Dubai Real Estate Market Review 10th-Jul-2025
Saudi Arabia to allow expats to buy property from 2026. Russian, British, Indian millionaires’ top buyers of over Dh20 million properties. Commission-free apps challenge Dubai real estate brokers as direct buyer-seller models rise Dubai’s property market is facing a shift as new digital platforms allowing direct buyer-seller connections threaten to make traditional real estate brokers obsolete, experts told Arabian Business. Saudi Arabia to allow expats to buy property from 2026? What we know From January 2026, Saudi Arabia will allow foreign individuals and companies to purchase property in approved zones (e.g., Riyadh, Jeddah), with special restrictions for holy cities, as part of Vision 2030. Detailed rules and locations will be published on the Istitaa platform for public feedback. Dubai: Russian, British, Indian millionaires’ top buyers of over Dh20 million properties Russians, British, Indians and other Europeans are leading buyers of Dubai luxury properties worth Dh20 million+, with transactions up 110% year-on-year and 70% from H2 2024. Dirham weakness, migration and tax shifts drive demand. UAE expects 9,800 millionaires in 2025, attracting Dh231 billion: Emirates Hills tops sales. Nawy acquires SmartCrowd to expand into Middle East Egyptian proptech leader Nawy has acquired a majority stake in Dubai’s fractional investment platform SmartCrowd, marking its GCC debut after a $52 million Series A. The deal broadens Nawy’s full-stack real estate offerings across MENA, following its ROA acquisition. Centurion Properties and CITIC Construction join forces for Dh10.5 billion Dubai real estate push Centurion Properties has signed an MoU with China’s CITIC Construction to co-develop over 10 million sq ft of luxury residential and commercial projects across Dubai, worth Dh10.5 billion, with construction set to begin in Q3 2025, combining local expertise and global engineering prowess. Sharjah’s upgraded property portal makes it easier for developers, homeowners Sharjah’s Real Estate Registration Department relaunched its portal, enabling developers to register projects, certify sales contracts and form homeowners’ associations. Investors can manage association registrations, fee declarations and complaints. Government users access ownership reports: individuals handle title deeds, valuations and data updates. Banks gain mortgage registration and amendment services. Dubai property: Villas lead price rally in the first half Villa prices led Dubai’s H1 2025 rally, rising over 10 percent in Dubailand and up to 11 percent across affordable segments. Apartment prices climbed up to 7 percent (affordable) and 4 percent (luxury). Demand remains strong but price growth is stabilizing. Dubai South Properties sells out Hayat community phases for $327mn within hours Dubai South Properties has sold out the first two phases of its Hayat by Dubai South community within hours of launch, generating sales that exceeded AED 1.2 billion. Seven-bedroom Dubai Hills Estate mansion sold after Dh150m listing A Dh150 million seven-bedroom mansion in Dubai Hills sold near asking price, underscoring the estate’s ultra-luxury appeal. From January to May 2025, villa transactions rose 12.2% while prices jumped 14.1%, highlighting Dubai Hills Estate’s draw for HNW/UHNW investors. Dubai Real Estate Transactions as Reported on the 9th of July 2025 On 07 July 2025, Dubai’s total real estate transaction value reached AED 2.309 billion. Off-plan properties accounted for 72.6% (AED 1.677 billion), while ready assets contributed 27.4% (AED 632.2 million) of the total volume. Category Off-Plan (AED million) Ready (AED million) Flats 1,529.1 453.7 Villas 54.0 103.5 Hotel Apt. & Rooms 22.3 32.7 Commercial 71.8 42.2 Total 1,677.2 632.2 Off-Plan Market Performance Subcategory Value (AED) % of Off-Plan Flats 1,529,069,081 91.2% Villas 53,999,908 3.2% Hotel Apartments & Rooms 22,294,176 1.3% Commercial 71,846,214 4.3% Flats overwhelmingly dominated the off-plan segment, comprising over nine-tenths of its value. Ready Market Performance Subcategory Value (AED) % of Ready Flats 453,745,734 71.8% Villas 103,465,990 16.4% Hotel Apartments & Rooms 32,732,889 5.2% Commercial 42,241,824 6.7% Flats led the ready sector as well, accounting for nearly three-quarters of its value. On The Micro Level Market Insights Strong demand for flats continues to drive both off-plan and ready-market activity, reflecting investor confidence in Dubai’s residential offerings. The pronounced off-plan dominance suggests developers should prioritize new flat launches, while niche villa and commercial projects can cater to growing diversification needs. As both segments perform robustly, the market outlook remains buoyant, with opportunities for balanced growth across asset classes.