Dubai Real Estate Rental Transactions: 1st Quarter 2026
Dubai Real Estate Rental Transactions Report
Q1 2026
A total of 278,787 rental transactions were registered between 1 January and 31 March 2026, with a combined value of AED 272,624,344,777 (USD 74,233,984,858).
New contracts accounted for a lower share of transactions but carried the majority of value. Residential usage formed the largest segment by volume, while non-freehold properties represented the higher share of total value.
Sobha Central Luxury Apartments on Sheikh Zayed Road, Dubai, UAE
Source: Building Arabia.
Transactions by Contract Type
| Category | Number of Transactions | Value (AED) | Value (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| New | 114765 | 186,151,119,729 | 50,687,839,273 |
| Renewed | 164022 | 86,473,225,048 | 23,546,145,585 |
| Grand Total | 278787 | 272,624,344,777 | 74,233,984,858 |
Transactions by Property Ownership
| Category | Number of Transactions | Value (AED) | Value (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Hold | 141352 | 119,341,448,303 | 32,496,171,213 |
| Non Free Hold | 137435 | 153,282,896,474 | 41,737,813,645 |
| Grand Total | 278787 | 272,624,344,777 | 74,233,984,858 |
Transactions by Property Usage
| Category | Number of Transactions | Value (AED) | Value (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agriculture | 1 | 23,134 | 6,298 |
| Commercial | 68762 | 104,940,459,979 | 28,574,386,652 |
| Educational facility | 30 | 249,378,464 | 67,904,279 |
| Health Facility | 33 | 60,781,193 | 16,548,283 |
| Industrial | 570 | 526,307,039 | 143,299,398 |
| Industrial / Commercial | 6 | 2,010,515 | 547,431 |
| Residential | 208218 | 166,535,928,730 | 45,343,575,144 |
| Storage | 59 | 9,617,098 | 2,618,338 |
| Tourist origin | 5 | 13,047,985 | 3,552,476 |
| Other | 1103 | 286,790,641 | 78,091,332 |
| Grand Total | 278787 | 272,624,344,777 | 74,233,984,858 |
Transactions by Property Type
| Category | Number of Transactions | Value (AED) | Value (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A) Building | 71 | 359,373,045 | 97,855,142 |
| Building | 25 | 121,420,714 | 33,062,141 |
| Clinic | 2 | 100,000 | 27,229 |
| Commercial Complex | 1 | 3,150,000 | 857,724 |
| Factory | 9 | 2,008,406 | 546,857 |
| Hospital | 1 | 5,000,000 | 1,361,459 |
| Hotel | 6 | 128,704,667 | 35,046,190 |
| hotel building | 1 | 5,000,000 | 1,361,459 |
| Labor Camps | 8 | 16,978,876 | 4,623,371 |
| Nursery | 1 | 1,500,000 | 408,437 |
| Open Land | 1 | 175,000 | 47,651 |
| Parking | 2 | 523,333 | 142,494 |
| School | 8 | 71,584,299 | 19,492,054 |
| Shop | 2 | 676,750 | 184,277 |
| Warehouse | 4 | 2,551,000 | 694,529 |
| B) Land | 913 | 208,090,693 | 56,664,133 |
| Other | 913 | 208,090,693 | 56,664,133 |
| C) Unit | 250201 | 262,355,485,203 | 71,438,825,116 |
| Arabian House | 5 | 429,400 | 116,923 |
| Building | 27 | 1,587,853 | 432,356 |
| Car Wash | 3 | 1,500,000 | 408,437 |
| church | 2 | 504,000 | 137,233 |
| Cinema | 1 | 567,000 | 154,391 |
| Clinic | 103 | 279,293,608 | 76,049,451 |
| College | 2 | 4,837,500 | 1,317,233 |
| Commercial Complex | 3 | 5,263,016 | 1,433,084 |
| Complex Villas | 1 | 78,000 | 21,239 |
| Complex Warehouse | 69 | 16,942,850 | 4,613,563 |
| Desk | 1 | 40,000 | 10,892 |
| Endowments attached to mosques | 6 | 385,000 | 104,833 |
| Factory | 13 | 12,648,758 | 3,444,220 |
| Flat | 163671 | 75,532,434,161 | 20,567,011,753 |
| Garage | 13 | 22,100,000 | 6,017,698 |
| GYM | 20 | 4,848,902 | 1,320,338 |
| Health club | 23 | 5,017,130 | 1,366,123 |
| Horse stable | 2 | 740,952 | 201,756 |
| Hospital | 15 | 122,487,501 | 33,352,623 |
| Hotel | 4570 | 67,326,787,567 | 18,333,547,705 |
| Hotel apartments | 222 | 3,374,888,000 | 918,973,449 |
| hotel building | 3 | 4,750,000 | 1,293,383 |
| Kiosk | 125 | 10,281,881 | 2,799,532 |
| kitchen | 4 | 843,136 | 229,578 |
| Lab | 2 | 123,500 | 33,628 |
| Labor Camps | 27477 | 85,775,339,943 | 23,356,131,085 |
| Ladies Saloon | 36 | 5,737,409 | 1,562,263 |
| Medical center | 5 | 10,406,353 | 2,833,634 |
| Mezzanine | 68 | 18,525,841 | 5,044,450 |
| Nursery | 7 | 11,283,980 | 3,072,540 |
