Dubai property prices have not fallen across the market in 2026. Over the latest 12 months, the median price reached AED 17,762 per square metre, up 7.7% from the preceding 12-month period. Sales activity is no longer accelerating: 219,567 transactions were recorded versus 223,264 in the previous 12 months. The market is therefore not moving as one: prices are still higher overall, transaction volume has stabilised, and some districts, including Dubai Marina and Motor City, show lower prices per square metre.
Dubai property market in 2026: the current position
The main change in Dubai’s property market in 2026 is not a market-wide price decline but a pause in transaction growth. During the latest 12-month period, 219,567 transactions were recorded. This was below the 223,264 transactions of the preceding 12 months.
At the same time, the median price per square metre was AED 17,762, which was 7.7% higher than in the prior 12-month period. This means that the number of deals has stopped rising, while the overall price level has continued to move upward.
For buyers asking whether Dubai real estate has dropped, the answer depends on the segment and location. The city-wide figure does not show a fall. However, it does not mean that every apartment, building or district is becoming more expensive. The market contains new off-plan launches, completed homes, smaller apartments, larger apartments and locations with very different supply conditions.
Off-plan transactions account for 60.8% of all transactions in the latest 12-month period. This is important because a large share of reported activity relates to homes under construction rather than completed apartments available for immediate occupation or leasing.
- Transactions over the latest 12 months: 219,567.
- Transactions in the preceding 12 months: 223,264.
- Median price per square metre: AED 17,762.
- Change in the median price per square metre: +7.7%.
- Off-plan share of transactions: 60.8%.
- Villa share of transactions: 11.8%.
For a regularly updated view of prices, deal volumes and area-level changes, see Dubai property market data. The data is updated weekly.
Have Dubai property prices dropped in 2026?
No, Dubai property prices have not dropped at the city-wide level in the latest 12-month comparison. The median price per square metre increased by 7.7% to AED 17,762.
It is nevertheless possible to find price declines in individual districts. A buyer searching “Dubai property prices drop” may see a lower asking price for a particular resale unit, but that is not the same as a city-wide decline. The unit may differ by floor, view, building age, payment terms, handover status, net area, condition or seller urgency.
The 2026 market should therefore be read through three separate questions:
- Has the overall Dubai price per square metre fallen? No; it is higher over the latest 12 months.
- Has sales volume continued to grow? No; the latest 12-month transaction count is lower than the preceding 12 months.
- Are there districts where prices have fallen? Yes; the area-level figures include negative annual changes.
This is a more mixed market than one in which every district rises at the same rate. Buyers comparing current Dubai property prices should use the relevant district, property type and stage of construction rather than rely only on a city-wide average.
Apartment prices in Dubai in 2026 by size
Apartment prices vary materially by the number of bedrooms. In the latest 12-month period, studios had a recorded price per square metre of AED 18,753, while one-bedroom apartments were at AED 17,047 per square metre. Larger apartments had higher recorded prices per square metre in the available data, especially four- and five-bedroom homes.
| Apartment type | Transactions, latest 12 months | Recorded price, AED | Price per m², AED |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | 49,761 | 690,258 | 18,753 |
| 1 bedroom | 77,203 | 1,216,371 | 17,047 |
| 2 bedrooms | 44,852 | 2,035,000 | 17,612 |
| 3 bedrooms | 11,441 | 3,500,000 | 19,997 |
| 4 bedrooms | 1,343 | 8,485,000 | 27,106 |
| 5 bedrooms | 176 | 27,964,830 | 35,027 |
One-bedroom apartments were the largest category by transaction count, with 77,203 transactions. Studios followed with 49,761 transactions, and two-bedroom units accounted for 44,852 transactions.
These figures should not be treated as a fixed entry price for every apartment. A studio in one district, an off-plan studio with a payment plan and a completed studio in another building are different products. The useful comparison is the price per square metre within the same area and, where possible, among comparable buildings and handover stages.
For reference, in 2025, apartment transactions totalled approximately 250,000. The average price per square metre for apartments was AED 20,614, compared with AED 19,156 in 2024. Through August 2026, the apartment average was AED 20,640 per square metre, broadly close to the 2025 figure. This indicates that apartment pricing had stopped accelerating at the same pace, rather than showing a broad fall.
Where are prices rising and where are they falling?
District-level differences are substantial. Among major areas by transaction count, Sports City recorded a 20.1% annual increase in price per square metre, Dubai Islands recorded 18.5%, Jumeirah Village Triangle recorded 16.4%, and Al Furjan recorded 14.8%.
