Dubai Real Estate Rentals Market Report 15 January 2026
Dubai Real Estate Rentals Market Report
Reporting Date: 15 January 2026
Market Overview
Dubai’s rental market recorded 4,902 registered lease contracts on 15 January 2026, with a total transactional value of AED 2.61 billion (approx. USD 710.35 million). While headline volume appears exceptional, the day’s activity continues the dual-track pattern observed in recent institutional rental reports.
On one side, the market shows high-frequency residential and small commercial leasing driven by renewals and individual tenants. On the other, a small number of institutional registrations, particularly labor accommodation and corporate portfolios, account for a disproportionate share of total value. This divergence remains critical when interpreting daily rental data and should not be mistaken for broad-based rental inflation.
Repeated registrations of identical contract values within the same areas confirm portfolio-level filings, not organic tenant-by-tenant activity. This is especially visible in Jabal Ali Industrial First and selected residential clusters such as Hor Al Anz.
HOLM One Jumeirah Garden City | Furnished Apartments
Source: Building Arabia.
Summary Metrics
- Total Transactions: 4,902
- Total Rental Value: AED 2,608,770,377
- Approximate USD Value: USD 710,352,723
1. Contract Status Breakdown
New contracts dominated total value, despite renewals being higher in count.
| Contract Status | Transactions | Value (AED) | Value (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| New | 2,126 | 2,228,724,313 | 606,868,431 |
| Renewed | 2,776 | 380,046,064 | 103,484,292 |
| Total | 4,902 | 2,608,770,377 | 710,352,723 |
Market Read: Capital deployment remains front-loaded into new registrations, largely reflecting bulk institutional filings rather than an acceleration in individual tenant demand.
2. Ownership Type
| Ownership Type | Transactions | Value (AED) | Value (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Hold | 2,322 | 507,458,436 | 138,177,927 |
| Non Free Hold | 2,580 | 2,101,311,941 | 572,174,797 |
| Total | 4,902 | 2,608,770,377 | 710,352,723 |
Market Read: Non-freehold zones continue to host the bulk of institutional assets, particularly labor accommodation and large commercial portfolios.
3. Property Usage
| Usage | Transactions | Value (AED) | Value (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential | 3,626 | 2,167,936,734 | 590,316,333 |
| Commercial | 1,227 | 363,487,200 | 98,975,412 |
| Educational Facility | 2 | 61,184,310 | 16,660,125 |
| Industrial | 8 | 7,920,425 | 2,156,685 |
| Health Facility | 7 | 1,935,000 | 526,889 |
| Storage | 1 | 250,000 | 68,073 |
| Other | 31 | 6,056,708 | 1,649,206 |
| Total | 4,902 | 2,608,770,377 | 710,352,723 |
4. Property Type and Subtype Breakdown
| Property Type | Subtype | Transactions | Value (AED) | Value (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building | 1 | 650,000 | 177,000 | |
| Land | 25 | 3,647,691 | 993,245 | |
| Villa | Villa | 287 | 79,350,012 | 21,606,538 |
| Complex Villas | 16 | 2,649,804 | 721,526 | |
| Clinic | 1 | 230,000 | 62,628 | |
| Shop | 3 | 421,000 | 114,636 | |
| Showroom | 1 | 3,100,000 | 844,112 | |
| Virtual Unit | Office | 195 | 8,163,563 | 2,222,890 |
| Shop | 1 | 33,844 | 9,216 | |
| Unit | Labor Camps | 496 | 1,764,220,044 | 480,386,670 |
| Flat | 2,797 | 320,985,151 | 87,402,356 | |
| Office | 475 | 141,181,844 | 38,442,980 | |
| Shop | 424 | 181,282,411 | 49,362,127 | |
| Warehouse | 56 | 21,820,242 | 5,941,523 | |
| School | 1 | 60,824,310 | 16,562,100 | |
| Showroom | 17 | 4,304,275 | 1,172,029 | |
| Clinic | 10 | 2,937,000 | 799,728 | |
| Open Space | 5 | 2,750,000 | 748,809 | |
| Restaurant | 7 | 1,638,986 | 446,286 | |
| Ladies Saloon | 5 | 1,562,000 | 425,323 | |
| Warehouse Complex | 11 | 1,312,120 | 357,282 | |
| Studio | 34 | 1,321,570 | 359,856 | |
| Hotel | 17 | 3,095,500 | 842,886 | |
| Store | 3 | 299,000 | 81,416 | |
| Kiosk | 2 | 131,925 | 35,922 | |
| Parking | 2 | 201,205 | 54,787 | |
| Other | 4 | 312,000 | 84,956 | |
| Arabian House | 1 | 44,000 | 11,981 | |
| Endowments attached to mosques | 1 | 65,000 | 17,700 | |
| Kitchen | 1 | 30,000 | 8,169 | |
| Villa (as Unit) | 1 | 30,000 | 8,169 | |
| Pharmacy | 1 | 125,000 | 34,037 | |
| Workshop | 1 | 50,880 | 13,854 | |
| Totals | 4,902 | 2,608,770,377 | 710,290,000 |
Key Signal:
Labor camps alone represent nearly half of total market value, driven by repeated, identical institutional contracts. Flats, offices, and shops remain active in volume but are economically secondary on this reporting date.
5. Top 10 Performing Localities by Rental Value
| Rank | Locality | Transactions | Value (AED) | Value (USD) | Dominant Property Pattern |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jabal Ali Industrial First | 385 | 1,751,473,185 | 476,915,775 | Institutional labor camps |
| 2 | Al Thanyah Fifth | 107 | 157,128,966 | 42,785,287 | Mixed-use portfolio |
| 3 | Al Mizhar First | 2 | 61,004,310 | 16,611,112 | Educational facility |
| 4 | Nadd Hessa | 130 | 46,258,477 | 12,595,910 | Repeated flat leases |
| 5 | Al Karama | 119 | 39,098,573 | 10,646,310 | Retail + residential |
| 6 | Dubai Investment Park Second | 63 | 36,444,222 | 9,923,546 | Office and residential |
| 7 | Jabal Ali First | 169 | 27,998,771 | 7,623,899 | Shops and villas |
| 8 | Business Bay | 209 | 22,627,451 | 6,161,321 | Offices and virtual units |
| 9 | Me’Aisem First | 51 | 20,009,981 | 5,448,599 | Flats and villas |
| 10 | Marsa Dubai | 82 | 17,278,902 | 4,704,943 | Residential retail mix |
Other active localities include Burj Khalifa, Al Khairan First, Al Warsan First, Al Jadaf, Naif, Trade Center Second, Hadaeq Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid, and Al Barsha South Fourth.
Institutional Activity Note
- Jabal Ali Industrial First shows hundreds of repeated labor camp registrations at identical contract values, confirming corporate-level portfolio filings.
- Hor Al Anz and Nadd Hessa show similar repetition patterns for flats, consistent with master-leased residential blocks.
- Virtual office units in Business Bay and Dubai Investment Park First also show repeated pricing structures, indicating packaged offerings rather than individual negotiations.
Closing Observation
January 15 reinforces that daily rental figures in Dubai cannot be read at face value. The market remains liquid and active, but capital concentration is driven by a narrow institutional layer. Without isolating property subtypes and repeated contracts, the signal gets distorted. When subtypes are preserved, the market narrative becomes clear and consistent with prior institutional rental reports.
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.