Dubai Real Estate Sales Market Report 25 - 26 January 2026
Dubai Real Estate Rentals Report
January 25–26, 2026
Keyword: Dubai Rental Market Report
Market Review
Dubai recorded 6,042 rental transactions totaling AED 4.13 billion over January 25 and 26, 2026. The reporting period includes a public weekend day, yet transaction volume and aggregate value remained elevated, reflecting structural leasing activity rather than short-term seasonal demand.
Unlike the sales market, where value is distributed across multiple asset classes, the rental figures for this period are highly concentrated, driven by a limited number of large-scale labor camp and bulk residential leases. As a result, headline value figures should be read in parallel with contract counts to avoid misinterpreting underlying tenant demand.
Vitalia Palm | Ultra-Luxury Residences on Palm Jumeirah
Source: Building Arabia.
Contract Type Breakdown
| Contract Type | Transactions | Value AED | Value USD |
|---|---|---|---|
| New | 2,844 | 3,591,443,826 | 977,950,000 |
| Renewed | 3,198 | 542,220,724 | 147,647,000 |
| Total | 6,042 | 4,133,664,550 | 1,125,597,000 |
Approximate conversion at 1 AED = 0.2723 USD
While renewals represented 53 percent of contract volume, new contracts accounted for nearly 87 percent of total value, a disparity explained by bulk institutional leasing rather than a broad-based rise in individual rental rates.
Importantly, many “new” contracts reflect tenant relocation within the city, where existing residents terminate and re-register leases in different properties rather than renewing in place. This is particularly common in periods of rental repricing.
Property Ownership Type
| Ownership Type | Transactions | Value AED | Value USD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freehold | 3,338 | 2,909,950,915 | 792,660,000 |
| Non-Freehold | 2,704 | 1,223,713,635 | 333,000,000 |
| Total | 6,042 | 4,133,664,550 | 1,125,597,000 |
Freehold areas captured 70 percent of total rental value, driven largely by industrial and workforce housing assets located within designated freehold zones.
Property Usage
| Usage | Transactions | Value AED | Value USD |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residential | 4,530 | 3,875,655,689 | 1,055,341,000 |
| Commercial | 1,479 | 248,322,387 | 67,618,000 |
| Industrial | 10 | 4,124,724 | 1,123,000 |
| Other | 23 | 5,561,751 | 1,515,000 |
| Total | 6,042 | 4,133,664,550 | 1,125,597,000 |
The Residential category accounted for over 93 percent of value, but this figure is heavily inflated by labor camp and staff accommodation leases, which are classified as residential in official records.
Property Type Breakdown
| Main Category | Subtype | Transactions | Value AED | Value USD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Building | Building | 1 | 1,800,000 | 490,000 |
| Land | Other | 20 | 3,657,751 | 996,000 |
| Unit | Flat | 3,471 | 752,745,128 | 204,980,000 |
| Labor Camps | 709 | 3,010,829,850 | 819,630,000 | |
| Office | 464 | 75,457,060 | 20,550,000 | |
| Shop | 429 | 106,676,626 | 29,050,000 | |
| Hotel | 252 | 25,464,505 | 6,930,000 | |
| Warehouse | 70 | 18,883,061 | 5,140,000 | |
| Other Units | 71 | 42,834,548 | 11,660,000 | |
| Villa | Villa | 303 | 84,915,763 | 23,120,000 |
| Complex Villas | 16 | 3,325,955 | 905,000 | |
| Virtual Unit | Office | 229 | 6,501,452 | 1,770,000 |
| Shop | 6 | 1,429,852 | 390,000 |
Labor camps alone accounted for approximately 73 percent of total rental value, despite representing only 12 percent of transaction volume.
Top 10 Localities by Rental Value
| Rank | Locality | Transactions | Value AED | Value USD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jabal Ali Industrial First | 433 | 2,681,858,009 | 730,270,000 |
| 2 | Saih Shuaib 4 | 88 | 499,699,200 | 136,068,000 |
| 3 | Al Goze Third | 129 | 260,525,740 | 70,941,000 |
| 4 | Business Bay | 294 | 57,708,662 | 15,714,000 |
| 5 | Al Safouh Second | 258 | 32,830,767 | 8,940,000 |
| 6 | Marsa Dubai | 130 | 27,918,871 | 7,602,000 |
| 7 | Al Barsha South Fourth | 253 | 25,761,214 | 7,015,000 |
| 8 | Al Mararr | 76 | 24,939,543 | 6,791,000 |
| 9 | Al Khairan First | 151 | 23,200,850 | 6,318,000 |
| 10 | Jabal Ali First | 170 | 23,036,903 | 6,273,000 |
Transaction Concentration Highlights
Several localities recorded outsized rental values driven by repeat, standardized contracts, rather than dispersed tenant activity:
- Jabal Ali Industrial First: Multiple labor camp contracts, including 200 leases at approximately AED 11.28 million each, dominated the reporting period.
- Al Goze Third: High-value workforce housing contracts, including 65 leases at AED 3.88 million each.
- Muhaisanah Second: Clustered labor accommodation contracts averaging AED 181,170.
- Saih Shuaib 4: 78 new flat leases at AED 5.68 million each, indicating bulk leasing of a newly delivered residential asset.
Market Takeaway
The January 25–26 rental data reflects a dual market structure:
- Institutional leasing, concentrated in labor camps and staff accommodation, drives aggregate value.
- Conventional residential and commercial leasing continues at high volume but contributes a smaller share of total value.
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.