Dubai real estate market data: what the DLD actually records
The Dubai Land Department recorded over 180,000 residential property transactions in 2025, making it one of the most data-transparent real estate markets in the world. Every transaction above AED 0 is registered, time-stamped, and publicly available, which means any claim about "Dubai prices" or "Dubai yields" can be independently verified against the government's own dataset. This analysis uses DLD transaction data from 2024 Q1 and 2026 Q1 onward to derive the area-by-area benchmarks, project-level comparables, and year-over-year comparisons that follow.
Transaction volumes by area
Business Bay leads all Dubai areas with 5,791 Unit transactions in our DLD window, followed by Jumeirah Village Circle with 2,830, Dubai Marina with 2,416, Downtown Dubai (Burj Khalifa in DLD) with 2,327, Dubai Hills Estate with 1,596, Dubailand with 1,541, Al Thanyah Fifth with 1,610, Dubai Silicon Oasis with 537, Palm Jumeirah with 918, Jumeirah Lake Towers with 785, Jumeirah Village Triangle with 803, Dubai Sports City with 793, Dubai Creek Harbour with 554, Al Furjan with 541, Dubai South with 379, DAMAC Hills with 280, Zabeel with 447, Nad Al Shiba with 232, Me'Aisem with 531, International City with 458, Dubai Investments Park with 450, Town Square with 202, Emaar Beachfront with 163, DIFC with 234, Jumeirah Beach Residence with 151, Palm Jebel Ali with 123, DAMAC Hills 2 with 116, Al Sufouh with 102, Jumeirah with 80, and Arabian Ranches with 181 Villa transactions.
These volumes represent the total Unit (apartment) transactions recorded by DLD in our analysis window, which covers 2024 Q1 and 2026 Q1 onward. Some areas show data in both periods; others only in one. The DLD data gap between 2024 Q1 and 2026 Q1 (covering mid-2024 through 2025) means year-over-year comparisons should be interpreted carefully and cross-checked against third-party sources where possible.
Median prices by area
The weighted medians per square foot across our tracked areas range from 730 AED (International City) to 3,472 AED (Palm Jebel Ali, though this is a single-project new-launch benchmark). Among established areas with meaningful transaction counts, the range runs from 730 AED per square foot at International City to 3,400 AED per square foot at Emaar Beachfront.
The five highest apartment medians are Emaar Beachfront at 3,400, Palm Jebel Ali at 3,472, Zabeel at 2,839, Jumeirah at 2,672, and Downtown Dubai at 2,533.
The five lowest apartment medians are International City at 730, Dubai Silicon Oasis at 991, DAMAC Hills 2 at 1,017, Dubai South at 1,136, and Town Square at 1,236.
The mid-market band (AED 1,200 to AED 2,200 per square foot) includes Business Bay, Dubai Marina, Dubai Hills Estate, DAMAC Hills, Jumeirah Village Circle, Jumeirah Village Triangle, Al Furjan, Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubailand, Nad Al Shiba, Dubai Investments Park, and Dubai Sports City.
Rental yields by area
Gross rental yields across our tracked areas range from 4.2% (Jumeirah and MBR City) to 7.8% (DAMAC Hills 2). The yield distribution is not random; it tracks inversely with price tier. The cheapest areas deliver the highest yields, and the most expensive areas deliver the lowest.
Top yield areas: DAMAC Hills 2 at 7.8%, Jumeirah Village Circle at 7.2%, Dubai South at 6.8%, Al Thanyah Fifth at 6.8%, International City at 6.6%, Jumeirah Lake Towers at 6.5%, Dubai Investments Park at 6.5%, Jumeirah Village Triangle at 6.4%, Dubai Silicon Oasis at 6.3%, Nad Al Shiba at 6.2%.
Bottom yield areas: Jumeirah at 4.2%, MBR City at 4.2%, Arabian Ranches at 4.5%, Me'Aisem at 4.5%, DIFC at 4.6%, Zabeel at 4.7%, Palm Jumeirah at 4.8%, Emaar Beachfront at 4.9%.
