Dubai Real Estate Market Report – May 2026
Dubai's property market turned over 10,279 transactions worth AED 28.91 billion across all property types in May 2026, at an overall median of AED 1,654/sqft. Narrowed to the apartment, villa and commercial segments, the annual comparison is stark: volume fell 45% year on year to 10,143 deals and value dropped 56% to AED 24.66 billion.
The headline contraction, though, hides a split beneath it. Transaction counts fell in every category, but price direction diverged sharply — apartment rates per square foot eased 5% while villa and commercial rates each climbed to their highest May level in the 13-year series. Far fewer deals closed this month, yet the pricing picture was anything but a uniform decline.
Headline figures
| Segment | Transactions | Value | Median price |
|---|
| All sales | 10,279 | AED 28.91 billion | AED 1,654/sqft |
| Primary (off-plan & developer) | 7,593 | AED 18.44 billion | AED 1,680/sqft |
| Resale (secondary) | 2,686 | AED 10.47 billion | AED 1,548/sqft |
Year-on-year performance by category
| Category | Volume | YoY | Value | YoY | Median price/sqft | YoY |
|---|
| Apartment | 8,770 | -37% | AED 14.55 billion | -51% | AED 1,644/sqft | -5% |
| Villa | 1,038 | -73% | AED 7.19 billion | -72% | AED 1,615/sqft | +7% |
| Commercial | 335 | -24% | AED 2.93 billion | +94% | AED 4,063/sqft | +135% |
Apartments did most of the damage to the aggregate. At 8,770 sales the segment was down 37% year on year — 5,237 fewer transactions than a year earlier, and the lowest May volume since 2022. Value fell further, down 51% to AED 14.55 billion, as the median price slipped 5% to AED 1,644/sqft, the lowest May figure since 2023. The median apartment ticket eased 16% to AED 1,075,200. Even after the pullback, apartment rates remain 36% above their 2014 base.
Villas tell a stranger story, where the collapse is one of activity rather than price. Volume more than halved — down 73% to just 1,038 deals, some 2,793 fewer than a year ago and the weakest May since 2020 — and value fell 72% to AED 7.19 billion. Yet pricing firmed against that backdrop: the median rose 7% to AED 1,615/sqft, the highest May price per square foot in the 13-year series, and the median ticket also gained 7% to AED 3,814,000. Villa values now sit 138% above 2014.
Commercial diverged most sharply of all. Volume slipped 24% to 335 deals — 105 fewer than last May and the lowest May count since 2022 — but value nearly doubled, up 94% to AED 2.93 billion. Price was the whole story: the median jumped 135% to AED 4,063/sqft, the highest May rate in the 13-year series, and the median ticket climbed 77% to AED 3,080,850. At 288% above 2014, commercial per-sqft pricing has travelled further from its base than any other segment.
Every category, including plots and buildings
| Category | Transactions | Value | Median price/sqft | Median price |
|---|
| Apartment | 8,770 | AED 14.55 billion | AED 1,644/sqft | AED 1,075,200 |
| Villa | 1,038 | AED 7.19 billion | AED 1,615/sqft | AED 3,814,000 |
| Plot | 132 | AED 4.14 billion | AED 702/sqft | AED 6,250,000 |
| Commercial | 335 | AED 2.93 billion | AED 4,063/sqft | AED 3,080,850 |
| Building | 4 | AED 102.23 million | AED 1,015/sqft | AED 864,295 |
Beyond the three core segments, plots were the quiet heavyweight. Just 132 transactions generated AED 4.14 billion — more value than the entire commercial segment — at a median AED 702/sqft and a median ticket of AED 6,250,000. Building sales were negligible by comparison, with 4 deals totalling AED 102.23 million.
Primary versus resale
The off-plan channel continued to lead. Primary sales accounted for 74% of apartment, villa and commercial volume — 7,532 deals worth AED 17.14 billion, or 70% of value. Resale made up the remaining 26% of volume (2,611 deals) but a larger 30% of value at AED 7.52 billion, the gap reflecting the higher average price of secondary-market transactions.
Where the activity was
| # | Area by value | Value | Area by volume | Transactions |
|---|
| 1 | Business Bay | AED 2.70 billion | Dubai South | 1,353 |
| 2 | Wadi Al Safa 3 | AED 1.65 billion | Wadi Al Safa 3 | 983 |
| 3 | Dubai South | AED 1.49 billion | Wadi Al Safa 5 | 631 |
| 4 | Dubai Islands | AED 1.42 billion | Al Barsha South Fourth | 549 |
| 5 | Palm Jumeirah | AED 1.20 billion | Jabal Ali First | 540 |
Business Bay led by value at AED 2.70 billion, ahead of Wadi Al Safa 3 (AED 1.65 billion), Dubai South (AED 1.49 billion), Dubai Islands (AED 1.42 billion) and Palm Jumeirah (AED 1.20 billion). By transaction count the centres of gravity were the master-planned communities: Dubai South topped the table with 1,353 deals, followed by Wadi Al Safa 3 (983), Wadi Al Safa 5 (631), Al Barsha South Fourth (549) and Jabal Ali First (540) — with Wadi Al Safa 3 and Dubai South ranking near the top on both measures. The top end still produced headline tickets, led by a AED 145,000,000 villa on Palm Jumeirah and a AED 112,603,000 apartment at Solaya 5 in Jumeirah First.
