Dubai Real Estate Rentals Market Report 11 - 17 January 2026
Dubai Real Estate Rentals Market Report
11 – 17 January 2026
Market Review
Dubai’s rental market recorded an exceptional week in both volume and value, with 27,596 rental contracts registered at a total value of AED 22.65 billion (USD 6.17 billion). While the headline figures are among the highest weekly totals on record, the data clearly reflects a dual-market structure that has been consistently observed since the start of the year.
The first layer is an institutional-driven segment, dominated by large-scale workforce accommodation—primarily labor camps—registered through bulk renewals and new corporate contracts. This segment alone accounts for the majority of weekly value and is heavily concentrated in industrial and logistics-focused localities.
Running in parallel is the general rental market, comprising residential apartments, villas, offices, retail units, and hospitality assets. Despite being overshadowed in value terms by institutional contracts, this segment remains active, liquid, and geographically diverse, forming the structural core of Dubai’s rental ecosystem.
Renewed contracts exceeded new leases during the week, and Non-Free Hold properties accounted for a disproportionate share of value—both outcomes directly linked to institutional portfolios rather than retail tenant behavior.
LEOS ROYAL Dubai | AI-Powered Villas & Townhouses Community
Source: Building Arabia.
1. Rental Transactions by Contract Type
| Contract Type | Transactions | Value (AED) | Value (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renewed | 16,391 | 12,731,999,308 | 3,466,848,008 |
| New | 11,205 | 9,916,677,611 | 2,700,252,583 |
| Grand Total | 27,596 | 22,648,676,919 | 6,167,100,591 |
2. Rental Transactions by Ownership Type
| Ownership Type | Transactions | Value (AED) | Value (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Non Free Hold | 13,460 | 13,273,578,265 | 3,614,316,750 |
| Free Hold | 14,136 | 9,375,098,654 | 2,552,783,841 |
| Grand Total | 27,596 | 22,648,676,919 | 6,167,100,591 |
3. Rental Transactions by Property Usage
| Property Usage | Transactions | Value (AED) | Value (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential | 20,349 | 17,326,322,887 | 4,717,855,109 |
| Commercial | 7,048 | 5,193,095,925 | 1,414,047,889 |
| Educational Facility | 4 | 74,857,959 | 20,383,379 |
| Industrial | 36 | 16,444,159 | 4,477,647 |
| Other* | 159 | 37,955,989 | 10,336,567 |
| Grand Total | 27,596 | 22,648,676,919 | 6,167,100,591 |
*Includes Health Facilities, Storage, and mixed-use classifications.
4. Rental Transactions by Property Type
Key Insight (read before the table)
Labor Camps alone account for AED 13.72 billion, or ~61% of total weekly rental value.
This is the defining feature of the week and the basis of the institutional narrative.
| Category | Property Type | Transactions | Value (AED) | Value (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A) Building | Building | 3 | 11,900,000 | 3,240,000 |
| Commercial Complex | 1 | 3,150,000 | 857,000 | |
| Hospital | 1 | 5,000,000 | 1,361,000 | |
| Hotel | 1 | 6,600,000 | 1,797,000 | |
| B) Land | Other | 129 | 20,969,697 | 5,709,000 |
| C) Unit | Flat | 15,524 | 3,149,042,957 | 857,013,000 |
| Hotel | 485 | 3,069,109,721 | 835,160,000 | |
| Labor Camps | 3,189 | 13,724,233,989 | 3,736,692,000 | |
| Office | 2,431 | 639,727,212 | 174,132,000 | |
| Shop | 2,385 | 798,805,823 | 217,442,000 | |
| Warehouse | 272 | 82,659,339 | 22,507,000 | |
| Showroom | 97 | 48,606,618 | 13,234,000 | |
| Other Units* | 365 | 153,083,766 | 41,677,000 | |
| D) Villa | Villa | 1,427 | 505,228,928 | 137,547,000 |
| Other Villa Uses | 103 | 22,714,004 | 6,187,000 | |
| E) Virtual Unit | Office | 1,169 | 368,352,471 | 100,292,000 |
| Shop | 14 | 38,492,394 | 10,480,000 | |
| Grand Total | 27,596 | 22,648,676,919 | 6,167,100,591 |
*Includes clinics, gyms, kiosks, staff accommodation, workshops, etc.
5. Top 10 Localities by Rental Value
| Rank | Locality | Transactions | Value (AED) | Value (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al Goze Third | 989 | 9,143,170,879 | 2,489,631,281 |
| 2 | Al Jadaf | 303 | 3,028,223,963 | 824,567,451 |
| 3 | Jabal Ali Industrial First | 1,074 | 2,214,444,903 | 602,979,823 |
| 4 | Dubai Investment Park Second | 938 | 2,145,735,961 | 584,271,194 |
| 5 | Al Hebiah Fifth | 587 | 1,410,381,334 | 384,038,484 |
| 6 | Al Warsan Second | 131 | 432,300,000 | 117,713,138 |
| 7 | Al Rowaiyah First | 14 | 322,463,593 | 87,804,927 |
| 8 | Al Thanyah Fifth | 428 | 249,250,642 | 67,869,474 |
| 9 | Burj Khalifa | 495 | 231,047,877 | 62,912,969 |
| 10 | Al Barsha First | 389 | 165,002,648 | 44,929,244 |
Other Active Localities:
Beyond the top 10, rental activity remained broad-based across Business Bay, Al Karama, Mankhool, Marsa Dubai, Palm Jumeirah, Mirdif, Al Wasl, and Al Safouh, reinforcing the depth of the non-institutional rental market.
6. Institutional vs General Market — Clear Separation
Institutional Segment (Labor Camps only):
3,189 contracts | AED 13.72 billion | ~61% of total valueGeneral Rental Market (All other property types):
24,407 contracts | AED ~8.93 billion
This split is structural, not anomalous, and aligns with the daily patterns observed throughout 12–16 January.
Disclaimer:
This report is based on publicly available data and Dubai Land Department (DLD) transaction summaries as of the date mentioned in the title of this post.
Final and detailed figures from the DLD may vary upon official release.
1 US Dollar = 3.6725 UAE Dirhams
This report is merely informative, and all investments come with risk. You are responsible for your decisions.