Dubai Real Estate Market Review 05-Mar-2026
cash buyers dominate as Dubai real estate maintains strong start to year First sales, cash buyers dominate as Dubai real estate maintains strong start to year Dubai’s February property market stayed strong: developers led with Dh42.1bn across 11,351 primary sales vs Dh18.6bn from 5,628 resales, 69% cash. Total sales hit Dh60.8bn (+18.4% YoY). Commercial surged; apartments rose; plots up; villas down; prices +12.2%. Read the full article on Khaleej Times Dubai property sales hit $16.6bn in February as off-plan market surges The Dubai real estate market maintained a powerful start to 2026 as property sales reached AED60.8bn ($16.6bn) in February, with first sales from developers dominating activity and cash buyers accounting for more than two thirds of resales. Read the full article on Arabian Business Opinion: Why Dubai’s Real Estate Isn’t Flinching Despite alarming Hormuz and missile headlines, daily life and real estate activity in Dubai continued. Temporary airspace restrictions caused travel disruption, but transactions still closed. Past regional crises typically drive wealth into Dubai. A cash-heavy, low-leverage market supports price stability; rents and school enrolments remain steady. Read the full article on The Core UAE real estate to stay resilient, able to absorb shocks: expert An expert says UAE real estate can absorb geopolitical shocks due to diversified investors, open capital flows, strong regulation, and non-oil economic strength. Dubai and Abu Dhabi remain stable havens with strong foreign demand. GCC real estate exceeded $380bn in 2025; impacts are mainly sentiment, likely short-term unless tensions persist. Read the full article on Zawya Emaar confirms all communities, malls and development projects continue to operate normally Emaar says all operations are running normally. It posted record 2025 results: property sales AED80.4bn, revenue AED49.6bn, pre-tax profit AED25.7bn, and backlog AED155bn; recurring income was 32% of EBITDA. 2026 started strong: UAE property sales AED17.2bn Jan–Feb (+118% YoY). Read the full article on Economy Middle East Union Properties joins MIT’s Iindustrial liaison program to accelerate technology-led transformation in real estate Union Properties joined MIT’s Industrial Liaison Program (starting Feb 2026) to access research, training, and startup networks. The partnership targets applied innovation in real estate via four pillars: employee learning, MIT case studies, executive education, and structured startup engagement. Success metrics include measurable L&D impact and at least one MIT-led initiative implemented. Read the full article on Zawya UAE’s forest living trend reshapes real estate with nature-led communities New villa masterplans in Dubai and Sharjah are marketing dense greenery as a core feature, using trees and shaded paths to improve comfort in the heat. Developers say “forest living” and biophilic design support stronger demand and pricing, with projects like Ghaf Woods and Arada’s Masaar scaling up nature-led, climate-responsive planning. Read the full article on Khaleej Times Why GCC Contractors Are Rethinking Everything in 2026 Regional tensions aren’t stopping Gulf construction, but are adding cost and scheduling risk. Disruptions in Hormuz and renewed Red Sea warnings raise freight delays and war-risk insurance, tightening procurement timelines. Contractors are stress-testing cash flow, reviewing fixed-price contract exposure, documenting disruptions, and prioritising workforce continuity, critical for Saudi projects with immovable deadlines (Expo 2030, 2034 World Cup). Read the full article on Construction Week Online Dubai Real Estate Transactions as Reported on the 4th of March 2026 On the 04-Mar-2026, the total transacted value reached AED 1.31B. Off-plan dominated with AED 0.97B (74.2%), while Ready accounted for AED 0.34B (25.8%). Category Off-Plan (AED millions) Ready (AED millions) Flats 823.3 258.4 Villas 107.6 46.9 Hotel Apt. & Rooms 0.0 4.0 Commercial 38.6 27.3 Total 969.5 336.7 Off-Plan Market Performance Total Value: AED 969.5M Off-plan activity was overwhelmingly driven by flat sales, with only a modest contribution from villas and commercial units. Ready Market Performance Total Value: AED 336.7M Ready market value remained led by flats, while villas and commercial provided meaningful secondary support. On The Micro Level Market Insights & Outlook The day’s trading leaned strongly toward the primary market, signalling continued buyer preference for developer-led stock. Ready transactions were smaller in total value but more balanced, with commercial and villas adding depth alongside flats. If this mix persists, it supports both near-term launch absorption and steady end-user / investor activity in the secondary market. Data Source: Dubai Land Department *Only freehold transactions were used