Rental market
Leasing activity cooled, but rents held firm or rose on renewal. New apartment contracts fell 20.34% to 9,232, with the median new rent flat at AED 70,000, while the 12,043 apartment renewals (down 12.83%) saw the median rise 5.71% to AED 60,000. Villa leasing was quieter — 1,486 new contracts (down 6.31%) at a median AED 175,000, off 5.41%, against 1,478 renewals (down 12.23%) whose median climbed 8.50% to AED 162,750. Commercial saw the steepest fall in new contracts, down 38.10% to 1,610, yet the median new rent jumped 27.78% to AED 115,000; its 1,978 renewals carried a median of AED 125,000, up 8.23%. Across all three segments, renewal rents rose even as contract counts shrank.
| Category | Type | Contracts | YoY | Median rent | YoY | Median rent/sqft | YoY |
|---|
| Apartment | New | 9,232 | -20.34% | AED 70,000 | 0% | AED 91/sqft | -3.19% |
| Apartment | Renewal | 12,043 | -12.83% | AED 60,000 | +5.71% | AED 73/sqft | +8.96% |
| Villa | New | 1,486 | -6.31% | AED 175,000 | -5.41% | AED 72/sqft | +1.41% |
| Villa | Renewal | 1,478 | -12.23% | AED 162,750 | +8.50% | AED 64/sqft | +8.47% |
| Commercial | New | 1,610 | -38.10% | AED 115,000 | +27.78% | AED 112/sqft | +10.89% |
| Commercial | Renewal | 1,978 | -16.86% | AED 125,000 | +8.23% | AED 108/sqft | +8% |
Supply
Supply tilted toward completion this month. Developers launched 1,667 units across 6 projects, while 2,468 units were delivered across 12 projects — a launch-to-delivery ratio of 0.7 and a net of 801 more units delivered than launched. The pipeline handed over stock faster than it created new commitments.
Launched
- Oxford Cove – Al Barsha South Fourth (Iman Developers), 253 units
- Tresora By Wadan – Al Barsha South Fourth (Wadan), 160 units
- Eltiera Views - Tower 3 – Al Thanyah Fifth (Ellington), 890 units
- Sera Gardens By Vision – Me'Aisem First (Vision Developments), 246 units
- Greenfield 2 By Samana Developers – Warsan Fourth (Samana), 1 units
- Elanora By Zoya – Saih Shuaib 2 (Zoya), 117 units
Delivered
- Golf Vista Heights – Al Hebiah Fourth (London Gate), 209 units
- Parkside Views – Hadaeq Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid (Emaar), 389 units
- Zazen Ivy – Jabal Ali First (Zazen), 73 units
- Dgm Vision – Al Satwa (Dgm Vision House), 95 units
- Talia Residences – Jabal Ali First (Deyaar), 161 units
- Damac Hills (2) - Verona – Madinat Hind 4 (Damac), 384 units
- 48 Parkside – Al Barsha South 3 (Tabeer), 203 units
- Mag 330 – Wadi Al Safa 4 (Mag), 679 units
- Beverly Residence 2 – Al Barsha South Fourth (Hmb Homes), 108 units
- The Spark By Esnaad – Wadi Al Safa 3 (Esnaad), 50 units
- Damac Hills - Cavalli Estates – Al Hebiah Third (Damac), 41 units
- Beach Walk Residences 1 – Dubai Islands (Imtiaz), 76 units
Most expensive sales
Top apartment sales
- AED 112,603,000 – Solaya 5, Jumeirah First
- AED 106,048,000 – Solaya 6, Jumeirah First
- AED 50,300,000 – Serenia Residences Building B, Palm Jumeirah
- AED 48,958,000 – Jumeirah Residences Asora Bay, Jumeirah First
- AED 43,179,968 – Eden House The Park Building F, Al Wasl
Top villa sales
- AED 145,000,000 – Palm Jumeirah
- AED 75,000,000 – Emirates Living
- AED 72,000,000 – Wadi Al Safa 3
- AED 70,300,000 – Ghadeer Al Tair
- AED 55,087,500 – Dubai South
Notes on methodology
Scope. Headline totals and the category table cover every property category recorded in the data, including Plot and Building. The primary/resale split, top-area rankings and the year-on-year series cover Apartment, Villa and Commercial only, so those figures are deliberately smaller than the headline and should not be added across sections.
Rounding. Headline totals are the authoritative rounded figures. Category-level breakdowns are rounded independently and may not sum exactly to the headline.
Definitions. Price figures are medians, not averages. Year-on-year compares the period against the same period one year earlier. All values in AED; areas in square feet.