Dubai homes record Dh221.3b sales in first half of 2026

Dubai: Dubai’s residential property market recorded sales worth Dh221.3 billion across almost 79,200 transactions in the first half of 2026, according to real estate advisory and property consultancy Cavendish Maxwell.

The figures point to another active six-month period for the emirate’s housing market, although residential sales were just under 14% lower compared with the same period last year, while total sales values declined 15.7%.

June sales rebound

Market activity picked up in June after a quieter May, with nearly 12,315 residential transactions worth Dh25.17 billion. That was up almost a third from May, when 9,500 purchases worth Dh22 billion were recorded.

“Following a quieter May, partly because of the Eid holiday, residential sales rebounded in June, with an almost 30% month-on-month rise in transactions," said Ronan Arthur, Director, Head of Residential Valuation at Cavendish Maxwell. "While some of the increase reflects deals deferred from May, the recovery indicates investor confidence remained resilient despite recent regional uncertainty.”

Off-plan keeps leading the market

Off-plan sales continued to dominate residential activity in June, with 9,442 transactions accounting for 76% of the market.

The value of off-plan sales reached Dh17.6 billion during the month, up from Dh15.2 billion in May, showing that buyers remained active in new project launches and future handover homes.

The June rebound also suggests that demand has not stalled despite softer first-half comparisons, with investors continuing to commit capital to Dubai’s residential market after a brief slowdown in May.