# Property in Dubai

> What the Dubai property market is made of: 244,000 registered transactions a year, median prices by property type, taxes and costs, the investor visa, and how a purchase works.

Page: https://continentalclub.ae/property-in-dubai/ · updated 2026-09-09 · Continental Club Property LLC, Dubai real estate brokerage, RERA ORN 31933

Dubai’s property market is unusually transparent. The Land Department registers every transaction and every tenancy contract and publishes the data — how many properties changed hands, at what prices and in which districts. Below is what that market is made of and what to know before buying.

## Property for sale now

- [900,000 AED · 1 Bedroom Apartment in Park Vista · JVC District 13 · Iconic Vista Real Estate Development · 1 bed · 69 m²](https://continentalclub.ae/1-bedroom-apartment-park-vista-jvc-district-13-143027/)
- [1,900,000 AED · 2 Bedroom Apartment in Hameni Tower · JVC District 15 · Zaya Living Real Estate Development · 2 beds · 137 m²](https://continentalclub.ae/2-bedroom-apartment-hameni-tower-jvc-district-15-142803/)
- [1,900,000 AED · 1 Bedroom Apartment in Azizi Riviera Azure · Bu Kadra · Azizi Developments · 1 bed · 62 m²](https://continentalclub.ae/1-bedroom-apartment-azizi-riviera-azure-bu-kadra-142117/)
- [ready · 2,800,000 AED · 2 Bedroom Apartment in Bayz 101 · Business Bay · Danube Properties Development · 2 beds · 105 m²](https://continentalclub.ae/2-bedroom-apartment-bayz-101-business-bay-142539/)
- [ready · 1,080,000 AED · 1 Bedroom Apartment in Binghatti Creek · Healthcare City Phase 2 · Binghatti Developers · 1 bed · 65 m²](https://continentalclub.ae/1-bedroom-apartment-binghatti-creek-healthcare-city-phase-2-142487/)
- [ready · 94,000 AED · 1 Bedroom Apartment for Rent in MAG 218 · Dubai Marina · MAG Property Development · 1 bed · 81 m²](https://continentalclub.ae/1-bedroom-apartment-for-rent-mag-218-dubai-marina-141831/)
- [ready · 2,500,000 AED · 3 Bedroom Townhouse + Maid in Rukan 3 · Rukan · LMD Continental Investments · 3 beds + maid](https://continentalclub.ae/3-bedroom-townhouse-maid-rukan-3-rukan-141257/)
- [ready · 549,000 AED · Studio Apartment in Azizi Montrell · Al Furjan · Azizi Developments · studio · 65 m²](https://continentalclub.ae/studio-apartment-azizi-montrell-al-furjan-140905/)

[See the whole catalogue →](/en/ready/)

## What gets bought in Dubai

| Property type | Deals in a year | Share | Median price, AED |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Apartments and units | 174 970 | 79% | **1 228 881** |
| Villas and townhouses | 25 636 | 12% | **3 300 000** |
| Land plots | 19 592 | 9% | **3 650 000** |
| Whole buildings | 1 212 | 1% | **19 709 000** |

Over the past 12 months 221 410 transactions worth 792 billion dirhams were registered. 53% went through developers and 47% through the resale market.

Four fifths of the market is apartments. Villas and townhouses account for roughly a tenth of transactions, at a median price three times higher. Land is bought mainly by developers and by private buyers for individual houses; whole buildings go to institutional investors.

Note the total turnover: it is essentially unchanged year on year, while the price per square metre rose around 6% over the same period. The market is growing in price, not in volume — there are no more transactions, they are simply more expensive. Marketing material usually shows only the second half of that picture.

## Apartment or villa

These are two different markets, not two price tiers of one. The statistics show it:

- **Apartments.** 64% of transactions go directly through developers. The entry point is low: the median studio is around 695,000 dirhams. Gross rental yield is higher — 4.6% across the city, up to 6.5% in some districts. And they are more liquid: selling a flat in an active building is faster.
- **Villas and townhouses.** The reverse: 61% of transactions are resale. The median three-bedroom is around 2.98 million dirhams. These are bought to live in rather than to flip, so turnover is slower and holding periods longer.

Detailed figures for each market sit on their own pages: [apartments in Dubai](/apartments-in-dubai/) and [villas in Dubai](/villas-in-dubai/), with prices by layout, district breakdowns and yields.

### Match options to your budget

If you would like us to line your budget up against these numbers and send back what fits, leave your contact details.

