AED
June 2026 brought activity back after a very quiet May. Dubai recorded 13,933 property sales worth AED 33.21 billion across all property types, up from 10,279 deals and AED 28.91 billion the month before.
Compared with June 2025, though, the market was still cooler. Across apartments, villas and commercial units, volume fell 16% and value 40%, with villas once again accounting for most of the gap. Prices per square foot barely moved, and new leasing activity jumped sharply.
Apartments, villas and commercial units together recorded 13,699 deals worth AED 28.00 billion. Plots added 230 deals worth AED 5.20 billion at a median ticket of AED 7.2 million.
Villas drove the year-on-year decline. Just 1,522 changed hands, down 50% and the weakest June since 2020, with value down 60% to AED 7.80 billion. The median villa ticket fell 24% to AED 3.1 million, but the median price per square foot eased only 2% to AED 1,485, so the drop reflects a shift towards smaller and more affordable homes rather than falling prices.
Apartments held up better. Volume slipped 10% to 11,700 sales and value fell 33% to AED 17.87 billion. The median price stayed firm at AED 1,702/sqft, just 2% lower than a year earlier and up from AED 1,644 in May, while the typical apartment sold for AED 1.04 million.
Commercial grew in volume for the third time in four months. Deals rose 21% to 477, the strongest June since 2014, and value more than doubled to AED 2.33 billion. At AED 3,001/sqft, commercial set another June price record.
Off-plan leads, resale holds value
Developer sales accounted for 75% of deals in June, 10,272 transactions worth AED 18.73 billion. Resale made up 3,427 deals but a third of total value at AED 9.28 billion, showing that buyers in the secondary market continue to target larger and higher-value homes.
New stock traded at a median of AED 1,715/sqft against AED 1,540/sqft for resale, a premium of about 11%, close to May’s level and well below April’s 23%.
Handovers outpaced launches for the third month running. Thirteen projects delivered 4,093 units while seven launched 2,696, a ratio of 0.7. Imtiaz’s Raw District in Jebel Ali accounted for most of the new supply, with two buildings totalling more than 1,800 units. Major handovers included Select Group’s Peninsula Four in Business Bay, Emaar’s Elvira 2 in MBR City and Damac Lagoons’ Malta cluster.
Prices and rents
The all-property median rose to AED 1,689/sqft in June from AED 1,654 in May. Apartment and villa prices per square foot each eased just 2% year on year, which means June’s lower sales value came from fewer deals and a mix of smaller units, not from falling prices.
The leasing market was the standout story. New contracts rose sharply in every segment: apartment new leases jumped 46% to 14,121, villa new leases rose 35% to 2,261 and commercial new leases climbed 28% to 1,949. Renewals were also up, with 15,258 apartment renewals signed, 22% more than a year earlier.
New-lease rents softened slightly as supply grew. The median new apartment rent held at AED 70,000, down 2.8% year on year, new villa rents slipped 2.7% to AED 180,000 and new commercial rents fell 9.4% to AED 120,000.
Renewal rents kept rising, though more slowly than in spring. Apartment renewals rose 3.9% to AED 61,086, villa renewals rose 7.3% to AED 166,329 and commercial renewals rose 4.4% to AED 120,000. The saving from renewing rather than moving narrowed again, to about AED 9,000 a year for a typical apartment.
Where the activity was
Dubai South topped both rankings in June, leading by value at AED 3.12 billion and by volume with 2,917 deals, more than double its May count and its strongest month of the four we have tracked.
By value, Dubai South was followed by Business Bay (AED 2.22 billion), Al Thanyah Fifth, home to Jumeirah Park (AED 1.43 billion), Jabal Ali First (AED 1.41 billion) and Dubai Islands (AED 1.03 billion). By volume, Dubai South was followed by Jabal Ali First (1,154 deals), Al Barsha South Fourth, home to JVC (764), Wadi Al Safa 5 (526) and Al Thanyah Fifth (499).
Jabal Ali First, which covers Al Furjan and Jebel Ali Village, placed strongly on both lists, as did Al Thanyah Fifth.
At the top end, the biggest villa deals were AED 88.8 million in MBR City and AED 86 million in Emirates Living, followed by AED 70 million on the World Islands. The top apartment sale was AED 53 million at Baccarat Residence T2 in Downtown Dubai, followed by AED 45 million at The Peninsula Dubai Residences in Jumeirah Second.
Other headlines from June
- Flexi Rent goes live. DLD launched Flexi Rent with partners including Wasl Properties, Deyaar, Dubai Investment Real Estate and Driven Properties, letting tenants pay monthly, quarterly or semi-annually instead of in a few large cheques.
- A record half-year pipeline. W Capital reported that 250 projects were launched with DLD in the first six months of 2026, and that announced developments, including a major Emaar master project unveiled in June, exceeded AED 275 billion in value.
- Barwa phase two. DLD and the Community Development Authority began a second round of workshops helping senior citizens and People of Determination manage their property independently.
- AI recognition for DLD. The department won Gold at the Global Artificial Intelligence Award 2025, presented by Dubai Quality Group.
- Rent freeze in Abu Dhabi. Abu Dhabi temporarily cut its permitted annual rent increase from 5% to 0% across all property types, a move worth watching for tenants and landlords across the UAE.
The Vetra View
June closed the first half of 2026 on a steadier note. Deal volume bounced back strongly from May, prices per square foot held within 2% of last year, and the leasing market had its most active month in our tracking. The year-on-year decline is concentrated in villas, while apartments, commercial property and rentals all show healthy underlying demand.
For buyers: Villa buyers have the most leverage right now, with activity at its lowest June level since 2020 and median tickets down. Apartment prices have stabilised, so waiting for further falls may not pay off in the most liquid communities.
For investors: With handovers outpacing launches for three months and new-lease volumes surging, rental demand is absorbing the new supply. Dubai South continues to dominate deal flow, and commercial property remains the strongest performer on price.
For tenants and landlords: New-lease rents are easing slightly while renewals keep rising, so tenants should compare the open market before signing. Flexi Rent now gives tenants more payment options, and landlords who offer flexible terms are likely to fill units faster.
Thinking about buying, selling or leasing in Dubai? Speak to the Vetra Real Estate team for a view on your specific community.
