Dubai Real Estate Rentals Market Report 14 January 2026
Dubai Real Estate Rentals Report
Date: 14 January 2026
Total Rental Transactions: 5,594
Total Contract Value: AED 4,443,929,347 (USD 1,210,055,300)
Market Review
Dubai’s rental market recorded exceptionally high activity on 14 January 2026, with total registered contracts exceeding AED 4.44 billion in a single day. This figure reflects not only broad-based residential and commercial leasing, but also a significant volume of institutional and bulk rental registrations.
The data reveals a dual market structure. On one side, a large number of high-value, repetitive contracts were registered in industrial and workforce accommodation zones, driven by corporate and institutional tenants. On the other, the traditional rental market continued to show steady activity across residential apartments, villas, offices, and retail units throughout the city.
Renewed contracts accounted for the majority of transactions, indicating tenant retention and portfolio-level renewals, while new leases remained substantial, particularly within residential and commercial unit segments.
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Source: Building Arabia.
1. Rental Transactions by Contract Type
| Contract Type | Transactions | Value (AED) | Value (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renewed | 3,401 | 2,642,023,651 | 719,407,168 |
| New | 2,193 | 1,801,905,696 | 490,648,110 |
| Total | 5,594 | 4,443,929,347 | 1,210,055,278 |
Renewals represented approximately 61% of all contracts and 59% of total value, underscoring the dominance of portfolio renewals and long-term tenancy arrangements.
2. Rental Transactions by Ownership Type
| Ownership Type | Transactions | Value (AED) | Value (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 3,126 | 3,891,286,845 | 1,059,574,061 |
| Non-Freehold | 2,468 | 552,642,502 | 150,481,217 |
| Total | 5,594 | 4,443,929,347 | 1,210,055,278 |
Freehold properties accounted for 88% of total rental value, reflecting the concentration of large-scale leasing activity within freehold industrial and residential zones.
3. Rental Transactions by Usage
| Usage | Transactions | Value (AED) | Value (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential | 4,173 | 3,676,968,946 | 1,001,216,502 |
| Commercial | 1,383 | 747,885,749 | 203,644,802 |
| Educational Facility | 1 | 13,453,649 | 3,663,348 |
| Industrial | 9 | 1,955,941 | 532,591 |
| Other | 28 | 3,665,063 | 998,035 |
| Total | 5,594 | 4,443,929,347 | 1,210,055,278 |
Residential usage dominated both volume and value, largely driven by bulk registrations for workforce accommodation and residential flats.
Rental Transactions by Property Type
| Property Category | Property Subtype | Transactions | Value (AED) | Value (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Units | Flat | 3,183 | 1,722,587,684 | 469,103,603 |
| Labor Camp | 714 | 1,920,040,509 | 522,811,430 | |
| Office | 530 | 190,923,804 | 51,981,768 | |
| Shop | 456 | 126,319,509 | 34,393,006 | |
| Hotel Apartment | 56 | 34,217,980 | 9,318,468 | |
| Hotel Room | 40 | 18,092,107 | 4,924,902 | |
| Other Units | 75 | 10,899,091 | 2,967,561 | |
| Units Total | 5,054 | 4,022,081,683 | 1,095,188,710 | |
| Villas | Villa | 277 | 67,743,370 | 18,446,113 |
| Villas Total | 277 | 67,743,370 | 18,446,113 | |
| Virtual Units | Virtual Office | 233 | 336,064,232 | 91,508,275 |
| Virtual Units Total | 233 | 336,064,232 | 91,508,275 | |
| Buildings | Building | 3 | 14,400,000 | 3,921,034 |
| Buildings Total | 3 | 14,400,000 | 3,921,034 | |
| Land | Industrial Land | 9 | 1,955,941 | 532,591 |
| General Use Land | 18 | 1,684,122 | 458,576 | |
| Land Total | 27 | 3,640,063 | 991,167 | |
| Grand Total | 5,594 | 4,443,929,347 | 1,210,055,300 |
Key Unit Sub-Types
- Labor Camps: 714 contracts worth AED 1.92 billion
- Flats: 3,183 contracts worth AED 1.72 billion
- Offices: 530 contracts worth AED 190.9 million
- Shops: 456 contracts worth AED 126.3 million
Virtual office units alone accounted for AED 336 million, indicating continued demand for flexible commercial setups.
5. Dual Market Insight: Institutional vs Retail Rentals
A closer examination of the data highlights repeated, identical contracts within the same localities and property sub-types:
- Dubai Investment Park Second recorded over 400 identical labor camp contracts at the same rental value.
- Al Hebiah Fifth registered hundreds of identical flat contracts under the same terms.
- Similar repeat patterns were observed in Dubai Investment Park First, Jabal Ali Industrial First, and selected industrial zones.
These registrations reflect institutional portfolio leasing, typically executed by corporations or government-related entities. When these contracts are isolated, the remaining dataset shows a stable and diverse retail rental market across residential and commercial assets.
6. Top 10 Localities by Rental Value
| Rank | Locality | Transactions | Value (AED) | Value (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dubai Investment Park Second | 503 | 1,890,461,104 | 514,761,216 |
| 2 | Al Hebiah Fifth | 446 | 1,400,797,382 | 381,428,722 |
| 3 | Al Rowaiyah First | 9 | 322,073,195 | 87,698,600 |
| 4 | Al Barsha First | 64 | 57,510,272 | 15,659,699 |
| 5 | Mankhool | 86 | 48,780,818 | 13,282,724 |
| 6 | Business Bay | 225 | 47,628,998 | 12,969,090 |
| 7 | Al Wasl | 30 | 42,123,275 | 11,469,915 |
| 8 | Al Goze Industrial Second | 75 | 40,693,845 | 11,080,689 |
| 9 | Jabal Ali Industrial First | 141 | 39,535,400 | 10,765,252 |
| 10 | Saih Shuaib 4 | 45 | 39,313,048 | 10,704,707 |
Other Active Localities
Rental activity was recorded across more than 100 additional areas, including Burj Khalifa, Port Saeed, Marsa Dubai, Al Thanyah Fifth, Naif, Al Warsan First, Al Satwa, Jabal Ali First, Al Karama, and Al Murqabat, confirming broad geographic participation beyond institutional hotspots.
Summary
The rental market on 14 January 2026 was defined by scale rather than dispersion. A small number of localities generated the majority of value due to institutional and bulk leasing, while the wider market continued to register consistent retail rental activity across residential and commercial units. The prevalence of renewals points to portfolio stability, while sustained new leasing reflects ongoing demand across Dubai’s rental ecosystem.
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.