Dubai Real Estate Sales Market Report Full Year 2025
Dubai Real Estate 2025: The Year in Review
Let's cut to the chase: 2025 wasn't just a good year for Dubai property; it was a record-shattering, headline-grabbing monster of a year. When you see a sales figure north of AED 700 billion, you know you're looking at a market that's firing on all cylinders. We're talking about over 200,000 transactions—that's a staggering amount of activity, from first-time buyers in studios to investors snapping up entire buildings. The story here is one of incredible balance. Off-plan sales kept pace with ready property sales almost tick for tick, showing that buyers have equal confidence in the future of Dubai's skyline and the solidity of what's already built. Whether it was a modest apartment or a luxury villa, the residential sector was the undisputed champion, but don't sleep on the huge sums flowing into commercial and industrial projects. That tells us big businesses are planting serious flags here. To put it simply, 2025 set a new bar. It showed the world that Dubai isn't just a flashy market; it's a deep, liquid, and mature one where everyone, from end-users to global funds, found something to buy.
Lavita Mansions at The Oasis: Experience Unparalleled Luxury
Source: Building Arabia.
The Big Numbers: How 2025 Broke Down
Here’s what moved the needle last year. Outright sales dominated, which tells me there's a lot of strong equity and cash in the market.
| Sale Type | Number of Deals | Value in AED | Value in USD* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gifts | 7,314 | 41.84 Billion | 11.39 Billion |
| Mortgages | 32,707 | 138.68 Billion | 37.78 Billion |
| Sales | 163,511 | 520.41 Billion | 141.75 Billion |
| GRAND TOTAL | 203,532 | 700.93 Billion | 190.92 Billion |
*Exchange rate used: 1 AED = 0.2723 USD
What Were People Buying: Ready vs. Off-Plan
This is one of the most interesting charts. It was a dead heat. The market didn't choose one over the other; it voraciously bought both.
| Property Status | Number of Deals | Value in AED | Value in USD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Off-Plan | 102,736 | 226.66 Billion | 61.74 Billion |
| Ready/Existing | 100,796 | 474.27 Billion | 129.20 Billion |
| GRAND TOTAL | 203,532 | 700.93 Billion | 190.92 Billion |
Buyer Focus: Residential Leads, But Others Show Strength
No surprise here—homes were the main event. But look at the commercial and mixed-use numbers. That's not small change; it's strategic, long-term capital at work.
| Property Use | Number of Deals | Value in AED | Value in USD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential | 175,208 | 433.79 Billion | 118.16 Billion |
| Commercial | 16,039 | 122.14 Billion | 33.27 Billion |
| Multi-Use | 336 | 33.35 Billion | 9.09 Billion |
| Industrial | 1,446 | 18.67 Billion | 5.08 Billion |
| Hospitality | 3,268 | 12.95 Billion | 3.53 Billion |
| Other Categories | 7,235 | 79.04 Billion | 21.53 Billion |
| GRAND TOTAL | 203,532 | 700.93 Billion | 190.92 Billion |
The Money Was in Flats, Land, and Villas
Breaking it down by what was physically traded, apartments (flats) were the volume king. But land sales packed a huge value punch, and villas held their own as a premium segment.
| Property Type | Number of Deals | Value in AED | Value in USD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Units (Flats, Offices, etc.) | 158,004 | 305.56 Billion | 83.22 Billion |
| - Flats | 148,507 | 278.52 Billion | 75.86 Billion |
| Land Plots | 22,854 | 238.61 Billion | 64.99 Billion |
| Villas | 21,541 | 105.30 Billion | 28.68 Billion |
| Buildings | 1,133 | 51.46 Billion | 14.01 Billion |
| GRAND TOTAL | 203,532 | 700.93 Billion | 190.92 Billion |
Top 10 Areas: Where the Action Was
These were the hot spots that drove the market in 2025. Business Bay remains the unbeaten titan of transaction value.
| Rank | Locality | Deals | Value in AED | Value in USD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Business Bay | 11,624 | 38.16 Billion | 10.39 Billion |
| 2 | Marsa Dubai | 8,063 | 33.76 Billion | 9.20 Billion |
| 3 | Palm Jumeirah | 2,206 | 28.96 Billion | 7.89 Billion |
| 4 | Al Barsha South Fourth | 17,180 | 25.58 Billion | 6.97 Billion |
| 5 | Burj Khalifa | 5,541 | 24.86 Billion | 6.77 Billion |
| 6 | Madinat Al Mataar | 8,699 | 22.72 Billion | 6.19 Billion |
| 7 | Al Yelayiss 1 | 5,440 | 21.67 Billion | 5.90 Billion |
| 8 | Wadi Al Safa 5 | 10,527 | 21.16 Billion | 5.77 Billion |
| 9 | Hadaeq Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid | 5,018 | 21.10 Billion | 5.75 Billion |
| 10 | Dubai Investment Park Second | 5,722 | 19.42 Billion | 5.29 Billion |
Beyond the Top 10: The story doesn't end there. Areas like Jabal Ali First, Al Hebiah Fourth, Palm Deira, and Me'Aisem put up absolutely massive numbers, proving that demand is spread all across the city, from established cores to emerging communities.
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 = 3.672 UAE Dirhams
This report is merely informative, and all investments come with risk. You are responsible for your decisions.