DUBAI REAL ESTATE MARKET REPORT
Dubai Property Market Insights — August 2026
Dubai Property Market Report — August 2026
A full read of the Dubai real estate market August 2026 — covering residential and commercial sales, prices, rents and mortgage activity for the month, what moved, what held, and what it means for buyers, sellers and investors.
Key Takeaways
Dubai recorded 11,944 sales worth AED 4B in August — down 15.6% on July and 36.3% year-on-year.
Prices are holding, not falling: median AED 1,680/sqft, essentially flat MoM and just -2.4%.
Resale villas bucked the trend, up 5% YoY on price/sqft — end-user demand for ready homes is resilient.
The market is affordability-led: roughly 71% of all sales were under AED 2M.
Cash dominates resale at 67%; mortgage activity cooled (-23.3% YoY), pointing to a rate-sensitive market.
QUICK ANSWER: The Dubai real estate market August 2026 was quieter by volume, and the year-on-year drops look dramatic against 2025’s record highs. But prices barely moved and resale villas rose — this reads as a market normalising from a peak, not a market in decline. For buyers, it’s a calmer, more negotiable window; for owners of quality ready stock, values are holding. Overall, the Dubai real estate market August 2026 data points to a market adjusting rather than weakening.
Dubai Property Market
The Headline Numbers
Dubai property sales activity in August 2026, including DLD and DIFC sale transactions.
11,944
Sales Volume
▼ 15.6% MoM
▼ 36.3% YoY
AED 1,680
Median Price / Sqft
▼ 0.1% MoM
▼ 2.4% YoY
AED 28.4B
Sales Value
▼ 18.7% MoM
▼ 44.6% YoY
Includes DLD and DIFC sale transactions. Excludes mortgage
registrations and gift transfers.
Transaction Breakdown
Transactions by Property Type
August 2026 sales activity across apartments, villas, commercial properties and plots.
| Type | Volume | MoM | YoY | Sales Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apartments | 9,974 | ▼ 16.9% | ▼ 37.4% | AED 15.7B |
| Villas | 1,354 | ▲ 0.3% | ▼ 32.8% | AED 7.9B |
| Commercial | 420 | ▼ 19.7% | ▼ 5.6% | AED 1.5B |
| Plots | 183 | ▼ 29.3% | ▼ 47.4% | AED 2.6B |
| Total | 11,944 | — | — | AED 28.4B |
Market Read
Villas were the month’s relative bright spot.
Villa transaction volume remained essentially flat month-on-month, while every other segment declined. Apartments continue to drive Dubai’s property market, accounting for 84% of all sales and 55% of total sales value.
Market Activity
Monthly Sales Volume Trend
Dubai property transaction activity tracked from September 2025 through August 2026.
Monthly sales transactions, September 2025 – August 2026.
Source: DLD / DXB Interact.
August 2026 sales volume by property type.
Price Performance
Price Trends
Median price per square foot across Dubai’s primary and resale property markets.
Primary Market
Median price per square foot for newly launched primary stock.
| Type | Price / Sqft | Vs. 2025 | Vs. 2014 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apartment | AED 1,722 | ▼ 8.6% | ▲ 28.4% |
| Villa | AED 1,322 | ▼ 0.8% | ▲ 61.9% |
| Plot | AED 48 | ▼ 93.7% | ▼ 83.7% |
Resale Market
Median price per square foot for secondary resale stock.
| Type | Price / Sqft | Vs. 2025 | Vs. 2014 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apartment | AED 1,481 | ▼ 2.2% | ▲ 38.6% |
| Villa | AED 1,485 | ▲ 4.5% | ▲ 32.3% |
| Plot | AED 920 | ▲ 34.3% | ▲ 129.8% |
Rental Market
Rental Prices
Average annual rent by segment compared with August 2025.
Apartment
AED 68,000
▼ 2.9% vs. Aug 2025
Villa
AED 180,000
▼ 5.3% vs. Aug 2025
Commercial
AED 118,000
▼ 10.2% vs. Aug 2025
Market Read
Rental yields may become more attractive.
Rents easing alongside steady sale prices is good news for yield-focused investors on the buy side, and a signal for landlords to price renewals realistically to keep good tenants.
Source: DLD / DXB Interact. Rental figures represent average
annual rents by segment for August 2026.
Transaction Distribution
Where the Volume Is: Sales by Price Band
Dubai’s transaction activity remains concentrated in the affordable and mid-market price segments.
Market Insight
The market’s centre of gravity sits firmly below AED 2M, which accounts for roughly 71% of all transactions — reinforcing that affordable and mid-market product drives Dubai’s deal flow, even as headlines focus on trophy sales.
Geographic Activity
Top 5 Performing Areas
Leading Dubai areas ranked by transaction volume during August 2026.
