Q1 2026 headline numbers
| Metric | Q1 2026 | YoY change |
|---|---|---|
| Total transaction value | AED 142B | +12% |
| Total transactions | 47,200 | +8% |
| Avg apartment price/sqft | AED 1,485 | +6% |
| Avg villa price/sqft | AED 2,180 | +9% |
| Off-plan share of sales | 58% | +3 pts |
| Median days on market (ready) | 41 | -6 days |
| Average rental yield (apartments) | 6.7% | flat |
Top areas by Q1 sales transaction count
- JVC — 4,820 transactions
- Business Bay — 3,640
- Dubai South — 3,210
- International City — 2,980
- Damac Lagoons — 2,710
Top developers by Q1 transaction value
- Emaar — AED 18.4B
- Damac — AED 14.2B
- Sobha — AED 7.8B
- Nakheel — AED 6.5B
- Binghatti — AED 5.9B
What's driving the market
Three factors stand out in Q1 2026: 1. Continued non-resident inflow, especially from Russia, India, and the GCC. Golden Visa applications via property are up 22% YoY. 2. Short supply in central ready stock (Marina, Downtown, JVC) is keeping price-per-sqft firm despite higher off-plan volume. 3. Mortgage activity recovered in Q1 as UAE Central Bank rates trended down, with mortgage transactions up 18% YoY.
Outlook for Q2 2026
We expect continued price growth in the 5 to 8% range for the full year, with the strongest gains in mid-market areas (JVC, Dubai South, Business Bay) where supply is meeting fresh demand. Watch the off-plan handover wave in Q3-Q4 (60,000+ units expected) — areas with significant new supply may see softer rent growth temporarily.
Methodology
Transaction data sourced from Dubai Land Department public records (Q1 2026, 1 January to 31 March). Yield calculations use Al Amman's internal management book (~2,000 units across 40+ buildings) cross-referenced with Property Finder and Bayut listing data.
Download the full CSV → (sample link — would link to /downloads/q1-2026-data.csv in production)
Frequently asked
Price-to-rent multiples in Dubai average ~14x — well below historical bubble levels in major markets (London peaked above 30x in 2007, Hong Kong hit 50x). Yields remain robust, supply pipelines are visible, and population growth continues to absorb new units. We see steady single-digit appreciation as the base case, not bubble dynamics.
Visit the Insights / Market Reports section. Each monthly report includes a downloadable CSV with transaction-level data and a structured PDF summary.
Muhammad Adnan founded Al Amman Properties in 2012 after a decade in Dubai's brokerage and property-management space. Under his leadership, Al Amman has closed 500+ sales transactions and built a 2,000-unit management bo…