| Office | 24387 | 12,317,779,004 | 3,354,050,920 |
| Open Land | 3 | 1,960,000 | 533,696 |
| Open space | 89 | 17,251,438 | 4,697,601 |
| OPEN STORAGE SHED | 1 | 355,940 | 96,920 |
| Parking | 125 | 68,809,254 | 18,736,513 |
| Penthouse | 3 | 2,217,000 | 603,674 |
| Pharmacy | 5 | 902,124 | 245,639 |
| Portacabin | 2 | 144,650 | 39,387 |
| Restaurant | 180 | 109,628,032 | 29,850,771 |
| Restaurants Complex | 15 | 18,546,136 | 5,049,977 |
| School | 9 | 164,585,185 | 44,815,593 |
| Service Center | 3 | 546,000 | 148,672 |
| Shop | 22173 | 13,562,717,667 | 3,692,347,724 |
| Showroom | 844 | 905,064,933 | 246,439,307 |
| Sign Board | 2 | 3,090,000 | 841,416 |
| Spa | 4 | 1,211,030 | 329,756 |
| Staff Accommodation | 319 | 702,439,250 | 191,274,833 |
| Storage | 19 | 1,726,878 | 470,221 |
| Store | 121 | 19,396,129 | 5,281,410 |
| Studio | 2084 | 347,280,387 | 94,561,466 |
| Supermarket | 7 | 4,345,656 | 1,183,293 |
| Supermarket, a multi-section | 12 | 23,354,697 | 6,360,026 |
| Villa | 24 | 8,641,475 | 2,352,945 |
| Warehouse | 2897 | 1,403,183,355 | 382,028,155 |
| Warehouse complex | 160 | 45,092,846 | 12,278,310 |
| Workshop | 137 | 35,481,398 | 9,661,186 |
| Other | 77 | 39,061,498 | 10,636,564 |
| D) Villa | 15452 | 4,801,681,797 | 1,307,473,436 |
| Arabian House | 10 | 1,162,000 | 316,406 |
| Clinic | 50 | 31,496,907 | 8,576,398 |
| College | 1 | 220,000 | 59,905 |
| Complex Villas | 1089 | 199,567,528 | 54,340,683 |
| Flat | 3 | 1,005,500 | 273,786 |
| Health club | 3 | 747,520 | 203,545 |
| Horse stable | 1 | 750,000 | 204,221 |
| Land Parking | 2 | 235,000 | 63,991 |
| Medical center | 11 | 15,179,050 | 4,133,184 |
| Office | 2 | 638,750 | 173,942 |
| Restaurant | 10 | 9,634,000 | 2,623,334 |
| Shop | 60 | 10,428,500 | 2,839,642 |
| Showroom | 13 | 21,226,461 | 5,779,886 |
| Studio | 2 | 60,700 | 16,529 |
| Villa | 14184 | 4,507,916,016 | 1,227,472,306 |
| Villa addendum | 3 | 197,315 | 53,728 |
| Other | 8 | 1,216,550 | 331,260 |
| E) Virtual Unit | 12150 | 4,899,714,039 | 1,334,163,553 |
| Desk | 5 | 60,000 | 16,338 |
| kitchen | 12 | 3,049,547 | 830,379 |
| Office | 11969 | 4,602,455,667 | 1,253,248,311 |
| Shop | 155 | 293,653,825 | 79,960,214 |
| Warehouse | 9 | 495,000 | 134,785 |
| Grand Total | 278787 | 272,624,344,777 | 74,233,984,858 |
Top 10 Localities by Value
| Locality | Number of Transactions | Value (AED) | Value (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jabal Ali Industrial First | 11518 | 56,450,612,767 | 15,369,088,883 |
| Palm Jumeirah | 1517 | 32,638,662,137 | 8,886,134,802 |
| Al Mamzer | 1675 | 22,920,691,912 | 6,240,313,101 |
| Marsa Dubai | 4871 | 12,978,413,542 | 3,533,464,524 |
| Al Goze Third | 4937 | 11,943,415,857 | 3,251,209,245 |
| Al Murqabat | 4541 | 9,858,170,967 | 2,684,008,160 |
| Al Jadaf | 2667 | 8,201,777,643 | 2,233,264,098 |
| Trade Center First | 2679 | 7,702,813,456 | 2,097,444,781 |
| Mankhool | 3675 | 7,552,782,017 | 2,056,584,242 |
| Dubai Investment Park Second | 4944 | 7,090,767,634 | 1,930,735,466 |
Outside the top ten, 145 other active localities recorded a combined value of AED 95,286,236,846 (USD 25,946,145,519). Notable next entries include Madinat Dubai Almelaheyah, Al Safouh Second, and Naif.
Conclusion
Rental activity in Q1 2026 was concentrated in residential usage and unit-based properties, with renewals forming the majority of transactions. New contracts, however, carried higher aggregate value.
Transaction value distribution shows a concentration in a limited number of localities, led by Jabal Ali Industrial First and Palm Jumeirah, with a broad spread of activity across the remaining areas.
Disclaimer
This report is based on publicly available market transaction summaries and compiled data related to Dubai real estate activity for the stated period.
Figures are presented for informational purposes only and may vary from final official statistics published by the Dubai Land Department (DLD).
1 US Dollar = 3.6725 UAE Dirhams
This material does not constitute financial or investment advice. Real estate investments involve risk and readers should conduct independent research before making any investment decisions.