Dubai’s residential market is unlikely to move uniformly in the months ahead, with price softening expected but with significant variation by property type and community, experts say.
The emirate’s real estate market recorded 47,996 sales transactions worth Dh176.7 billion in Q1 2026, a 5.5 per cent year-on-year increase in volume and a 23.4 per cent rise in value, as the property sector showed strong resilience in March, according to data from DXBinteract.
“Rest assured there is still a market,” said Louis Harding, CEO of betterhomes. He noted that while some price softening is likely, the market should not be viewed as a single pricing story. Instead, performance will depend heavily on segment-level supply and local market conditions.
Developers echoed his views. “Even amidst the broader regional developments, Dubai’s underlying demand drivers and institutional stability continue to support long-term real estate investment in well-located residential assets,” said Deepak Batra, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, AUM Development.
Harding said around 84 per cent of upcoming supply is apartments, around 11 per cent townhouses and roughly 5 per cent villas, a split he said offers “a bit of a crystal ball” into how different parts of the market may perform.
Apartments in areas with a high volume of similar stock are likely to be more exposed to price sensitivity, while villas and townhouses may prove more resilient. On villas, Harding pointed to mature communities with product that “simply isn’t being built anymore”, alongside larger square footage and stronger owner equity, as factors likely to support values. On townhouses, he said demand has remained strong, describing the segment as tied to “the Dubai equivalent of the middle class coming through.”
AUM Development, a Dubai-based real estate firm, has announced the launch of Ryze Residences, in Warsan, one of Dubai’s fastest-evolving districts, positioned at the intersection of academic, employment, and infrastructure growth. A 93-residential development comprising studios, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments, prices start from Dh599,000, with a 40/60 payment plan.
Ryze forms part of AUM Development’s expanding residential and commercial pipeline, with more than Dh1.8 billion in real estate investments.
“Warsan is no longer a peripheral location, it is becoming a functional residential hub that is witnessing sustained rental demand driven by education, healthcare, location and support services in and around the area. Ryze has been conceived as a practical, investment conscious response to this demand, with well-planned homes, efficient layouts, and amenities that genuinely add value to everyday living helping residents’ recharge and refocus”, he added.
Almal Real Estate Development, a Dubai-based real estate development company, also announced that construction is already 23 per cent completed, at its project, The Unexpected Al Marjan Island Hotel & Residences in Ras Al Khaimah. Following launch, the project sold out faster than was anticipated, achieving the highest price point per square meter on the island at Dh6.300 per square foot. The construction is progressing on schedule and without delay towards its 2027 handover.
Founder of Almal Real Estate Development, Dmitriy Starovoitov said: “This sold-out project has been strongly received in the market, and the consistency of progress on site reflects the UAE’s stable and resilient economic environment, supported by reliable supply chains and sustained investor confidence.”
For sellers, Harding’s guidance was to focus less on the timing of external events and more on execution. “Choose very, very wisely who you use,” he said. “Not all brokers and brokerages are the same.”
He added that working with one trusted broker on an exclusive basis can offer sellers a clearer read on pricing, buyer sentiment and market shifts, particularly in a fast-moving environment.
Sharjah-based developer Arada has welcomed the first residents to Vida Residences Aljada following completion of the four-building Vida Aljada complex. The first ever branded residences project in Sharjah, Vida Residences Aljada is located on East Boulevard in Naseej District.
Ahmed Alkhoshaibi, Group CEO of Arada, said: “We are committed to delivering 4,000 homes as well as key supporting infrastructure across our communities this year, and the handover of Sharjah’s first ever branded residences scheme is an important part of that journey.”
Periods of uncertainty often create short-term hesitation where sentiment may be shaken, but confidence in fundamentally strong markets like the UAE remains intact, said Imran Khan, Founder & CEO, PIXL and Invespy. “What we are witnessing is not a slowdown, but a recalibration. These are the markers of a mature market, where moments of disruption allow it to bottom out before moving into its next, stronger growth cycle. Serious, long-term investors remain active and these are the buyers the market is built on and needs. While speculative activity will naturally correct itself. Importantly, the market continues to demonstrate deep liquidity, with land parcels largely paid for and strong capital commitments in place. Business continuity in the UAE’s real estate landscape keeps up, as projects launch, sales offices stay operational and transactions continue.”
