Market Intelligence

Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has approved implementation of Dubai’s fourth strategic road corridor, an approximately 80-kilometre route featuring 12 lanes in both directions, 72 bridges and 17 tunnels. Its AED 3.5 billion first phase is expected to cut travel time between Al Shanouf Street and Dubai-Al Ain Road from 35 minutes to 14 minutes.

Dubai’s mortgage market is showing a marked shift in borrower activity. Mortgage refinancing and equity-release enquiries grew 2.5 times year on year, while mortgage-backed property purchase volumes declined approximately 35% in the second quarter of 2026 compared with the same period of 2025.

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority and Dubai Airports are reviewing future road and public transport projects serving Al Maktoum International Airport and Dubai South, reinforcing connectivity as a key factor in the area’s long-term development outlook.

Dubai Holding Real Estate and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank have partnered on off-plan home financing for selected Dubai developments, with advertised pricing starting at 3.49% per annum and fixed for three years.

Dubai’s retail real-estate sales value reached AED3.8 billion in the first half of 2026, up 176.7% year-on-year. Off-plan retail premises represented nearly 60% of transactions and almost 70% of sales value, while Jumeirah Village Circle recorded more than 12% of off-plan retail transactions.

Dubai has begun studying a potential Metro connection between Dubai International Airport and Al Maktoum International Airport, with the work expected to take about one year. The study comes as the 30-kilometre Blue Line is under construction and the AED34 billion Gold Line moves forward with an inauguration target of September 9, 2032.

Dubai retail property rents increased 5.9% year on year during the first half of 2026, moving from AED 238 to AED 252 per square foot. The performance reinforces the importance of location, leasing quality and tenant retention for owners and investors assessing the emirate’s retail assets.

Al Maktoum International Airport is being developed as Dubai’s future major aviation hub, with its first major phase targeted for operations in 2032. Its planned queue-free security model could strengthen Dubai South’s long-term appeal for hospitality, logistics and mixed-use investment.

Dubai International Airport expects to handle around 70 million passengers in 2026 after regional disruption and UAE airspace restrictions reduced capacity and passenger volumes. With Dubai Airports also targeting 100 million annual passengers by the end of 2027, the forecast reinforces the airport’s importance to Dubai’s tourism and real-estate investment environment.

Etihad Rail has scheduled the opening of its Dubai passenger station in Jumeirah Golf Estates for September 30, 2026. The planned Abu Dhabi-Dubai-Fujairah connection adds a new intercity mobility layer with potential implications for accessibility, development activity and investment analysis around the station.

Prestige One Developments reportedly plans to invest AED3 billion to AED4 billion, equivalent to approximately $817 million to $1.09 billion, while pursuing seven to eight additional project launches in Dubai after four launches during 2026.

HOLM Developments has signed an international investment and development agreement for a planned multifunctional complex covering 140,000 square metres on Ambassadori Island in Batumi, with announced investment exceeding $250 million.

Dubai completed 104 real estate projects worth more than AED111 billion during the first half of 2026, adding 24,537 units and marking a 52% increase in completed-project value compared with the same period of 2025.

Mohamed Alabbar, founder of Emaar Properties, said Dubai property prices could adjust by approximately 5% to 10% as significant new supply enters the market by 2027. The outlook gives developers, investors and buyers a market-timing signal as the emirate prepares for a potentially broader inventory cycle.

Dubai’s average residential sales price fell 1.7% year-on-year in August 2026 to approximately AED 1,636 per square foot, while residential transactions reached approximately AED 23.4 billion for the month.

Global Partners is developing a Dubai Creek residential masterplan featuring Westin Residences and Renaissance Residences in collaboration with Marriott International. The wider project spans more than 127,000 square metres, with approximately 70% planned for landscaped gardens and open spaces.

Dubai recorded AED 26.45 billion in residential property sales across 13,397 transactions in July 2026. Monthly growth remained positive, while off-plan transactions represented 72.2% of activity and 66.0% of sales value.

Dubai recorded approximately AED 12 billion in property transactions across 3,657 transactions in one week, with sales, mortgage activity and gift transfers all contributing to the total.

Dubai Land Department now states that individual property owners may apply for a two-year property-linked residence visa regardless of property value. The rule does not change the AED 2 million real-estate requirement for Dubai’s ten-year Golden Visa.

Emaar Properties has announced plans for a landmark AED 200 billion, approximately US$55 billion, master-planned development in the heart of Dubai. The project is expected to exceed 4.5 million square metres of built-up area and accommodate nearly 150,000 residents, positioning it as one of the most significant additions to the emirate’s future real-estate pipeline.