The Neighbourhoods Driving Dubai’s Market This Week
Before the macro headlines, the real story of any property market is told at community level. In Week 3 of February 2026, Jumeirah Village Circle once again led apartment activity with over 13,300 off-plan deals at AED 1,532/sqft and nearly 5,900 ready sales at AED 1,280/sqft. Business Bay followed with strong dual activity in both residential and commercial off-plan. For villa buyers, Damac Island City led off-plan volume, while ready villa demand ranged from the affordable entry point of Damac Hills 2 at AED 808/sqft all the way up to The Springs at AED 2,096/sqft.
This layered spread of activity across price bands is exactly what buyers should be watching. It tells us that Dubai’s market is not a single story—there are distinct entry points, value corridors, and premium pockets, each with different risk-return profiles.
Community Snapshot — Where Deals Happened
| Community | Property | Status | Deals | Avg. Price (AED/sqft) |
| Jumeirah Village Circle | Apartment | Off-Plan | 13,311 | 1,532 |
| Jumeirah Village Circle | Apartment | Ready | 5,875 | 1,280 |
| Business Bay | Apartment | Off-Plan | 9,256 | 2,648 |
| Business Bay | Apartment | Ready | 3,621 | 1,795 |
| Damac Island City | Villa | Off-Plan | 6,757 | 1,135 |
| Damac Hills 2 | Villa | Ready | 1,443 | 808 |
| Al Furjan | Villa | Ready | 699 | 1,691 |
| The Springs | Villa | Ready | 515 | 2,096 |
Buying Right Now: What the Price Data Actually Tells You
Dubai’s residential market recorded 3,619 sales worth AED 11.44 billion in Week 3, averaging AED 1,988/sqft across all typologies. But the averages only tell half the story. The more useful insight for buyers is the gap between off-plan and ready prices—and what it signals about where value sits today.
Off-plan apartments are trading at AED 2,197/sqft versus AED 1,736/sqft for ready—a premium of AED 461/sqft for the privilege of waiting for delivery. Interestingly, villas show the reverse: off-plan villas average AED 1,660/sqft while ready villas sit at AED 1,725/sqft. That means ready villa buyers are paying marginally more, likely reflecting the scarcity value of completed villa stock in established communities.
Off-Plan vs Ready — Price Comparison
| Property Type | Off-Plan (AED/sqft) | Ready (AED/sqft) | Price Gap |
| Apartments | 2,197 | 1,736 | AED 461 premium |
| Villas | 1,660 | 1,725 | AED 65 discount |
The Big Picture: AED 14 Billion in One Week
Across all segments, Dubai recorded 3,879 sales transactions worth AED 14.01 billion. Off-plan activity accounted for nearly two-thirds of volume with 2,507 transactions at AED 9.23 billion. Ready sales contributed 1,372 deals at AED 4.78 billion. The takeaway for buyers: the market has strong forward-looking activity through off-plan, but there is no shortage of ready stock trading either. This is a real estate market report for Dubai that reflects genuine breadth, not just headline volume.
Weekly Sales at a Glance
| Sales Segment | Transactions | Total Value (AED) |
| Off-Plan | 2,507 | 9.23 Billion |
| Ready | 1,372 | 4.78 Billion |
| Total | 3,879 | 14.01 Billion |
Renting in Dubai: What Tenants Need to Know This Week
If you are leasing in Dubai, the numbers this week carry a clear message: renewals dominate, and landlords are adjusting upward. Out of 13,521 residential lease contracts, 8,656 were renewals versus just 4,865 new leases. That 1.78:1 renewal-to-new ratio means most tenants are choosing to stay—but they are absorbing moderate rent increases in the process.
New apartment leases averaged AED 157/sqft/year, while renewed leases averaged AED 187/sqft/year—a 19% premium on renewal versus a fresh lease elsewhere. This suggests tenants staying in place are paying a convenience premium for continuity. Villa tenants face an even sharper market: renewal rates averaged AED 985/sqft/year, reflecting the tight supply of family-sized properties in established suburban communities. For tenants evaluating their options, the UAE real estate market report data suggests new leases may actually offer better rates than renewal negotiations in some cases.
Rental Market — The Numbers Behind Your Lease
| Lease Type | Contracts | Avg. Rate (AED/sqft/yr) |
| New Apartment Leases | 4,865 | 157 |
| Renewed Apartment Leases | 8,656 | 187 |
| Villa Renewals | Included above | 985 |
| Total Residential | 13,521 | AED 1.21 Bn total |
Getting a Mortgage? Here’s What Banks Are Actually Financing
Mortgage data reveals what the banking system considers safe to lend against—and right now, that means ready property, almost exclusively. Of 969 total mortgage transactions worth AED 3.19 billion, only 2 were linked to off-plan purchases. Everything else was ready stock. If you are buying off-plan, you are almost certainly funding it from equity, not debt.
Apartments represented the largest financed segment at 550 transactions, followed by villas at 246. The average mortgage-backed residential price of AED 1,157/sqft sits well below the market sales average of AED 1,988/sqft, confirming that financed purchases are concentrated in the mid-market—practical, liveable stock rather than premium investment product.
What Banks Are Backing — Mortgage Snapshot
| Financed Segment | Deals | Insight |
| Total Mortgages | 969 | AED 3.19 Billion |
| Apartment Mortgages | 550 | Largest financed segment |
| Villa Mortgages | 246 | Family buyer driven |
| Off-Plan Mortgages | 2 | Almost entirely equity-funded |
Commercial Property: Small Volume, Big Signals
Commercial sales were modest in Week 3 at just 28 transactions, but the pricing tells a story worth watching. Off-plan commercial assets averaged AED 2,969/sqft across 10 deals, while ready commercial traded at AED 1,784/sqft across 18 transactions. That AED 1,185/sqft gap between off-plan and ready commercial is substantial—it reflects developer confidence in pricing new business stock at premium levels, banking on Dubai’s continued corporate expansion.
On the leasing side, 7,980 commercial contracts were recorded worth AED 731.8 million. Renewed commercial leases averaged AED 194/sqft/year versus AED 154/sqft/year for new leases—a 26% upward reversion on renewal that suggests landlords hold pricing power in occupied commercial assets.
Commercial Sales — Week 3
| Commercial Type | Transactions | Value (AED) | Avg. AED/sqft |
| Sales – Off-Plan | 10 | 40,351,381 | 2,968.5 |
| Sales – Ready | 18 | 63,954,189 | 1,784.3 |
| Total Sales | 28 | 104,305,570 | 2,207.2 |
So What Does This Mean for You?
If you are buying: the data suggests a market with genuine depth across price bands. Off-plan remains the dominant activity channel, but ready stock is trading actively and—in the villa segment—at near-parity pricing with off-plan. Consider where you want to live, not just where the crowd is buying.
If you are renting: renewal rates are trending above new lease rates. Before automatically renewing, benchmark your current rate against fresh leases in your area. You may find better value by relocating within the same community tier.
If you are investing: the mortgage data tells you banks see ready residential as the safe bet. Off-plan is an equity play. The Dubai market report for February 2026 points to a market that rewards informed, research-backed decisions over momentum-driven ones.
Your Next Move Starts with the Right Advice
Houzz Hunt, a property partner of Reliant Surveyors, provides end-to-end guidance for buyers, sellers, and tenants navigating Dubai’s dynamic real estate landscape. Whether you are acquiring your first apartment, upgrading to a family villa, or optimising a rental strategy, our team combines deep market knowledge with a client-first approach to ensure every property decision is an informed one.
