Dubai Real Estate Rentals Market Report 8 January 2026
The Dubai rental market continues to show immense depth and operational scale, processing 4,623 transactions on the 8th of January with a total contract value of AED 1.20 billion. The day’s activity highlights a market in a "retention phase," where 62% of all deals were lease renewals. This trend indicates that while the city continues to attract new residents, the existing tenant base is showing a strong preference for stability, likely anchored by the predictable protections of the RERA rental index.
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A defining characteristic of the current landscape is the parity between Freehold and Non-Freehold sectors. Unlike the sales market, which is almost exclusively Freehold, the rental market is split nearly 50/50. This reflects the vital role of Dubai’s established "old" districts and industrial heartlands—such as Jabal Ali and Al Dhagaya—which provide the essential commercial and logistical infrastructure supporting the emirate’s broader economic expansion.
1. Summary by Contract Status
The dominance of renewals suggests a stabilizing market where tenants are choosing to secure their current positions rather than navigating the costs of relocation.
| Contract Status | Number of Transactions | Value (AED) | Value (USD)* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Renewed | 2,856 | 671,157,385 | 182,752,181 |
| New | 1,767 | 528,235,680 | 143,835,447 |
| Grand Total | 4,623 | 1,199,393,065 | 326,587,628 |
2. Summary by Property Ownership Type
This segment highlights the balance between international investment zones and the traditional commercial/industrial hubs.
| Ownership Type | Number of Transactions | Value (AED) | Value (USD)* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Hold | 2,255 | 603,427,350 | 164,309,692 |
| Non Free Hold | 2,368 | 595,965,715 | 162,277,936 |
| Grand Total | 4,623 | 1,199,393,065 | 326,587,628 |
3. Summary by Property Usage
Residential leasing remains the primary volume driver, while the Commercial and Industrial sectors contribute significant per-contract value.
| Usage | Number of Transactions | Value (AED) | Value (USD)* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential | 3,169 | 764,266,701 | 208,105,296 |
| Commercial | 1,421 | 427,845,659 | 116,500,520 |
| Other | 25 | 4,721,016 | 1,285,505 |
| Industrial | 8 | 2,559,689 | 697,124 |
| Grand Total | 4,623 | 1,199,393,065 | 326,587,628 |
4. Summary by Property Type
The "Unit" category remains the engine of the market, with Labor Camps and Flats accounting for the largest shares of the day's capital flow.
| Property Type | Number of Transactions | Value (AED) | Value (USD)* |
|---|---|---|---|
| B) Unit | 4,094 | 1,058,718,334 | 288,282,732 |
| Flat | 2,558 | 318,835,040 | 86,816,893 |
| Labor Camps | 305 | 293,044,650 | 79,794,323 |
| Shop | 485 | 127,581,950 | 34,739,809 |
| Office | 501 | 109,265,100 | 29,752,240 |
| Studio | 40 | 80,342,492 | 21,876,785 |
| Warehouse / Complex | 97 | 57,772,873 | 15,731,211 |
| Hotel | 52 | 37,765,000 | 10,283,186 |
| Other Units** | 56 | 34,111,229 | 9,288,285 |
| C) Villa | 270 | 78,710,069 | 21,432,286 |
| D) Virtual Unit | 235 | 57,269,646 | 15,594,185 |
| Office | 233 | 37,665,502 | 10,256,093 |
| Shop | 2 | 19,604,144 | 5,338,092 |
| A) Land (Other) | 24 | 4,695,016 | 1,278,425 |
| Grand Total | 4,623 | 1,199,393,065 | 326,587,628 |
| *Other Units include Showrooms, Parking, Clinics, Kiosks, and miscellaneous spaces. |
5. Top 10 Performing Localities by Value
The industrial sectors of Jabal Ali dominate the value charts, accounting for over AED 430 million in a single day.
| Rank | Locality | Transactions | Value (AED) | Value (USD)* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jabal Ali Industrial First | 171 | 252,127,714 | 68,652,883 |
| 2 | Jabal Ali Industrial Second | 34 | 178,563,000 | 48,621,647 |
| 3 | Dubai Investment Park Second | 91 | 49,421,076 | 13,457,066 |
| 4 | Burj Khalifa | 62 | 47,420,735 | 12,912,385 |
| 5 | Al Dhagaya | 54 | 38,067,780 | 10,365,631 |
| 6 | Al Safouh Second | 18 | 32,936,506 | 8,968,416 |
| 7 | Marsa Dubai | 89 | 27,411,629 | 7,464,024 |
| 8 | Business Bay | 228 | 26,873,007 | 7,317,361 |
| 9 | Al Wasl | 57 | 25,878,022 | 7,046,432 |
| 10 | Al Thanyah Fifth | 73 | 24,921,196 | 6,785,894 |
6. Market Breadth & High-Volume Areas
Beyond the value-leaders, several districts showed exceptional transactional density, proving to be the "volume engines" of the market:
- Al Warsan First: 191 transactions (AED 17.3M)
- Naif: 163 transactions (AED 12.6M)
- Jabal Ali First: 158 transactions (AED 13.8M)
- Dubai Investment Park First: 139 transactions (AED 7.5M)
- Al Barsha South Fourth: 129 transactions (AED 10.7M)
- Nadd Hessa: 109 transactions (AED 7.5M)
- Al Karama: 105 transactions (AED 7.9M)
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.