At the same time, Dubai Marina showed a 14.6% annual decline in price per square metre, while Motor City showed a 10.1% decline. These areas demonstrate why a single phrase such as “Dubai property prices are up” or “Dubai real estate has fallen” is incomplete.
| Area | Transactions, latest 12 months | Price per m², AED | Annual change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jumeirah Village Circle | 17,333 | 15,358 | +7.7% |
| Dubai South Residential District | 17,005 | 17,328 | +6.4% |
| Business Bay | 11,856 | 25,841 | +5.2% |
| DubaiLand Residence Complex | 10,841 | 15,371 | +10.7% |
| Al Furjan | 9,466 | 15,527 | +14.8% |
| Dubai Marina | 6,816 | 21,013 | -14.6% |
| Jumeirah Village Triangle | 5,632 | 17,395 | +16.4% |
| Sports City | 5,304 | 13,905 | +20.1% |
| Dubai Islands | 5,266 | 29,246 | +18.5% |
| Motor City | 5,175 | 18,191 | -10.1% |
| Downtown Dubai | 5,012 | 27,323 | +11.4% |
Jumeirah Village Circle and Dubai South Residential District were the two largest locations by transaction count in the latest 12-month period. Business Bay, DubaiLand Residence Complex, Al Furjan and Majan also recorded substantial transaction activity.
For an investor or owner, an area-level decline does not automatically mean that every property has lost value. It means that the recorded price per square metre for transactions in that district was lower than in the previous 12-month period. The mix of sold units can affect the result, particularly where new launches or larger numbers of smaller apartments enter the data.
Districts with heavy future supply behave differently; the pipeline is listed in the 2030 handover tracker.
Off-plan versus ready property: what is different in 2026?
Off-plan property represents 60.8% of transactions in the latest 12-month period. A buyer considering an off-plan apartment is purchasing a unit before completion, whereas a ready property is already completed and may be available for handover, occupation or leasing depending on the transaction.
For off-plan sales, the legal framework includes Law No. 8 of 2007 concerning escrow accounts for real estate development in Dubai and Law No. 13 of 2008 regulating the Interim Real Property Register, together with its amendments and implementing provisions.
An off-plan project may not be marketed and sold before it is registered and has the required approvals. A developer may not commence implementation or sell units off-plan unless it has possession and actual control of the land, receives the demarcation certificate and obtains the approvals required to commence implementation.
Payments for units sold off-plan are deposited into the project escrow account. Under Law No. 8 of 2007, an escrow account is opened in the name of the project and is dedicated exclusively to construction of that project. Each project must have a separate escrow account. A broker involved in marketing an off-plan project must deposit the sale price into the project escrow account and may not deposit it into the broker’s own account or deduct commission before the deposit.
What is oqood?
Oqood is the commonly used name for registration of an off-plan property transaction in the Interim Real Property Register. Law No. 13 of 2008 regulates this interim register. The final registration process is different because it concerns the completed unit being registered in the purchaser’s name on the Real Property Register.
After a project is completed and the completion certificate is obtained, the developer may not refuse to hand over the unit or register it in the purchaser’s name if the purchaser has fulfilled contractual obligations. The registration must also include facilities allocated to the unit, such as car parking, where applicable.
How much stock is crossing from one column to the other right now is visible in the 2026 handover tracker.
Market risks to consider without assuming a market collapse
The fact that overall prices are still higher does not remove risk. A buyer should distinguish between a city-wide number and the risks attached to a specific project, building or district.
New supply and completion risk
A large off-plan share means that future handovers remain relevant for the resale and rental market. If many units are completed in the same location or building type, competition between owners may increase. The effect depends on the district, the type of unit, the timing of completion and the availability of comparable homes. No single city-wide figure determines the outcome for one project.
Service charges and ownership costs
Service charges can affect the total cost of holding a completed property. Their level depends on the particular development, unit and applicable arrangements. Buyers should review the relevant project and unit documents rather than assume that service costs will be the same across Dubai.
Currency risk
Property prices and transactions are commonly expressed in UAE dirhams. The reference conversion used for US dollars is AED 3.6725 per USD 1. A purchaser whose funds, income or liabilities are in another currency may have currency exposure. The AED amount of the property may remain unchanged while the cost in the buyer’s home currency changes.
