Dubai Real Estate Market Report — January, 2026

Dubai Real Estate Market Report – January 2026

Dubai's property market opened 2026 with the best January the city has ever recorded. Every property type together produced 17,279 transactions during the month, totalling AED 71.73 billion in value — the highest January figures for both volume and value across the 13-year series that dates back to 2014. Measured across all property types, the median price paid stood at AED 1,785/sqft.

When the count is narrowed to the comparable apartment, villa and commercial basis, the market recorded 16,884 deals, a +22% rise on January 2025, worth AED 56.34 billion. Value's +56% jump ran well ahead of the increase in volume — an early sign that price growth, not activity alone, is driving much of this result.

Headline figures

Year-on-year performance by category

Apartments supplied most of the volume. The category posted 12,612 sales, a +27% annual gain and 2,688 more than the equivalent month a year prior — the strongest January apartment volume across the 13-year series. Value grew at an even quicker pace, up +41% to AED 25.60 billion. Pricing, however, stayed restrained: the median apartment sold for AED 1,757/sqft, a January series high yet only +5% higher year on year and +70% above the 2014 base, while the median ticket held steady at AED 1,351,000. In short, the apartment surge reflects broader transaction activity rather than sharply rising per-unit prices.

Villas moved in the reverse direction. Theirs was the only segment where volume declined, easing -3% to 3,452 sales, about 115 fewer than the prior January. Despite that, villa value jumped +60% to AED 26.78 billion — enough to make villas the largest category by value, ahead of apartments, despite a far smaller deal count. Pricing accounts for the difference: the median villa now changes hands at AED 1,821/sqft, up +28% year on year and +151% above 2014, while the median villa ticket climbed +44% to AED 4,133,000. The pattern points to scarcity and higher-value deals at the top end rather than cooling demand.

Commercial property stood apart from the rest of the market. Starting from a modest base, transaction counts more than doubled — climbing +127% to 820 deals, around 458 above last January — while value multiplied to AED 3.95 billion, a +240% gain. The median commercial rate hit AED 3,423/sqft, a sharp +136% annual rise and +250% above 2014, and the median ticket advanced +41% to AED 2,329,150. Commercial volume and price per square foot each set a new January record for the series.

Every category, including plots and buildings

Outside the three headline categories, plots explain much of the gap between the all-property total and the apartment-villa-commercial figure. A mere 385 plot transactions produced AED 15.33 billion in value — the third-largest of any category — at a median of AED 404/sqft and a median ticket of AED 4,625,000. Whole-building transactions, meanwhile, were minor: just 10 deals worth AED 56.45 million.

Primary versus resale

Fresh supply kept its hold on the sales mix. Primary, off-plan and developer sales made up 69% of transactions and 71% of value — 11,706 deals worth AED 40.07 billion. Resale accounted for the remaining 31% of volume but a somewhat smaller 29% of value, with 5,178 deals worth AED 16.26 billion. The gap between the two shares suggests secondary-market deals ran slightly cheaper on average than new launches.

Where the activity was

By value, Me'Aisem Second topped every area with AED 6.13 billion, followed by Business Bay at AED 3.92 billion, Hadaeq Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid at AED 3.85 billion, Al Yelayiss 1 at AED 3.79 billion and Dubai Islands at AED 2.08 billion. Ranking by transaction count tells a different story: Al Yelayiss 1 came out on top with 1,127 deals, closely followed by Al Barsha South Fourth (1,092) and Business Bay (1,005), then Dubai South (906) and Wadi Al Safa 5 (884). Only Al Yelayiss 1 and Business Bay appeared in the top five on both rankings.

Rental market

Demand for leasing remained robust across the board. Apartment renewals in fact exceeded new signings — 16,912 renewals (up +12.97%) versus 14,012 new contracts (up +22.85%) — with new median rents at AED 72,419 against AED 57,330 for renewals, reflecting the usual saving enjoyed by tenants who stay put. Villa leasing rose on both fronts, with new contracts reaching 1,738 at a median AED 185,000. Commercial leasing stood out: new leases dropped -18.01% to 2,058, yet the median new commercial rent surged +55.56% to AED 140,000 and the rate per square foot rose +33.01% to AED 137/sqft — fewer commercial leases, but at notably higher rents.

Supply

The pipeline of new development continued to swell. Developers brought 11,188 units to market across 30 projects during the month, while 2,412 units were completed and handed over from 13 projects — a launch-to-delivery ratio of 4.6 to one, adding a net 8,776 more units launched than delivered. This imbalance suggests a wave of supply that is still building rather than landing, which helps explain why primary sales continue to lead the market.

