Dubai property investment now: prices, sales and yields

How have prices changed over a year?

The median registered price per square foot changed -0.24% over a year. It moved from AED 1,699 in September 2025 to AED 1,695 in September 2026. Use that annual comparison when checking an asking price. Then compare the exact home with recent sales of the same size in its building.

Prices alone cannot tell you whether a home fits your budget. Compare net rent with buying costs and any loan payments. The dates below show which months the price and sale figures cover.

The last twelve complete months of filtered registered sales

Compare monthly registered sales and median prices per sq ft in Dubai.

The last twelve complete months of filtered registered sales
Month	Registered sales	Median price per sq ft
2025-10	17,102	AED 1,688
2025-11	16,443	AED 1,757
2025-12	17,009	AED 1,804
2026-01	13,867	AED 1,789
2026-02	14,359	AED 1,759
2026-03	10,931	AED 1,768
2026-04	11,697	AED 1,852
2026-05	8,830	AED 1,660
2026-06	11,968	AED 1,714
2026-07	12,119	AED 1,718
2026-08	10,182	AED 1,709
2026-09	9,402	AED 1,695

Latest complete monthly observations in the generated market data.

Data last updated 26 Oct 2026.

DLD monthly sales: 1 Oct 2025 to 30 Sept 2026. Complete calendar months in the displayed table.

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Source: registered sales dataset, with DLD’s open-data page.

A market median can change when different homes sell. Check the relevant building and unit size before using it to negotiate. Ask which sales support the planned price, and compare their condition, layout and terms with the home you can buy.

If your aim is rental income, start with the available flat’s price and lease evidence. If you need a family home, inspect the layout and test the commute. Choose the property against the job you need it to do.

Are monthly sales rising or falling?

Registered sales changed -7.66% from 10,182 in August 2026 to 9,402 in September 2026. The same series shows a -46.94% change against 17,720 in September 2025.

Use sale counts to assess where there is sale evidence. Open the area and look for the building and home size you are considering. More registered sales give you more sales to inspect. They do not tell you how fast your own unit will sell.

If you may need to sell sooner than planned, ask for comparable sales and check the costs of that exit. Keep enough cash to hold the home while it is marketed. Do not rely on a promised resale premium to fund your next payment.

What gross yields are available in the community table?

The listed one-bedroom communities have gross yields from 7.85% to 8.89%. These are the figures in the guarded table below. Start with a community that fits your budget, then check the actual units available.

One-bedroom community income shortlist

Compare annual community rents, contract counts and publisher gross yields in Dubai.

One-bedroom community income shortlist: 1 bedroom. Ranked only with 100+ rent contracts and 30+ sales of that size, no single building making over half the sales, and yields up to 9%; higher figures are held for review.
Community	Registry area	Annual rent median	Rent contracts	Gross yield (before costs)
International City Phase 1	International City	AED 40,000	9,762	8.89%
Dubai Investment Park Second	Dubai Investment Park Second	AED 50,000	963	8.60%
International Media Production Zone	International Media Production Zone	AED 56,000	2,589	8.55%
Liwan 1	Liwan 1	AED 50,000	1,841	8.06%
Remraam	Al Hebiah Fifth	AED 55,000	1,038	8.06%
Dubai Sports City	Dubai Sports City	AED 56,000	3,329	8.00%
Living Legends	Majan	AED 70,000	130	7.98%
Dubai Land Residence Complex	Dubai Land Residence Complex	AED 51,000	3,497	7.85%

Publisher-computed yields from matched property-class and home-size segments, ranked highest first. Community links open the matching community page or its registry area.

Data last updated 26 Oct 2026.

DLD area eligibility and concentration checks: 6 Oct 2025 to 5 Oct 2026. Local checks only; this is not the publisher matched-yield sales period.
Rent and yield source data through: 22 Oct 2026. Publisher aggregates based on DLD/Ejari records; individual lease periods are not supplied. Publisher matched-sale windows are not supplied.

Source update: 26 Oct 2026. Source: Dubai Land Department open data via Dubai Pulse, re-published by Dubai Real Estate Data (dataset), licensed CC BY 4.0. Sales to 5 Oct 2026. aggregated to medians; non-residential, land and flagged rows excluded. Source for rents, yields and project records: Dubai Data (datadubai.ae), Continental Club Property, based on Dubai Land Department open data, data to 22 Oct 2026, licensed CC BY 4.0. Publisher contract sample, register data to 22 Oct 2026; the lease period is not stated. Publisher-reported gross yields use the publisher matched-segment sale-price denominator, not this page’s sale median; the matched-sale reporting period is not stated.

Gross yield is annual rent divided by price, before ownership and finance costs. The community rent dataset supplies the matched home-size figures. The caption states the sample and concentration checks used to admit a row.

For the flat you might buy, ask for the current lease or comparable signed leases. Check furnishing, condition, vacancy and who pays the recurring costs. Use the actual asking price when calculating that flat’s return.

If you plan short-term letting, get the relevant permission and a separate operating budget. These community figures describe long-term rental segments. Do not treat them as a holiday-home revenue quote.

How much cash do buying costs add?

On the AED 1,000,000 cash example, the shared calculator defaults add AED 65,780, or 6.58%, above the price. That example includes an agent and assumes you pay the full transfer charge. It excludes mortgage costs and property-exact quotes.

Read the buying-costs guide for the itemised reference. Ask the registration trustee to match the official items and your contract’s payer allocation. Get the agent’s agreed commission in writing.

The DLD sale service and registration fee resolution give the official references. Replace the calculator’s allowances with your statements and quotes when you have them. Avoid adding both an allowance and the same itemised expense.