Contract and payment-default risk
Off-plan contracts create obligations for both purchaser and developer. Where a purchaser does not fulfil obligations under a sale agreement, the developer must first serve notice and the purchaser is given a 30-day period to fulfil those obligations. The consequences after that depend on the construction completion percentage and the terms set out in the applicable legal provisions.
Article 15 of the implementing provisions linked to Law No. 13 of 2008 sets out different maximum retention rules depending on project completion status. The applicable outcome is case-specific and depends on the contract, completion status and statutory process.
Supply is measurable rather than rhetorical: the 2028 handover tracker shows what is scheduled to arrive.
What the 2026 market means for buyers
A buyer considering whether to buy an apartment in Dubai now should not base the decision on the expectation of a city-wide price crash. The available 12-month data shows higher overall prices, although sales volume is slightly lower than in the preceding period and some districts have negative price movement.
The practical comparison is between alternatives that are genuinely similar:
- Off-plan versus completed property.
- Studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom or larger apartment.
- District-level price per square metre and transaction activity.
- Immediate handover versus a future completion date.
- Contractual payment obligations and the buyer’s available funds.
- Service charges and other property-specific holding costs.
For a buyer focused on transaction activity, Jumeirah Village Circle and Dubai South Residential District had the highest number of transactions among the listed areas. For a buyer focused on recorded price per square metre, Sports City, Jumeirah Village Circle, DubaiLand Residence Complex and Al Furjan were below Business Bay, Downtown Dubai, Dubai Islands and Dubai Creek Harbour in the listed data.
Lower price per square metre does not by itself make a property cheaper in total. Net area, number of bedrooms, location and property condition all matter. A buyer should also note that net area is used for registration purposes. Where the actual net area is less than the net area stated in the agreement and plan by more than 5%, the legal provisions address compensation based on the agreed unit price.
Payment structure often decides the purchase more than the headline price: Dubai off-plan payment plans.
What the 2026 market means for sellers and landlords
For sellers, the market data suggests that pricing should be location-specific. A seller in an area with positive annual movement may still compete with a large volume of new supply, particularly where comparable off-plan units are being marketed. A seller in an area with a negative annual movement should not assume that a prior peak price is automatically achievable.
Dubai Marina and Motor City are examples where the latest area data shows lower prices per square metre than in the previous 12 months. Conversely, Sports City, Dubai Islands, Jumeirah Village Triangle and Al Furjan recorded positive annual changes. The relevant question is not simply whether Dubai is up or down, but whether the specific unit is comparable with recent transactions in its district.
For landlords, the purchase decision and the leasing decision should be assessed separately. A property may face competition from newly completed units, from existing rental stock or from units bought off-plan that later enter the leasing market. Service charges, vacancy periods, furnishing costs and management arrangements are property-specific and should be considered before calculating any expected return.
No percentage forecast is appropriate for the whole market because the current evidence already shows different outcomes by area. A landlord should focus on the total cost of ownership, the condition and usability of the apartment, and the supply of similar units in the immediate location.
Landlords compete with new stock as it completes — the 2029 handover tracker shows how much is still coming.
Frequently asked questions about Dubai real estate in 2026
Have property prices in Dubai fallen in 2026?
Not across the market. The median price per square metre over the latest 12 months was AED 17,762, up 7.7% from the preceding 12 months.
Has the Dubai real estate market slowed down?
Transaction growth has stopped. There were 219,567 transactions in the latest 12 months, compared with 223,264 in the previous 12 months.
How much does an apartment in Dubai cost in 2026?
In the latest 12-month data, recorded prices were AED 690,258 for a studio, AED 1,216,371 for a one-bedroom apartment and AED 2,035,000 for a two-bedroom apartment. Individual prices vary by area, size, building and status.
Which Dubai areas have become cheaper?
Dubai Marina recorded a 14.6% annual decline in price per square metre, and Motor City recorded a 10.1% decline in the latest 12-month area data.
Which areas are showing price growth?
Among the listed areas, Sports City, Dubai Islands, Jumeirah Village Triangle, Al Furjan, Downtown Dubai and DubaiLand Residence Complex recorded positive annual price-per-square-metre changes.
What is oqood when buying off-plan property?
Oqood is the common name for registration of an off-plan transaction in the Interim Real Property Register under Law No. 13 of 2008.
Is off-plan property the main part of the market?
Yes. Off-plan transactions represent 60.8% of all transactions in the latest 12-month period.
