Dubai completes 24 real estate projects worth $1.2bn in H1 amid property boom

Dubai Land Department says there are 726 projects under construction in the emirate

Dubai’s real estate market registered 90,337 new real estate units worth Dh151 billion during the first half of 2025, according to the Dubai Land Department. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Dubai recorded the completion of 24 real estate projects valued at Dh4.5 billion ($1.2 billion) in the first six months of 2025 as the emirate experiences a property boom, according to the Dubai Land Department (DLD).

A total of 726 projects are under construction in the emirate, the regulator said on Sunday.

“The surge in ongoing development indicates the accelerated pace of project delivery to meet rising demand for standalone units and integrated residential communities,” the DLD said.

Dubai’s real estate market registered 90,337 new real estate units worth Dh151 billion during the January to June period, the data showed.

About 7,167 villas were sold in Dubai for over Dh28 billion, “reflecting a considered shift in buyer preferences toward standalone units and fully integrated residential communities”, the DLD said.

Dubai's property market, which bounced back strongly from the Covid-driven slowdown, has maintained a sharp growth trajectory since.

Government measures such as residency permits for retired and remote workers and expansion of the 10-year golden visa programme have boosted foreign investment flows into the emirate's property market over the past few years.

Watch: Here's what Dh1 million gets you in Dubai's property market today

Here's what Dh1 million gets you in Dubai's property market today

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The robust momentum in the UAE’s economy, the Arab world's second largest, driven by the government's diversification efforts have also supported the real estate market activity.

In July, a new scheme was also launched to help Emiratis and UAE residents, who do not own any freehold residential property in the emirate, get on the property ladder.

Under the initiative, first-time buyers will have priority access to new homes from participating developers as well as existing inventory, discounts or limited-time offers on the sales price of off-plan units, flexible payment plans and “improved” mortgage options with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees.

The DLD expects 5,000 more investors to enter the market this year following the initiative.

Last week, the Dubai Media Office said that the volume and value of real estate transactions in Dubai rose sharply in the first half of the year, amid the entry of more than 59,000 new investors into the market, according to DLD data.

Rental market

In Dubai’s rental market, 465,738 lease contracts were registered during the first six months of the year, compared to 462,657 in the same period last year. The total value of lease contracts reached nearly Dh42 billion, a 5 per cent annual increase.

New lease contracts recorded a 7 per cent rise, reaching 232,928, up from 217,101 in the same period last year, according to the DLD.

In a recent report, property consultancy Knight Frank showed that more than 51,000 homes were sold in Dubai in the second quarter of 2025, which was a year on year increase of 22.8 per cent, marking a quarterly record amid strong demand from buyers.

Total home sales passed 94,000, putting the market firmly “on track to exceed” 169,000 transactions recorded last year, it added.

Abu Dhabi's Masdar City and the DLD recently teamed up to allow the former's free zone companies to own properties in Dubai, in a bid to boost real estate investment across the UAE.

“Transaction volumes in Dubai are holding steady at a high base, supported by the scale and pace of new project launches,” said Farooq Syed, chief executive of Springfield Properties.

“We’re seeing particular strength in the off-plan segment where developers are responding to buyer expectations with flexible payment plans, and integrated masterplans designed for long-term community living."