- April 22, 2026
- 4
- News&Media
Dubai Real Estate Faces 120,000 Units in 2026
Dubai’s First-Time Home Buyer Programme helps over 2,000 residents become homeowners in 6 months since launch
Dubai’s First-Time Home Buyer programme (launched July 2025 by DLD and DET) has helped 2,000+ residents buy their first homes in six months, generating AED 3.25bn in sales. Over 41,000 registered; 49% of purchases were by residents living in Dubai 5+ years, aided by developer incentives and tailored mortgages.
Read the full article on Zawya
Saudi Arabia opens real estate ownership to non-Saudis under new law
Saudi Arabia has officially implemented a new law regulating the ownership of real estate by non-Saudis, marking a significant step in the Kingdom’s evolving property framework.
Read the full article on Arabian Business
Acube Abodes Realty breaks ground on Altair 52 at Dubai South
Acube Abodes Realty broke ground on Altair 52, a premium Dubai South residential project and one of the first to start construction this year. The article cites Dubai’s record 215,700 sales worth Dh686.8bn last year and a big 2026 supply wave. Altair 52 is 70% sold and targets 2027 completion.
Read the full news article on Khaleej Times
Arada sales triple to more than $4.63bn as UAE property demand accelerates
Sharjah real estate developer Arada recorded a sharp rise in sales during 2025, with residential transactions in the UAE almost tripling year on year (YoY) to exceed AED17 billion ($4.63 billion), driven by strong demand across its master-planned communities and luxury developments in Dubai and Sharjah.
Read the full article on Arabian Business
TECOM Group buys university campus in Dubai Academic City for Dh125 million
TECOM Group bought a 300,000+ sq ft integrated university campus in Dubai International Academic City for Dh125m to expand its Education Cluster. With ~99% occupancy, the deal supports rising demand from international universities and aligns with Dubai/UAE education strategies. TECOM will fund upgrades from internal resources; the cluster serves 38,500+ students.
Read the full article on Gulf News
Dubai Real Estate Faces 120,000 Units in 2026: Market Analysis
Forecasts warn 120,000 Dubai handovers in 2026 could cause oversupply, but 2025 data show strong absorption: ~200,000 residential deals worth AED 538bn, rising prices, and off-plan dominance (~70%). Population growth and likely delivery delays may temper risk, concentrating pressure in specific apartment-heavy areas, not market-wide.
Read the full article on Open PR
Dubai Creek Tower revived with nearby sales already strong
A project to build a UAE tower envisioned as a sibling of the Burj Khalifa has been revived a decade after it was first announced but was left unbuilt following an economic slowdown.
Read the full article on Arabian Gulf Business Insight
Bayut launches TruEstimate™ rental reports to bring greater transparency to Dubai’s rental market
Bayut launched TruEstimate™ Rental Reports for Dubai, giving renters, landlords, and leasing agents data-backed rent benchmarks based on comparable rental transactions, not just asking prices. The reports show typical rent ranges, recent comparable deals, and whether a listing is fairly priced, aiming to reduce uncertainty in a high-demand rental market.
Read the full article on Economy Middle East
ZaZEN selects Vida Bricks as broker for its Dubai South launch
ZaZEN Properties plans a low-density Dubai South project and appointed Vida Bricks as exclusive sales partner. The G+4 development will have 48 homes (1–3BR plus study options) with rooftop lifestyle and wellness amenities. The launch is framed around Dubai South’s strong 2025 demand and infrastructure catalysts, with construction starting Q2 2026 and completion targeted November 2027.
Read the full article on Middle East Construction News
Why Emirates is moving cabin crew housing to Dubai South as Al Maktoum airport expansion nears
Emirates will build a new Cabin Crew Village in Dubai Investments Park to align with the long-term shift from DXB to the expanding Al Maktoum International (DWC). Planned for 12,000 crew in 20 towers, it’s designed to cut commutes, centralise amenities, and support dual-airport operations; groundbreaking Q2 2026, first phase by 2029.
Read the full article on Gulf News
Eight Square Developers launches Nooré at Meydan District 11
Eight Square Developers launched Nooré, a boutique low-rise residential project in Meydan District 11, marking its UAE debut. Designed around natural light, it features a double-height lobby, wider corridors, Mediterranean/Gaudí-inspired facade, smart-home readiness, central water filtration, and a rooftop padel court. Construction is underway, with completion targeted for Q2 2027.
Read the full article on Gulf News
Sharjah property prices not ‘peaked’ yet, set to rise over 10% in 2026
Sharjah property prices are expected to rise by ~10%+ in 2026, driven by new rules allowing all nationalities to buy, population inflows, and stronger tourism. Executives say 2025 saw record transactions and 10–20% gains, with stable growth, higher construction costs, and surging demand for waterfront units.
Read the full article on Khaleej Times
Dubai Real Estate Transactions as Reported on the 22nd of January 2026
On the 22-Jan-2026, the total transacted value reached AED 2,630,510,325. Off plan dominated with AED 1,616,677,232 (61.5%), while Ready accounted for AED 1,013,833,093 (38.5%).
| Category | Off-Plan (AED millions) | Ready (AED millions) |
| Flats | 673.5 | 649.7 |
| Villas | 272.2 | 155.8 |
| Hotel Apt. & Rooms | 555.5 | 62.7 |
| Commercial | 115.5 | 145.7 |
| Total | 1,616.7 | 1,013.8 |
Off-Plan Market Performance
Total Value: AED 1,616,677,232
- Flats: AED 673,461,684 (41.7%)
- Villas: AED 272,175,606 (16.8%)
- Hotel Apts & Rooms: AED 555,523,500 (34.4%)
- Commercial: AED 115,516,442 (7.1%)
Off-plan demand was broad-based, with flats leading, while hotel apartments delivered an unusually large secondary contribution due to the sales of a hotel on The World Islands for AED 552 million.
Ready Market Performance
Total Value: AED 1,013,833,093
- Flats: AED 649,705,616 (64.1%)
- Villas: AED 155,775,966 (15.4%)
- Hotel Apts & Rooms: AED 62,656,524 (6.2%)
- Commercial: AED 145,694,987 (14.4%)
The ready market was decisively flat led, with commercial also posting a meaningful share versus hotel apartments.
On The Micro Level
Market Insights & Outlook
The day’s activity leant clearly toward off-plan (61.5%), signalling stronger primary-market momentum, while ready transactions (38.5%) remained solid and heavily end-user oriented through flat purchases. Notably, the off-plan mix was “flats + hotel apartments (Hotel on The World Islands was sold for AED 552 million) led, whereas the ready mix was “flats + commercial” heavy, suggesting different demand drivers across the two segments rather than a single, uniform market trend.
Data Source: Dubai Land Department
