Dubai’s property market closed the first half of 2026 with 86,005 sales transactions worth AED 286.43 billion — the second-highest first half on record, behind only H1 2025. Residential sales alone reached roughly AED 221.3 billion. The headline for anyone watching the off-plan market: new-build is still where the volume is.
Off-plan led with ~72% of deals
Off-plan accounted for around AED 103.4 billion across 32,608 transactions in the half, with off-plan’s share of monthly sales running between 72% and 76% throughout. That’s the third consecutive year new-build has dominated Dubai’s transaction volume — the clearest signal yet that launches, payment plans and construction-linked buying define this market.
A rebound in June
June 2026 was the strongest sales month since April, with 13,766 sales worth AED 32.66 billion — volume up 31.3% month-on-month. Crucially, volume rose faster than value, which points to broad-based demand rather than a handful of mega-deals. After a softer May amid regional tensions, that June bounce is the market’s resilience on display.
What it means for buyers
The slight cooling versus 2025’s peak is not weakness — it’s a market normalising from a frenzy into something more sustainable. For off-plan buyers, that’s a healthier entry window: strong underlying demand, less bidding pressure, and developers still competing hard on payment plans. The lesson of the first half stands — buy the fundamentals and the developer’s delivery record, not just the launch-day momentum.
Figures sourced from Dubai Land Department data via Property Finder, Gulf News and market analysts, July 2026. Presented by OffPlans.com.
