Hamptons International

Dubai Residential Market Review

A monthly review of Dubai residential market performance and key real estate trends.

Monthly Report

February 2026

MoM -15.3%·YoY +20.4%

February saw a natural correction following January's exceptional opening to 2026, registering AED 61.4 billion across 17,120 transactions — yet maintaining robust 20.4% annual growth.

Total Value

AED 61.4B

MoM -15.3%

Transactions

17,120

MoM -2.0%

Off-Plan Share

64.1%

Value: 72.6%

Cash Buyers

~79%

12,491 transactions

Market Breakdown

Segment Performance

Apartments

+3.0%

Value

AED 27.2B

Deals

13,081

Off-plan units at AED 2,063/sqft. JVC led secondary market with 437 deals.

Villas

-30.2%

Value

AED 18.7B

Deals

2,792

Sharp correction post-January peak. Off-plan: 1,994 sales at AED 13.9B.

Commercial

+5.0%

Value

AED 4.2B

Deals

819

Business Bay and DIFC — occupancy 90%+, yields 6–8%.

Land

-26.1%

Value

AED 11.3B

Deals

428

Volume up +9.2% but value declined as smaller plots dominate.

Prices

Price Trends (AED per sq.ft.)

Off-Plan psf

AED 2,063

MoM +2.1%

Ready psf

AED 1,758

MoM +3.7%

Avg Off-Plan Ticket

AED 3.03M

Mortgage Value

AED 8.1B

3,382 buyers

Top Performing

Off-Plan Sales

Damac Island City

912

Dubailand Residence

772

JVC

739

Meydan City

632

Dubai Islands

620

Top Performing

Secondary Sales

JVC

437

Business Bay

287

Dubai Marina

187

Dubai Creek

182

Downtown

176

Leasing

Rental Transactions

Total Leases

37,185

MoM -13.8%

Apartments

19,856

Villas

2,207

Commercial

15,122

Top Apartment Rental Areas

JVC

1,379

International City

1,135

Business Bay

894

Dubai Marina

606

Downtown Dubai

545

Top Villa Rental Areas

Damac Hills 2

254

Mirdif

97

Mudon

80

Dubai Hills Estate

76

Villanova

74

Buyer Profile

Cash vs Mortgage Buyers

Cash Buyers

12,491~79%

Mortgage Buyers

3,382AED 8.1B

Pipeline

March Handover Supply

Apartments

11,036

Units scheduled

Villas

2,005

Units scheduled

Analysis

Expert Insights

The moderation reflects a market recalibrating toward sustainable transaction levels while maintaining strong underlying liquidity and investor confidence. February's data confirms apartment-led expansion with off-plan commanding AED 2,063/sqft — a new threshold — while villa activity normalizes toward historical Q1 averages.

Hamptons International — Valuations & Research Division

This Dubai residential market report has been prepared by Hamptons' Valuations and Research team. The information contained herein is from reliable data source providers. Any reproduction, whether in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited without the prior approval of the company.