4 October 2026
Dubai sold about AED 12.8 billion of ready apartments in the third quarter of 2026, 16.4% more than the AED 11 billion recorded in the second quarter, according to an analysis of Dubai Land Department (DLD) data by the property analytics platform Al Masdar Al Aqaari, published on 4 October 2026. The number of deals rose 21.9% quarter on quarter, from 6,420 to 7,825. Over the first nine months of the year, buyers closed 23,985 ready apartment purchases worth AED 40.6 billion, including 210 units sold for more than AED 10 million each. The most expensive was an apartment on Bluewaters Island sold for AED 90 million.
The headline numbers
Ready apartments are completed units bought on the secondary market or from a developer after handover, as opposed to off-plan units sold during construction. Here is how the third quarter compares with the second and with the nine-month total.
| Period, 2026 | Deals | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Q2 (April to June) | 6,420 | AED 11 billion |
| Q3 (July to September) | 7,825 | AED 12.8 billion |
| January to September | 23,985 | AED 40.6 billion |
The number of transactions grew faster than their value, so the average ticket eased slightly: about AED 1.64 million per deal in the third quarter against about AED 1.71 million in the second, based on the totals in the release. Across the nine months the average was about AED 1.69 million.
The release does not give figures for the first quarter. Subtracting the second and third quarters from the nine-month totals leaves about 9,740 deals and about AED 16.8 billion for January to March. On these numbers, the third quarter recovered part of the gap after a slower second quarter but stayed below the first quarter.
Where buyers bought: the top five areas
Five communities accounted for 7,939 ready apartment sales in January to September, about 33% of all such transactions in Dubai. Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC) led by volume, while Burj Khalifa Area led by value.
| Area | Deals | Value |
|---|---|---|
| JVC | 3,062 | AED 3 billion |
| Business Bay | 1,673 | AED 3.2 billion |
| Dubai Marina | 1,312 | AED 3 billion |
| Burj Khalifa Area | 1,017 | AED 3.6 billion |
| Arjan | 875 | AED 848.8 million |
The averages show two price levels. In JVC and Arjan a ready apartment changed hands for just under AED 1 million on average. In Business Bay the average was about AED 1.9 million, in Dubai Marina about AED 2.3 million and in Burj Khalifa Area about AED 3.5 million. These are our calculations from the rounded totals in the release, so they describe the area as a whole rather than a typical unit.
What buyers bought: one-bedroom units lead
One-bedroom apartments were the most traded unit type, with 10,245 sales or 42.7% of all ready apartment deals in January to September. Two-bedroom apartments generated the most money.
| Unit type | Deals (share) | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | 5,335 (22.2%) | AED 3.4 billion |
| One-bedroom | 10,245 (42.7%) | AED 11.9 billion |
| Two-bedroom | 6,386 (26.6%) | AED 14.8 billion |
| Three-bedroom | 1,728 (7.2%) | AED 7.2 billion |
| Four-bedroom | 244 (about 1%) | AED 2.6 billion |
Divided by the number of deals, these totals give average prices of about AED 0.64 million for a studio, AED 1.16 million for a one-bedroom, AED 2.32 million for a two-bedroom, AED 4.17 million for a three-bedroom and AED 10.66 million for a four-bedroom apartment. The five types add up to 23,938 deals; the release does not break down the remaining 47.
The top end: 210 apartments above AED 10 million
Dubai recorded 210 ready apartment sales above AED 10 million each in January to September, with a combined value of about AED 4 billion. Palm Jumeirah led this segment by both count and value.
- Palm Jumeirah: 58 sales, AED 1.2 billion;
- Burj Khalifa Area: 32 sales, AED 683.9 million;
- Bluewaters: 23 sales, AED 422.5 million;
- Business Bay: 15 sales, AED 324.4 million;
- Dubai Water Canal: 9 sales, AED 179.1 million;
- Za’abeel First: 9 sales, AED 120.6 million;
- Dubai Marina: 8 sales, AED 137.7 million;
- TECOM A, Marsa Dubai and Dubai Harbour: 7 sales each, AED 109.9 million, AED 108 million and AED 103.9 million.
