01 October in context
October in context
Off-plan accounted for 57.3% of sales in Dubai Real Estate Data’s October snapshot, compared with 67.7% over the 12 months to 31 October. Over that same 12-month period, the median registered price of apartments and villas reached AED 1,738 per sq ft, up 5.5% from the prior 12 months. Buyers comparing a developer launch with a completed home can use that context to ask a more precise question. How does the asking price compare with recent sales for homes of the same size, in the same area, with a similar handover date or condition?
Dubai recorded more than 270,000 real estate transactions worth AED 917 billion in 2025. That annual government headline covers a broader category of transactions than the sales snapshot used here. The October figures reflect registrations recorded by 9 November and may change as more sales are registered.
Source Dubai Department of Finance, 2025 annual results, October sales methodology
02 Signal 1
Residents make up more than half of Dubai’s investors
Residents accounted for 56.6% of Dubai’s roughly 193,100 real estate investors in 2025, according to the government’s annual results. That figure measures residency. It includes people who already live in the UAE and may be buying a home for themselves or a property to let.
Source Dubai Department of Finance, 2025 annual results
International wealth migration is part of the picture. Henley & Partners and New World Wealth put the UAE’s provisional net inflow at 9,800 millionaires for 2025. That estimate covers the whole country and measures people moving, while the Dubai figures count property investors.
Source Henley & Partners, 2025 country wealth flows
- Residents’ share of about 193,100 real estate investors, 2025
- 56.6%
- Provisional net millionaire inflow to the UAE, 2025
- 9,800
03 Signal 2
Off-plan led October sales, with ready homes taking a larger share
Off-plan remained the larger category in October, though its share was about 10 percentage points below its 12-month share. In the October snapshot, the median registered price was AED 1,785 per sq ft for off-plan homes and AED 1,434 per sq ft for ready homes. Each median reflects the mix of homes that sold during the month, including differences in location, size and specification.
Source DLD via Dubai Pulse, analysed by Dubai Real Estate Data
- Median registered price, off-plan, October
- AED 1,785/sq ft
- Median registered price, ready, October
- AED 1,434/sq ft
Change calculated from the two shares above.
When comparing the two, put the full off-plan payment schedule alongside the upfront cost and financing of the ready property. For a rental purchase, factor in when each home could start earning rent.
04 Signal 3
Office sales grew sharply in the first half
Cavendish Maxwell reported AED 15.8 billion in Dubai office sales in the first half of 2026, nearly triple the value a year earlier. It counted about 2,600 transactions, with off-plan making up 65% of deals. Activity slowed from the first quarter to the second, when the number of transactions fell by about 36%.
Source Cavendish Maxwell, H1 2026 office market release
- Dubai office sales, first half of 2026
- AED 15.8B
- Office transactions counted, first half of 2026
- ~2,600
Knight Frank separately tracked 12.3 million sq ft of new industrial and logistics space requirements in H1, up from 11.5 million a year earlier. Those requirements reflect space sought by occupiers. When assessing a commercial purchase, check the actual leases, current occupancy and competing space due to open nearby.
Source Knight Frank, H1 2026 industrial and logistics review
Change calculated from the two Knight Frank figures above. Industrial and logistics space requirements.
05 Signal 4
Ownership costs can turn a 6.36% gross yield into 4.62% net
Take an illustrative two-bedroom apartment in Dubai Hills Estate at AED 2.2 million, with AED 140,000 in assumed annual rent. Here’s how the numbers change once the owner budgets for running costs and vacancy.
| Annual income or cost | Illustrative amount |
|---|---|
| Gross rent | AED 140,000 |
| Service charges | −AED 18,000 |
| Maintenance and insurance | −AED 5,000 |
| Vacancy allowance at 5% of gross rent | −AED 7,000 |
| Management at 6% of gross rent | −AED 8,400 |
| Net operating income | AED 101,600 |
That works out to 4.62% of the purchase price, before financing and acquisition costs. The rent and expenses are assumptions for this example. Check the building’s service charges and use recent comparable rental contracts to run the same calculation for your unit.
Source Dubai Land Department Service Charge Index, DLD registered sales and rental data
06 Signal 5
A golf or lagoon premium needs comparable sales
Two villas in the same development can have very different outlooks. A fair comparison for a golf-facing home pairs it with recent registered sales of similar villas in the same phase. Match plot size, built-up area and condition as closely as possible, then check what buyers actually paid for the view.
If the available sales are too different to isolate the premium, work with a range and see how the purchase looks if that premium narrows at resale.
Source Dubai Land Department registered transaction data
07 Signal 6
The right purchase depends on how you plan to use it
Start with the outcome you need. If you plan to move in, check the handover date, the commute and the full cost of owning the home. If you plan to rent it out, calculate what you would earn after costs and see whether it still works with lower rent or a longer vacancy. For off-plan, read the payment schedule and resale terms before you commit.
Dubai’s Real Estate Sector Strategy 2033 sets a target of AED 1 trillion in market value. For an individual buyer, the immediate decision comes down to the property, the price and the terms you can secure today.
Source Dubai Land Department, Real Estate Strategy 2033 targets