The mid-market yield band (5% to 6%) includes Business Bay at 6.1%, Dubai Sports City at 6%, DAMAC Hills at 5.9%, Dubai Marina at 5.9%, Al Sufouh at 5.8%, Town Square at 5.8%, Jumeirah Beach Residence at 5.7%, Al Furjan at 5.5%, Dubailand at 5.5%, Downtown Dubai at 5.5%, Dubai Hills Estate at 5.2%, Dubai Creek Harbour at 5%.
One-year price changes
Palm Jebel Ali leads with 22% one-year price change (off-plan launch pricing increments, not secondary-market appreciation). Among established areas, the highest appreciation is Palm Jumeirah at 18.3%, Dubai Harbour at 16.5%, Dubai Creek Harbour at 15.1%, Jumeirah at 15%, MBR City at 14.5%, Downtown Dubai at 14.2%, Me'Aisem at 14%, Emaar Beachfront at 13.8%, and Dubai Marina at 12.5%.
The moderate band includes Nad Al Shiba at 12%, Business Bay at 11.8%, DIFC at 11.5%, Al Thanyah Fifth at 10%, Dubai Hills Estate at 10.2%, Arabian Ranches at 9.8%, Jumeirah Lake Towers at 9.2%, Al Sufouh at 9%.
The lower band includes Jumeirah Village Circle at 8.4%, DAMAC Hills at 8%, Jumeirah Village Triangle at 7.8%, Al Furjan at 7.5%, Dubai South at 7.2%, Dubai Silicon Oasis at 6.8%, Town Square at 6.5%, Dubailand at 6.2%, Dubai Sports City at 5.8%, DAMAC Hills 2 at 5.3%, International City at 4.5%, and Dubai Investments Park at 4%.
Developer track record scores
Emaar Properties leads at 9.5 out of 10, followed by Sobha Realty at 9.2, Nakheel at 8.8, Omniyat at 8.8, Meraas at 8.5, Al Habtoor Group at 8.5, Ellington Properties at 8.3, Arada at 8.0, Dubai Holding at 8.0, DAMAC Properties at 7.8, Dubai South Properties at 7.8, Select Group at 7.8, Binghatti at 7.5, Danube Properties at 7.5, Palma Homes at 7.5, Azizi Developments at 7.2, Reportage Properties at 7.0, Dar Global at 6.5, ED Residences at 5.0, Dugasta Properties at 4.0, Sky View Development at 3.0, and Namo Real Estate at 3.0.
Data sources and methodology
All transaction data comes from the Dubai Land Department's public records, accessed via our SQLite extract of the DLD transactions, area_benchmarks, and area_monthly_trend tables. Transaction counts, median prices per square foot, and annual averages are derived from DLD-recorded property transfers. Rental yields, one-year price changes, and developer profiles come from our curated area and developer data files, which combine DLD data with independently researched market information.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How many property transactions does Dubai record annually? A: Dubai recorded over 180,000 residential transactions in 2025, a record year. Our DLD analysis window covers 2024 Q1 and 2026 Q1 onward, with a data gap in between that limits some year-over-year comparisons.
Q: Which Dubai area has the highest transaction volume? A: Business Bay leads all areas with 5,791 Unit transactions in our DLD window, followed by Jumeirah Village Circle with 2,830 and Dubai Marina with 2,416.
Q: What is the average rental yield in Dubai? A: Gross yields range from 4.2% (Jumeirah, MBR City) to 7.8% (DAMAC Hills 2). The citywide average across our tracked areas is roughly 5.5% to 6%, with the cheapest areas yielding highest and the most expensive areas yielding lowest.
Q: Which Dubai developer has the best track record? A: Emaar Properties leads at 9.5 out of 10 in our track record scoring, followed by Sobha Realty at 9.2, Nakheel at 8.8, and Omniyat at 8.8. Scores reflect delivery history, build quality, handover reliability, and scale.
Q: Where can I verify Dubai property transaction data? A: The Dubai Land Department publishes all transaction records publicly. Our analysis uses a direct SQLite extract of DLD data covering 2024 Q1 and 2026 Q1 onward, supplemented by curated area and developer data files. Every number we cite is traceable to the DLD source.