The five most expensive ready apartments of the period were a unit on Bluewaters Island for AED 90 million, three apartments on Palm Jumeirah for AED 65 million, AED 63.5 million and AED 50.3 million, and an apartment in Burj Khalifa Area for AED 50 million. For comparison with the wider luxury market, Dubai recorded 335 home sales of USD 10 million or more in January to August 2026, a count that includes villas and off-plan units.
What this means for buyers and companies in Dubai
The quarterly statistics do not change any rule or fee. For people who plan to buy a ready apartment, or to relocate a business and family to Dubai, the numbers are useful in a few practical ways.
- Financing. A ready apartment can be mortgaged on standard terms. Under the Central Bank rules summarised in our guide to mortgages in the UAE for residents and non-residents, an expatriate buying a first home worth up to AED 5 million can borrow up to 80% of its value, while property bought off-plan is capped at 50%.
- Residence through property. The official UAE portal u.ae lists a minimum of AED 2 million for the investor category of the Golden Visa, which can be met through property ownership. On the averages above, a typical two-bedroom deal (about AED 2.32 million) is above that line and a typical one-bedroom deal (about AED 1.16 million) is below it.
- Income documents. Banks look at how income is evidenced: local salary, a trade licence or rental income. For an entrepreneur, that means the company and its corporate bank account should be in place before the mortgage application.
- Checks before paying. A ready unit is transferred at DLD with a new title deed. Before signing, check the seller’s title deed and whether the unit carries an existing mortgage that must be released at transfer.
How Atlant Capital can help
Atlant Capital works with entrepreneurs and investors who are moving their business and family to the UAE. We check eligibility and prepare the application for the UAE Golden Visa, including the property route, and through our mortgage assistance service we match buyers with banks and support the application up to approval. If the purchase is part of a relocation, we also set up the company, open the corporate account and arrange residence visas for founders and their families. Commercial property is covered in our review of Dubai office and shop sales of AED 25.1 billion in nine months.
Conclusion
Dubai ready apartment sales reached about AED 12.8 billion in the third quarter of 2026, up 16.4% on the second quarter, from 7,825 deals, up 21.9%. In January to September, 23,985 ready apartments were sold for AED 40.6 billion. JVC led by number of deals, Burj Khalifa Area by value, one-bedroom units accounted for 42.7% of sales, and 210 apartments sold for more than AED 10 million each, with a record AED 90 million on Bluewaters Island.
Source: Zawya, Al Masdar Al Aqaari press release.
FAQ
How many ready apartments were sold in Dubai in Q3 2026?
Dubai recorded 7,825 ready apartment sales worth about AED 12.8 billion in the third quarter of 2026, according to Al Masdar Al Aqaari analysis of Dubai Land Department data. That is 21.9% more deals and 16.4% more value than in the second quarter, when 6,420 apartments sold for AED 11 billion.
Which areas in Dubai sell the most ready apartments?
In January to September 2026, Jumeirah Village Circle led with 3,062 ready apartment sales worth about AED 3 billion. Business Bay followed with 1,673 deals (AED 3.2 billion), Dubai Marina with 1,312 (AED 3 billion), Burj Khalifa Area with 1,017 (AED 3.6 billion, the highest value) and Arjan with 875 (AED 848.8 million).
What is the average price of a ready apartment in Dubai in 2026?
Across 23,985 ready apartment sales worth AED 40.6 billion in January to September 2026, the average deal was about AED 1.69 million. By unit type, the averages were about AED 0.64 million for a studio, AED 1.16 million for a one-bedroom and AED 2.32 million for a two-bedroom apartment.
What was the most expensive apartment sold in Dubai in 2026?
The most expensive ready apartment sold in January to September 2026 was on Bluewaters Island for AED 90 million. It was followed by three apartments on Palm Jumeirah at AED 65 million, AED 63.5 million and AED 50.3 million, and one in Burj Khalifa Area at AED 50 million. In total, 210 ready apartments sold for more than AED 10 million each.
