Dubai Real Estate Rentals Market Report 7 January 2026
Market Review: January 7, 2026
While the sales market often dominates the headlines, the rental sector’s performance on January 7th provided a clear view of Dubai’s operational backbone. With 5,272 transactions totaling approximately AED 2.6 billion, the day’s activity was defined by massive industrial leasing and workforce logistics, rather than just individual residential moves.
Nasim Al Bahr Residences: Your Gateway to Branded Luxury on Al Marjan Island
Source: Building Arabia.
A standout feature of the data is the sheer volume of Renewals, which accounted for 59% of all contracts. This high retention rate suggests a stabilized tenant base, particularly in the industrial and mid-market sectors. However, despite the higher number of renewals, New Contracts contributed significantly more to the total value (roughly 61%), signaling that fresh demand—or significant corporate relocations—is entering the market at higher price points.
Geographically, the day was won by industrial and logistics hubs. Dubai Investment Park (DIP) Second and Al Goze Fourth alone accounted for over AED 1.4 billion in rental value. This was driven primarily by bulk leases in the Labor Camp and Staff Accommodation segments, which together totaled over AED 1.8 billion. These figures reflect Dubai’s ongoing infrastructure and construction expansion as we move into 2026, where housing a growing workforce is as much a real estate driver as luxury residential demand.
Dubai Real Estate Rentals Report: January 7, 2026
Summary by Contract Type
The value of new contracts significantly outweighed renewals, despite renewals being more frequent in volume.
| Contract Type | Number of Contracts | Value (AED) | Value (USD)* |
|---|---|---|---|
| New | 2,166 | 1,590,948,656 | 433,205,897 |
| Renewed | 3,106 | 1,007,113,848 | 274,231,136 |
| Grand Total | 5,272 | 2,598,062,504 | 707,437,033 |
Summary by Usage
Residential demand remains the core driver of the market, but Commercial and Industrial-related usage saw high-value bulk activity.
| Usage | Number of Contracts | Value (AED) | Value (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential | 3,854 | 2,188,816,689 | 596,001,821 |
| Commercial | 1,377 | 397,324,353 | 108,189,068 |
| Tourist Origin | 2 | 3,747,985 | 1,020,554 |
| Industrial | 9 | 1,475,522 | 401,776 |
| Storage | 1 | 1,470,000 | 400,272 |
| Health Facility | 1 | 85,000 | 23,145 |
| Other | 28 | 5,142,955 | 1,400,396 |
| Grand Total | 5,272 | 2,598,062,504 | 707,437,033 |
Summary by Property Ownership Type
The split between Freehold and Non-Freehold areas remains remarkably balanced, showing that older, established Dubai districts are keeping pace with newer master communities.
| Ownership Type | Number of Contracts | Value (AED) | Value (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 2,660 | 1,591,654,784 | 433,398,171 |
| Non-Freehold | 2,612 | 1,006,407,720 | 274,038,862 |
| Grand Total | 5,272 | 2,598,062,504 | 707,437,033 |
Summary by Property Type
Workforce housing (Labor Camps and Staff Accommodations) was the dominant value contributor, far exceeding the value of standard apartment flats for the day.
| Property Type | Number of Contracts | Value (AED) | Value (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Units (Total) | 4,754 | 2,483,503,854 | 676,243,391 |
| --- Labor Camps | 690 | 1,338,976,383 | 364,595,339 |
| --- Staff Accommodation | 193 | 468,688,752 | 127,621,171 |
| --- Flat | 2,696 | 314,731,403 | 85,699,497 |
| --- Office | 505 | 197,690,119 | 53,829,835 |
| --- Shop | 510 | 123,746,122 | 33,695,472 |
| Villas | 245 | 62,481,660 | 17,013,386 |
| Virtual Units | 244 | 42,238,535 | 11,501,303 |
| Buildings | 3 | 5,400,000 | 1,470,388 |
| Land | 26 | 4,438,455 | 1,208,565 |
| Grand Total | 5,272 | 2,598,062,504 | 707,437,033 |
Top 10 Performing Localities (By Value)
The top 10 localities represent nearly 85% of the day's total rental value, heavily skewed by industrial areas.
| Rank | Locality | Contracts | Value (AED) | Value (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dubai Investment Park Second | 316 | 980,212,597 | 266,906,085 |
| 2 | Al Goze Fourth | 229 | 481,632,438 | 131,145,660 |
| 3 | Jabal Ali Industrial First | 149 | 183,283,671 | 49,907,058 |
| 4 | Al Goze Industrial Second | 209 | 145,489,671 | 39,616,000 |
| 5 | Al Thanyah Fifth | 110 | 135,441,559 | 36,880,071 |
| 6 | Al Goze Third | 85 | 84,713,354 | 23,066,945 |
| 7 | Burj Khalifa | 109 | 46,533,239 | 12,670,725 |
| 8 | Saih Shuaib 4 | 32 | 46,153,920 | 12,567,439 |
| 9 | Business Bay | 239 | 24,420,179 | 6,649,470 |
| 10 | Al Barsha South Fourth | 121 | 18,591,022 | 5,062,225 |
Other Notable Localities
High transaction volumes (density of contracts) were also recorded in several key districts including Al Warsan First (188), Jabal Ali First (173), Naif (149), and Dubai Investment Park First (139). Established residential areas such as Al Karama (81), Mirdif (82), and Al Nahda Second (78) showed consistent activity, while high-value individual leases were noted in Palm Jumeirah and Al Safouh Second.
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.