkadh (Sobha), 1,415 units
• Damac Lagoons - Malta (2) – Al Hebiah Fifth (Damac), 367 units

Most expensive sales

Top apartment sales

1. AED 171,036,254 – Aman Residences Tower 2, Jumeirah Second
2. AED 121,841,000 – Baccarat Residence T1, Downtown Dubai
3. AED 70,238,323 – Aman Residences Tower 1, Jumeirah Second
4. AED 57,448,926 – Baccarat Residence T2, Downtown Dubai
5. AED 51,640,000 – Solaya 6, Jumeirah First

Top villa sales

1. AED 76,000,000 – Hadaeq Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid
2. AED 75,000,000 – Wadi Al Safa 3
3. AED 64,840,575 – Bukadra
4. AED 60,900,000 – Palm Jumeirah
5. AED 55,849,888 – Emirates Living

Notes on methodology

Scope. The headline figures and category breakdown cover the full data set, including Plot and Building. The primary/resale split, area rankings and annual comparisons, however, are limited to Apartment, Villa and Commercial, so those figures are intentionally lower than the headline total and should not be tallied together with it.

Rounding. The headline totals stand as the authoritative rounded figures. Because category-level figures are rounded separately, they may not add up exactly to those headline numbers.

Definitions. Prices quoted are medians rather than averages. Year-on-year comparisons measure against the same period twelve months earlier. All monetary figures are in AED, and areas are given in square feet.