01
Dubai South
Clear volume leader for the month
02
Wadi Al Safa 4
Villa & townhouse community
(Dubailand)
03
Al Barsha South Fourth
Better known as JVC — mid-market apartments
04
Jebel Ali
Includes Palm Jebel Ali plots & villas
05
Wadi Al Safa 5
Villa community (Dubailand)
Financing Activity
Financing: Cash Still Leads
Mortgage activity softened in August, while cash transactions continued to dominate the resale market.
| Metric | Value | MoM | YoY |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mortgage transactions | 3,593 | ▼ 20.2% | ▼ 23.3% |
| Mortgage value | AED 14.0B | ▼ 21.4% | ▼ 33.2% |
Note
In the resale market, 67% of buyers paid cash and 33% used a mortgage. Primary sales led both volume (69%) and value (58%) over resale. A cash-heavy, primary-led market with cooling mortgage demand points to a buyer that is deliberate and rate-aware.
Trophy Transactions
Dubai’s Most Luxurious Sales in August
The month’s highest-value apartment and villa transactions highlight the continued presence of ultra-luxury demand.
Top 5 Apartment Sales
| # | Price | Project / Area |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | AED 86M | The Address JBR 2 (Jumeirah Gate Tower 2), Marsa Dubai |
| 02 | AED 79M | Orla Infinity by Omniyat, Palm Jumeirah |
| 03 | AED 65M | Jumeirah Residences Asora Bay, Jumeirah First |
| 04 | AED 63M | Bugatti Residences by Binghatti, Business Bay |
| 05 | AED 58M | Aman Residences Tower 1, Jumeirah Second |
Top 5 Villa Sales
| # | Price | Area |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | AED 110M | Signature Villas |
| 02 | AED 98M | Emirates Hills |
| 03 | AED 56M | The Oasis – Lavita |
| 04 | AED 50M | Jumeirah Golf Estates – Phase B |
| 05 | AED 49M | Palm Jebel Ali – Frond M |
Luxury Market Snapshot
Dubai’s trophy market remains active alongside strong transaction volumes across the broader mid-market.
Project Performance
Best-Selling Projects
The projects generating the highest transaction volumes across Dubai’s primary and resale markets in August 2026.
Primary Apartments — By Volume
Primary Market
| Project | Volume | Value | Median Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Azizi Venice 15 Building B | 344 | AED 283.3M | AED 703.6K |
| Azizi Milan 30 | 259 | AED 175.1M | AED 589K |
| Golf Fields | 181 | AED 346.8M | AED 1.6M |
| Raw District by Imtiaz – Bldg C | 178 | AED 159.3M | AED 713.6K |
| Azizi Venice 11 | 119 | AED 113.4M | AED 1.1M |
Primary Villas — By Volume
Primary Market
| Project | Volume | Value | Median Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al Yufrah 1 | 156 | AED 884.7M | AED 5.6M |
| Dubai South | 73 | AED 404.8M | AED 5.1M |
| Al Rowaiyah First | 29 | AED 121.8M | AED 4.2M |
| DAMAC Islands 2 – Antigua 1 | 26 | AED 95.2M | AED 3.0M |
| DAMAC Islands 2 – Cuba | 24 | AED 63.7M | AED 2.5M |
Resale Apartments — By Volume
Resale Market
| Project | Volume | Value | Median Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Qasr Sabah 1 | 27 | AED 12.8M | AED 432.7K |
| Binghatti Apex | 20 | AED 16.8M | AED 660K |
| Peninsula Three | 20 | AED 38.9M | AED 1.9M |
| Cinderella | 18 | AED 12.1M | AED 632.5K |
| Dune Residency Dubai | 16 | AED 13.4M | AED 751.7K |
Resale Villas — By Volume
Resale Market
| Project | Volume | Value | Median Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| DAMAC Lagoons – Portofino | 14 | AED 59.4M | AED 2.8M |
| Mudon Al Ranim 6 | 14 | AED 50.2M | AED 3.5M |
| Mudon Al Ranim 5 | 14 | AED 52.1M | AED 3.4M |
| DAMAC Lagoons – Malta 1 | 13 | AED 38.4M | AED 2.7M |
| DAMAC Lagoons – Costa Brava 1 | 12 | AED 39.6M | AED 3.0M |
Investor Perspective
What This Means for You
The August market data points to different opportunities and considerations for buyers, investors and sellers.
01
For Buyers
More room to negotiate
A quieter, more negotiable market. With volumes down and prices flat, there’s less competition and more room to negotiate — especially on resale apartments and in off-plan launches where developers are offering incentives.
02
For Investors
Focus on liquidity
Softer rents on the buy side can improve entry yields, and the resilience of resale villa pricing rewards quality, ready assets. Focus on the sub-AED 2M band where liquidity is deepest.
03
For Sellers
Quality still commands attention
Ready, well-presented homes — particularly villas — are holding value. Price to the current market rather than to 2025’s peak, and quality stock will still move.
The Bottom Line
Dubai’s market is becoming more selective: liquidity remains strongest in the sub-AED 2M segment, while quality villas and well-positioned primary projects continue to attract demand.
Make Your Move with Haus 51
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