Dubai This Week: AED 7.58 billion in sales, ready homes lead again, and rents soften

Dubai This Week · 13 October 2026

The short version: Dubai isn’t slowing down. It’s getting selective. Sales held steady at AED 7.58 billion last week, ready homes outsold off-plan for the seventh week in a row, and asking rents eased in most popular areas as more homes came onto the market. Buyers and tenants have more choice. Sellers who price on evidence are still finding serious buyers.

What happened

• AED 7.58 billion in one week. In the week of 5 to 9 October, Dubai recorded 2,641 sales worth AED 7.58 billion, according to Dubai Land Department figures. Ready properties accounted for AED 4.42 billion across 1,016 deals, and off-plan for AED 3.15 billion across 1,625 deals. Mortgages added AED 2.18 billion from 1,006 transactions.
• Steady value, slightly fewer deals. Total value was unchanged on the previous week, while the number of sales fell by 230. Off-plan value rose by about AED 500 million and ready value fell by the same amount.
• Ready homes lead for a seventh week. Ready properties outsold off-plan by AED 1.27 billion, down from a gap of AED 2.27 billion a week earlier. Across the whole of Q3, ready-home sales grew from AED 21.3 billion to AED 25.1 billion, according to Savills.
• Where buyers were busiest. The most apartment deals were in Majan (118), Jumeirah Village Circle (109), Motor City (103), Downtown Jebel Ali (73) and Dubai South (65).

The biggest deals

• AED 97 million: a villa at Eden Hills, Dubai Hills Estate (first sale).
• AED 78 million: a villa on Frond C, Palm Jumeirah, previously bought for AED 24 million in February 2023.
• AED 68 million: an office at Bureau Lamar, Business Bay (first sale).
• AED 49.4 million: an apartment at Orla, Palm Jumeirah, the same price as its previous sale in May 2024.
• AED 12.5 million: an apartment at Casa Canal, resold at half its June 2024 price.

Prime homes keep setting records, but the Casa Canal resale is a reminder that not every purchase wins. The price you pay on day one matters more than ever.

The rental market

Asking rents fell in nine of ten popular apartment areas in Q3, led by Downtown Dubai at about 22%, as the number of rental listings rose by 55%, according to Property Finder data reported by Arabian Business. Dubai Hills Estate was the only apartment area with no change. On villas, the median asking rent in Dubai South eased by about 12.5%, from roughly AED 200,000 to AED 175,000 a year. Demand has not gone away: freehold rental contracts reached about 299,000 in the first nine months of 2026, up 6.8% on last year. Tenants simply have more to choose from.

Also this week

• New shared-housing rules. Dubai Municipality issued its Planning and Building Requirements Guide for Shared Housing under Law No. 4 of 2026. It names more than 44 areas where shared housing is permitted, including Al Barsha 1, Al Warqa 1 and Al Rigga, and gives owners of existing buildings one year from 8 September 2026 to comply, with permits through the Build in Dubai platform.
• Dubai CommerCity expands. The digital-commerce free zone, a joint venture between DIEZ and Wasl Group, launched a Phase 2 expansion worth more than AED 1.8 billion as occupancy reached about 96%. Delivery is phased between 2027 and 2028. More jobs near the airport corridor means more demand for homes nearby.
• Bay Estate details. Nakheel’s new gated community on Dubai Islands will have about 360 three- and four-bedroom homes, with 2.4 km of beachfront. More in the Dubai Islands guide.

What it means, and for whom

• Buyers: more choice and room to negotiate. Compare recorded sales from the last three months, not asking prices, and focus on value rather than headlines.
• Sellers: ready homes are in demand. Price on evidence from day one and you will find serious buyers.
• Landlords: with more listings on the market, price realistically and respond quickly. Good homes in good positions still let fast.
• Investors: October and November are usually Dubai’s busiest months. If you are planning to buy before year-end, start your shortlist now.

Umar’s take

The headlines say the market is slowing. What I’m seeing is a market where buyers have become more careful, and that’s healthy. The money is still moving: AED 7.58 billion in a single week is not a market in trouble. What has changed is that buyers now compare, negotiate and want homes they can live in or rent out quickly. If you’re buying, this is a good time to be selective and to insist on the data. If you’re selling a ready home, demand is on your side, as long as the price is right. And if you own in Dubai South, keep an eye on rents: tenants have more choice, so presentation and pricing matter.

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General market commentary, not investment advice. Weekly figures are from the Dubai Land Department for 5 to 9 October 2026.