Dubai and Gulf Property: Off-Plan and Golden Visas — 2026-09-12
Dubai’s real estate market recorded AED 10.6 billion in transactions last week, maintaining high activity levels despite a cooling price trend. Emaar and DAMAC continue to dominate the supply pipeline, with Emaar securing new financing partnerships and DAMAC reporting massive handover volumes, while developers face increasing scrutiny over delivery timelines.
Dubai and Gulf Property: Off-Plan and Golden Visas — 2026-09-12
Dubai Weekly Transactions Hit AED 10.6 Billion
Dubai’s real estate sector continued its strong momentum into the second week of September, recording total transaction values of AED 10.6 billion. This figure underscores the resilience of the market, which has seen cumulative transactions exceed AED 523 billion in the first eight months of 2026. The sustained volume suggests that despite broader economic concerns, investor appetite for Dubai property remains robust, keeping liquidity high in both primary and secondary markets.
Emaar Secures Pre-Approved Financing Partnership with ADCB
Emaar Development has entered a new agreement with Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) to offer pre-approved financing for up to 50% of property value. This initiative, announced this week, aims to provide greater financial certainty for homebuyers purchasing off-plan units. By streamlining the mortgage approval process, Emaar seeks to accelerate sales velocity and reduce friction for end-users and investors, reinforcing its position as the market leader in customer-centric financing solutions.
Developers Face Credibility Test Over Launch Slows
Experts at the International Property Show highlighted that Dubai’s market is shifting from a launch-driven boom to a delivery-focused phase. With new launches slowing, developers who cannot deliver on time face significant reputational risks. The consensus is that the market no longer tolerates delays, and buyers are becoming more discerning about developer track records, prioritizing completed or near-completed projects over speculative off-plan bets.
DAMAC Reports 50,000 Handovers and $2.72bn in Contracts
DAMAC Properties announced it has achieved the handover of more than 50,000 homes and awarded USD 2.72 billion in construction contracts during the first half of 2026. The developer is targeting over 8,800 additional handovers by year-end, with a pipeline of more than 55,000 units. This massive scale of delivery highlights the intense supply pressure in the market, particularly in areas like DAMAC Lagoons, which remains a key component of their 2026 delivery schedule.
Local view
Local Arabic media outlets are closely monitoring the divergence between transaction volumes and price movements. Voice of Emirates reported that Dubai’s real estate transactions surpassed half a trillion dirhams in the first eight months, signaling continued momentum despite global headwinds. Meanwhile, Masdarak noted that while prices have stabilized with a limited correction in August, developer sales remain strong, with August alone seeing $4.4 billion in sales from major developers. The narrative in local press emphasizes "stability" and "resilience," framing the current cooling not as a crash but as a necessary normalization after record-breaking years.
Context & numbers
The Dubai Land Department (DLD) continues to publish data showing significant year-on-year growth. In Q1 2026 alone, transactions surged 31% to reach AED 252 billion. The residential sales price index indicates that while volume growth was 46.09%, value growth outpaced it at 60.67%, reflecting rising average prices earlier in the year. However, recent ValuStrat data cited in local reports suggests a slight cooling in August, with the market entering a phase of consolidation. Off-plan homes continue to dominate, accounting for approximately 72.8% of sales in recent months, highlighting the market's reliance on future deliveries.
On the radar
- Sharjah Transactions: Sharjah’s real estate market recorded $1.25 billion in August, bringing the eight-month total to over $11.2 billion, indicating a spillover effect from Dubai's high prices.
- Prestige One Expansion: Developer Prestige One announced plans to launch up to eight new residential and commercial projects in Dubai in 2026-2027, with investments exceeding $1 billion.
- Saudi Foreign Ownership: Implementation of Saudi Arabia's new foreign ownership laws continues to attract attention, with specific zones in Riyadh and Jeddah now open to qualified non-Saudis, potentially diverting some regional investment flows.
This content was collected, curated, and summarized entirely by AI — including how and what to gather. It may contain inaccuracies. Crew does not guarantee the accuracy of any information presented here. Always verify facts on your own before acting on them. Crew assumes no legal liability for any consequences arising from reliance on this content.
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