Launched

• Avenew888-Loom F – Dubai South (Avenew), 422 units
• Artistry Two Residences – Zaabeel Second (Select Group), 235 units
• Myra Onyx – Nad Al Hamar (Myra), 60 units
• The Cape - C – Wadi Al Safa 3 (Abwab), 286 units
• East Residence 4 – Al Thanyah Fifth (Palma), 285 units
• 09 Life Residences – Wadi Al Safa 5 (Deniz), 127 units
• Verdana 5 Residence – Dubai Investment Park First (Reportage), 392 units
• Vibe B – Al Satwa (Arsenal East), 212 units
• Artistry One Residences – Zaabeel Second (Select Group), 232 units
• Linea By Holm – Al Satwa (Holm Avenue), 210 units
• Project Maybach – Nad Al Sheba First (Binghatti), 831 units
• Villa Dell Arte – Dubai Islands (Mr Eight), 64 units
• Maybach Six - Tower B – Nad Al Sheba First (Binghatti), 1,878 units
• Sky Line By Peace Homes – Wadi Al Safa 5 (Peace Homes), 565 units
• Eaton Square – Bukadra (Ellington), 24 units
• Art House Private Residences By Viva – Wadi Al Safa 3 (Viva Living), 121 units
• 368 Park Ln – Al Barsha South Fourth (Tabeer), 213 units
• Maybach Ultimate Luxury - Tower B – Nad Al Sheba First (Binghatti), 1,233 units
• Maravea Residences – Dubai Islands (Enzo Prime), 63 units
• Binghatti Luxuria – Al Barsha South Fifth (Binghatti), 469 units
• Tetris Tower – Al Barsha South Fourth (Object One), 205 units
• Binghatti Etherea – Al Barsha South Fourth (Binghatti), 239 units
• Miorah By Zoya – Dubai South (Zoya), 60 units
• Noore – Wadi Al Safa 3 (Eight Square), 43 units
• Bararigate By Ade – Wadi Al Safa 3 (Ade Properties), 282 units
• Empire Gardens – Wadi Al Safa 5 (Empire Developments), 221 units
• Binghatti Skyterraces – Al Hebiah First (Binghatti), 1,587 units
• Cresswell Plaza – Dubai South (Merath), 35 units
• Art House Hills By Adaan And Tuscany – Al Barsha South 3 (Tuscany Development), 328 units
• Peace Avenue By Peace Homes – Jabal Ali Industrial Second (Peace Homes), 266 units

Delivered

• Equiti Home-B – Jabal Ali First (Bnh), 302 units
• Marina Living – Marsa Dubai (Continental Investments), 208 units
• Orra The Embankment - Tower 2 – Al Thanyah Fifth (Orra Developers), 151 units
• Elegance By Chaimaa Holding – Al Barsha South Fourth (Deva), 118 units
• Stonehenge Residences – Al Barsha South Fourth (Segrex), 156 units
• Azizi Riviera 55 – Al Merkadh (Azizi), 126 units
• Viera Residences – Me'Aisem First (Vantage), 144 units
• Le Ciel ? Building 3 – Jumeirah First (Meraas), 210 units
• Condor Golf Links 18 – Al Hebiah Fourth (Condor), 256 units
• Mudon Al Ranim 4 – Al Hebiah Sixth (Dubai Properties), 134 units
• Rise Residences – Al Barsha South Fourth (S And S), 174 units
• Celine By Vision – Wadi Al Safa 2 (Vision Developments), 104 units
• Golf Grand – Hadaeq Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid (Emaar), 329 units

Most expensive sales

Top apartment sales

1. AED 71,563,574 – Aman Residences Tower 1, Jumeirah Second
2. AED 44,460,000 – Solaya 1, Jumeirah First
3. AED 42,000,000 – Serenia Living - Tower 4, Palm Jumeirah
4. AED 39,184,000 – Solaya 6, Jumeirah First
5. AED 37,037,000 – Solaya 3, Jumeirah First

Top villa sales

1. AED 134,000,000 – Emirates Living
2. AED 96,300,000 – Hadaeq Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid
3. AED 91,000,000 – Palm Jumeirah
4. AED 85,000,000 – Jumeirah Bay Islands
5. AED 72,999,998 – Wadi Al Safa 3

Notes on methodology

Scope. The headline figures and category table include every property category present in the data, Plot and Building included. The primary/resale breakdown, top-area rankings and year-on-year series are confined to Apartment, Villa and Commercial only, making those figures intentionally smaller than the headline — they should not be combined across sections.

Rounding. The headline totals stand as the authoritative rounded figures. Category-level breakdowns are rounded on their own and may not add up precisely to the headline.

Definitions. Price figures reflect medians rather than averages. Year-on-year measures the period against the equivalent period twelve months earlier. All values are in AED; areas in square feet.