## Who can buy property in Dubai

Foreign nationals buy outright (freehold) in designated zones, which cover practically every district where residential construction is happening. There is no nationality restriction, no residency requirement, and no need to attend in person: the transaction can be completed under a power of attorney certified at a UAE consulate.

Alongside freehold there is leasehold — a right of use for up to 99 years. It is rare in new projects but can turn up on the resale market in older districts, and is worth checking before the deal.

## Taxes and costs

The UAE has no property tax, no tax on rental income and no capital gains tax on sale. Costs are one-off and arise at the transaction.

- **Land Department fee — 4% of the price.** Formally split between the parties, in practice paid by the buyer.
- **Agency commission — 2% plus VAT** on resale purchases. On off-plan the developer pays it.
- **Trustee registration fee** — around 4,000 dirhams.
- **Developer’s NOC** on resale — between 500 and 5,000 dirhams.
- **Mortgage registration** — 0.25% of the loan plus valuation.

Recurring costs are the service charges of the building or community. They are not published in the register and vary substantially between properties, so the figure should be obtained for the specific building rather than taken from an average.

## Residence visa on purchase

A property purchase from 2 million dirhams qualifies you to apply for a ten-year investor residence visa. It is a separate process after ownership is registered; the purchase itself does not grant a visa automatically.

The visa allows you to live in the UAE, open accounts and sponsor family members, but it is not citizenship and requires renewal. Practically every villa and a substantial share of apartments clear the 2 million threshold.

## Off-plan or completed

Across the market as a whole, 55% of transactions are with developers and 45% on the resale market. The difference for a buyer is practical rather than ideological.

**Off-plan** payment is staged and goes into the project’s escrow account, and the developer pays the agency commission. But the property cannot be inspected, and handover dates move. Construction progress for each project is published by the Land Department itself — we [put that data online](/en/project-status/) with the date of the latest inspection and the completion percentage.

**On the resale market** the property can be inspected, its real service charges established, and it can be occupied or let immediately. Here the buyer pays the 2% commission and a developer’s no-objection certificate is required.

## How the transaction works

1. **Choosing and checking the property.** On resale — transaction history in the building and the service charge; on new build — construction progress and the developer’s record.
2. **Sale agreement (Form F)** and a deposit, usually 10% of the price. The deposit is held by the agency or the trustee, not the seller.
3. **Developer’s NOC** — confirmation that nothing is outstanding.
4. **Registration at the trustee office.** Ownership transfers the same day.
5. **Title deed** — electronic, issued immediately.

Buying from a developer follows different steps: reservation, sale and purchase agreement, registration in the Oqood system and staged payment through to handover.

## Frequently asked questions

### How much does property in Dubai cost

The median apartment is around 1.26 million dirhams; a villa or townhouse around 3.3 million. That is the middle of the market over the past twelve months: half of transactions closed below, half above.

### Can a foreigner buy property in Dubai

Yes, outright and with no nationality restrictions. No residency is required to buy, and attendance is optional — the transaction can be done under a power of attorney.

### What taxes does an owner pay in the UAE

There is no property tax, no tax on rental income and no capital gains tax. A one-off Land Department fee of 4% is paid at registration. The only recurring charge is the building’s service fee.

### Does buying grant residency

A purchase from 2 million dirhams qualifies you to apply for a ten-year investor visa. It is a separate process after ownership is registered; the visa is not issued automatically.

### Is the Dubai market growing

Price per square metre rose about 6% for apartments and 11% for villas over the past twelve months. Total market turnover in money terms stayed roughly level with the year before — so the market is growing in price rather than in transaction count.

### Apartment or villa — which is better

For letting, an apartment: higher gross yield and a faster tenant. For living, a villa, though it takes longer to sell. We publish the figures for each market separately, because averaging them together would be misleading.

## What next

Go deeper into one segment: [apartments](/apartments-in-dubai/) or [villas](/villas-in-dubai/). For specific districts, see the location pages — price history back to 2010, rent dynamics and the buildings with the most transactions.

If you want your own situation assessed, write to us: we will match options to the budget and cost out a specific transaction — using registered sale prices, not asking prices.

## Links

- Page: https://continentalclub.ae/property-in-dubai/
- JSON: https://continentalclub.ae/property-in-dubai.json
- Russian version: https://continentalclub.ae/ru/nedvizhimost-v-dubae/ (Markdown: https://continentalclub.ae/ru/nedvizhimost-v-dubae.md)

How to cite: "Property in Dubai — Continental Club Property, 2026-09-09, https://continentalclub.ae/property-in-dubai/"