27 September 2026
Dubai recorded 335 sales of homes priced at USD 10 million (about AED 36.7 million) or more between January and August 2026: 206 villas worth AED 11.7 billion and 129 apartments worth AED 8.67 billion, about AED 20.37 billion in total. The figures come from an analysis of Dubai Land Department data by real estate firm fäm Properties, published by Khaleej Times on 27 September 2026. Hadaeq Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid led villa sales with 48 deals worth AED 2.77 billion, and Palm Jumeirah ranked among the top three areas for both villas and apartments. The most expensive purchases were an apartment at Aman Residences for AED 422 million and a villa at La Mer for AED 350 million.
The numbers for January to August 2026
| Segment | Deals | Total value | Average per deal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Villas | 206 | AED 11.7 billion | about AED 56.8 million |
| Apartments | 129 | AED 8.67 billion | about AED 67.2 million |
| Total | 335 | about AED 20.37 billion | about AED 60.8 million |
The threshold is USD 10 million per home, which at the fixed rate of AED 3.6725 per US dollar equals about AED 36.7 million. The deal counts and segment totals come from the fäm Properties analysis. The combined total and the averages per deal are our arithmetic on those figures.
Three things stand out in the table. Villas made up 206 of the 335 deals, about 61%, and about 57% of the value. Apartments were fewer, but the average apartment deal, about AED 67.2 million, was larger than the average villa deal, about AED 56.8 million. Over eight months, the market averaged about 42 transactions a month at this price level.
Where the deals were concentrated
| Area | Segment | Deals | Value | Average price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hadaeq Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid | Villas | 48 | AED 2.77 billion | AED 57.8 million |
| Palm Jumeirah | Apartments | 35 | AED 2.18 billion | AED 62.2 million |
| Palm Jumeirah | Villas | 28 | AED 1.85 billion | AED 66.2 million |
Hadaeq Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid, a master-planned residential community, was the leading area for villa sales above the threshold by both number and value. Palm Jumeirah placed among the top three areas for villas and for apartments, again by both measures. Taken together, the island accounted for 63 deals worth about AED 4.03 billion, close to one in five of all transactions at this level in the period. The report did not publish the rest of the ranking, and we do not reconstruct it here.
The analysis uses Dubai Land Department area names, which do not always match the marketing names of projects. The record villa at La Mer, for example, is recorded in the Jumeirah First area, and the Aman Residences apartment in Jumeirah Second. Anyone checking these deals against official transaction data should search by the area name, not the project name.
Search data from property portal Bayut, cited in the same report, put Palm Jumeirah among the most searched communities for ultra-luxury apartments and villas in the first half of 2026. Bluewaters Island, Emirates Hills, District One, Jumeirah Bay Island and Al Barari also continued to attract buyer and tenant interest.
The two most expensive homes
| Home | Area | Size | Price | Price per sq ft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6-bedroom apartment, Aman Residences | Jumeirah Second | 31,201 sq ft | AED 422 million | about AED 13,500 |
| 7-bedroom villa, La Mer | Jumeirah First | 44,903 sq ft | AED 350 million | about AED 7,800 |
The most expensive apartment of the eight months cost more than the most expensive villa, and per square foot it cost about 1.7 times as much: about AED 13,500 against about AED 7,800, on our calculation from the published price and size. At AED 422 million, the Aman Residences unit alone is worth more than 11 homes at the USD 10 million threshold.
La Mer, where the record villa sold, is also one of the two locations where Palace Group is building its 12 beachfront mansions valued at USD 50 million to USD 135 million each, as we covered in our article on the Palace Group beachfront homes.
What fäm Properties said
Firas Al Msaddi, CEO of fäm Properties, said: “There is still a great deal of money moving through the very top of Dubai’s property market, reinforcing the city’s position among the leading global investment hubs for high-net-worth individuals. More and more investors are making serious commitments because they regard Dubai as one of the most desirable places in the world to live, work and raise families, something which has also been highlighted by high volumes of new and renewed rental contracts in recent months.”
The rental figures he refers to were published by the same firm on 21 September: Dubai registered 2,046 residential rental contracts worth AED 1 million or more between 1 January and 31 August 2026, 1,423 of them new leases and 623 renewals. We broke that dataset down in our article on rental contracts worth AED 1 million or more.
