Dubai’s real estate market has maintained a strong momentum at the start of 2026, with primary property sales and cash buyers playing a significant role in driving market activity.
According to a report by fäm Properties, the primary market led the sector in February with 11,351 sales transactions valued at Dh42.1 billion. In comparison, the secondary market recorded 5,628 resale transactions worth Dh18.6 billion.
Cash buyers were particularly active in the resale segment, accounting for more than 69 percent of secondary market transactions, highlighting continued investor confidence in Dubai’s property sector.
Data from DXBinteract shows that overall property sales in February reached Dh60.8 billion across 16,979 transactions, reflecting an 18.4 percent year-on-year increase in value and a 5.1 percent rise in transaction volume.
The market’s performance has been equally impressive for the first two months of the year. Total property sales between January and February climbed 38.8 percent in value to Dh133.3 billion, while the number of transactions increased 13.3 percent to 34,452 deals compared with the same period in 2025.
Firas Al Msaddi, CEO of fäm Properties, said the figures demonstrate Dubai’s growing reputation as one of the world’s most dynamic real estate markets. He noted that strong government policies, economic stability, and investor confidence continue to support the sector’s long-term growth.
Dubai’s commercial real estate segment also recorded notable growth in February, with office and retail transactions reaching 804 deals worth Dh4.1 billion, representing an 81.5 percent increase in volume year-on-year.
Apartment sales also performed strongly, rising 13.4 percent to 12,916 transactions valued at Dh26.6 billion. Plot sales increased 25.3 percent year-on-year to 446 deals worth Dh11.2 billion, while villa transactions declined 29.3 percent to 2,802 deals totaling Dh18.8 billion.
The average property price across Dubai rose 12.2 percent year-on-year to Dh1,740 per square foot, reflecting sustained demand across various property segments.
Over the past five years, Dubai’s property market has shown steady growth. February sales climbed from Dh7.4 billion in 2021 (3,800 transactions) to Dh15.5 billion in 2022 (6,200 transactions), Dh27.2 billion in 2023 (9,400 transactions), Dh36.9 billion in 2024 (12,000 transactions), and Dh51.3 billion in 2025 (16,200 transactions).
Among the standout transactions in February, the most expensive villa sold for Dh350 million in La Mer, while the most expensive apartment was sold for Dh226 million at The Alba Residences on Palm Jumeirah.
In terms of price segments, properties priced between Dh1–2 million accounted for the largest share of sales at 32.41 percent, followed by 24.1 percent for properties below Dh1 million. Properties priced Dh2–3 million made up 18.14 percent, while 12.68 percent exceeded Dh5 million, and 12.67 percent ranged between Dh3–5 million.