Keep money available after completion. Ask what furnishing, repairs, insurance and move-in services your flat needs. Get quotes before setting your reserve.

What remains after service charges and vacancy?

Start with the rent you expect to collect. Subtract your approved service charge, maintenance, management, insurance and other owner-paid expenses. Use the building’s actual chargeable area and invoice.

Check the project and budget year in Mollak’s Service Charge Index. Ask the management company to explain which costs are included and which you pay separately. A neighbouring tower’s rate will not establish your flat’s bill.

Choose a vacancy allowance for your own budget and label it as an assumption. Recalculate with a letting gap and a repair bill. Check whether your reserve covers those expenses before you commit.

For net yield, state whether you divide operating income by the price or by total acquisition cost. Use the same basis for each home you compare. Then deduct debt repayments separately to see the cash left over if you use a mortgage.

Will rent cover your mortgage?

Compare income after ownership costs with the lender’s repayment schedule. Use the written loan amount, rate or profit basis, term and charges. Ask what changes if the rate or your rental income changes.

The Central Bank’s standards cover finance disclosures. Take the lender’s final offer to your adviser and use the true cost calculator to organise the inputs.

If you need to add money from your salary each month, write down the amount. Decide whether that commitment fits your income and planned holding period. Do not call a property self-funding because its gross yield looks high.

Which areas should you compare next?

Open the area table and select the markets that fit your planned use and budget. Compare home-size and building records within them before choosing a unit.

Registered prices and transaction activity by area

Compare area sale medians, annual price changes and transaction counts in Dubai.

Registered prices and transaction activity by area
Registry area	Median price per sq ft	Year-on-year change	Sales in twelve months
Dubai South	AED 1,655	+4.1%	15,385
Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC)	AED 1,493	+4.5%	11,715
Dubai Land Residence Complex (DLRC)	AED 1,467	+7.9%	8,187
Majan	AED 1,504	+4.1%	7,522
Jabal Ali First	AED 1,561	+16.5%	7,011
Business Bay	AED 2,492	+1.5%	7,009
Dubai Islands	AED 2,757	+18.8%	4,790
Jumeirah Village Triangle (JVT)	AED 1,661	+14.1%	4,310
City Of Arabia	AED 1,728	-7.1%	3,993
Motor City	AED 1,771	-6.8%	3,976

Busiest registry areas by twelve-month sales, with at least twenty sales in each area.

Data last updated 26 Oct 2026.

DLD sales: 6 Oct 2025 to 5 Oct 2026. Twelve-month registered-sales window.
DLD annual-change comparison: 6 Oct 2024 to 5 Oct 2025. Previous twelve-month window used for the year-on-year column, where available.

Start with JVC, Business Bay and Dubai Sports City. Check the registered price, sales sample, available lease evidence and ownership costs for the homes you can inspect.

Keep asking prices separate from registered sales. Ask why a candidate differs from comparable sales. A newer layout, different condition or payment plan may affect the comparison; record those differences before deciding what to offer.

Before a deposit, check the deed through DLD and ask the trustee about the seller’s authority and transfer terms. Use the pre-payment checklist for the steps.

What should you take to an adviser?

Bring the available unit’s details, asking price, comparable registered sales, lease evidence, approved service charge and finance offer. Ask the adviser to find any missing expense or document before recommending the purchase.

Keep the price, buying costs, collected rent, running costs and repayment schedule in one worksheet. For tax questions, find the actual property and service invoices. The FTA distinguishes residential and commercial supplies; get advice for the sale and your situation.

Ask what would change the recommendation. For example, would a lower signed rent, a larger service bill or a higher repayment make the home unaffordable? Put those scenarios into your budget with clearly labelled inputs.

Before you rely on this

These figures describe registered sales and guarded community yields, not a forecast. The yield range refers to the listed one-bedroom communities. The cash-cost example uses labelled calculator defaults. Your result depends on the available unit’s net yield after service charges, vacancy and your own finance.

Do the maths: open the true cost calculator →

Questions people ask

These answers connect the guide’s main questions with the rules and property data discussed above.

JVC or Arjan: which has better liquidity, prices and rental yield?

The better purchase depends on the available unit’s price, rent and costs. Open each area’s registered sales and home-size records, then compare the homes you can inspect on the same cash-flow worksheet.

Where should I buy a ready one-bedroom home for my family on a limited budget?

Start with homes you can afford after buying and running costs. Inspect the layout and condition and test the commute. Use community yields only if rental income is part of your plan.

How do I check whether I overpaid against actual DLD sales?

Compare registered transactions for the same building and home size. Check the price against your flat’s condition and terms, then ask which comparable sales support a valuation.

Is Meydan good for long-term capital appreciation?

The historical figures do not predict appreciation. Check the unit’s income and buying cash. Add exit costs. Test whether you can hold it without needing a capital gain.

Will new apartment supply hurt JVC or Dubai South rents and prices?

These tables do not forecast supply or its effect on prices. Check current same-size signed rents and test your budget with weaker income before committing.

How many Dubai home sales were registered in 2026-09?

9,402 home sales were registered in 2026-09, the latest complete month shown in this table.

See the supporting table

What was Dubai's registered median price per sq ft in 2026-09?

AED 1,695 per sq ft was the registered median in 2026-09. It summarises recorded home sales for that month.

See the supporting table

How did registered sales change before 2026-09?

Sales changed -7.66%, from 10,182 in 2026-08 to 9,402 in 2026-09. Both observations appear in the table.

See the supporting table

Work it out with real numbers

Use these linked comparisons and tools to check the figures behind your next decision.

Sources

Rule review date: 14 October 2026.

This guide explains the rules in plain language. It is not legal advice; for a dispute, check with the Dubai Land Department or a lawyer.