What a purchase at this level costs on top of the price
The Dubai Land Department charges 4% of the sale value when a sale is registered, plus a registration trustee fee of AED 4,200 for any property worth AED 500,000 or more. At the top of the market the percentage is the figure that matters:
| Price point | DLD fee at 4% |
|---|---|
| USD 10 million threshold, about AED 36.7 million | about AED 1.47 million |
| Average villa deal, about AED 56.8 million | about AED 2.27 million |
| Record villa, AED 350 million | AED 14 million |
| Record apartment, AED 422 million | about AED 16.9 million |
Who pays the fee, and at what stage, is a term to settle in the sale agreement before a deposit changes hands.
Checklist before a purchase above USD 10 million
- Title and area. Confirm that the property sits in an area where foreign nationals may own freehold, and that the title will be registered with the Dubai Land Department in the name of the buyer or of the holding entity.
- Source of funds. Property transactions in the UAE fall under anti-money laundering rules, and at this price level developers, brokers and banks routinely ask for documents that show where the money comes from. The file is easier to build before the offer than after it.
- Off-plan purchases. Payments for a unit bought before completion should go into the project escrow account required by Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007, not into the operating account of the developer.
- Fees in the budget. Add the 4% DLD fee and the AED 4,200 trustee fee to the price, together with the brokerage commission set in the agreement with the agent.
- Holding structure. Decide early whether the home is held personally or through a company, because the choice affects residency eligibility, financing and succession.
- Financing. If part of the price is borrowed, the lender’s valuation, terms and document list set the timetable of the whole deal.
The residency question
Every home in this segment sits far above the property threshold of the UAE Golden Visa. Under the conditions published by the Ministry of Economy and Tourism, an investor qualifies with one or more properties worth a total of at least AED 2 million, and the USD 10 million threshold is more than 18 times that amount. The property must be wholly owned by the investor. Off-plan units count when bought from local companies approved by the competent local authority, a financed purchase qualifies if the loan comes from a local bank designated by that authority, and health insurance for the investor and family members is required.
The wholly owned condition deserves a check before the ownership structure is fixed, because a home held through a company or shared with a partner has to be tested against it. Our UAE residency visa guide sets out the routes and the order of steps. For buyers who plan to finance part of the price, our guide to mortgages in the UAE for residents and non-residents explains how local banks assess applicants and which documents they request.
How Atlant Capital can help
Our work is the structure around a purchase: the entity that holds the home, the residency that follows it and the bank account that pays for it.
- Company formation for a holding entity in a free zone or on the mainland, when a home is to be held through a company.
- Residency and Golden Visa applications for property investors and their families, from medical tests to Emirates ID.
- Bank account opening for personal and corporate accounts, including the source of funds file that banks and developers ask for.
The bottom line
In the first eight months of 2026, 335 Dubai homes changed hands at USD 10 million or more, for about AED 20.37 billion in total: 206 villas and 129 apartments. Hadaeq Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid led the villa segment with 48 deals, Palm Jumeirah took 63 deals across both segments, and the two record prices, AED 422 million and AED 350 million, were paid at Aman Residences and La Mer. For a buyer at this level, the price comes with a 4% registration fee, a source of funds file and a decision on who or what holds the title.
Source: Khaleej Times.
FAQ
How many homes worth USD 10 million or more were sold in Dubai in 2026?
Between January and August 2026, Dubai recorded 335 sales of homes priced at USD 10 million, about AED 36.7 million, or more, according to an analysis of Dubai Land Department data by fäm Properties. They were 206 villas worth AED 11.7 billion and 129 apartments worth AED 8.67 billion, about AED 20.37 billion in total.
Which areas of Dubai lead sales of homes above USD 10 million?
Hadaeq Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid led villa sales above the threshold in January to August 2026, with 48 deals worth AED 2.77 billion at an average of AED 57.8 million. Palm Jumeirah ranked among the top three areas for both villas and apartments, with 35 apartments worth AED 2.18 billion and 28 villas worth AED 1.85 billion.
What was the most expensive home sold in Dubai in 2026?
In January to August 2026, the most expensive home was a 31,201 sq ft 6-bedroom apartment at Aman Residences in Jumeirah Second, sold for AED 422 million. The most expensive villa was a 44,903 sq ft 7-bedroom home at La Mer in Jumeirah First, sold for AED 350 million.
What fees does a buyer pay to register a USD 10 million home in Dubai?
The Dubai Land Department charges 4% of the sale value when a sale is registered, plus a registration trustee fee of AED 4,200 for a property worth AED 500,000 or more. For a home at USD 10 million, about AED 36.7 million, the 4% fee comes to about AED 1.47 million.
