Dubai recorded more than 214,000 rental contracts in the first seven months of 2026, putting the market on track for a new annual record, according to a market analysis by fäm Properties.
A total of 38,197 rental contracts were registered in July, including 18,431 new agreements and 19,766 renewals.
The seven-month total reached 214,445 contracts, up 1.9% from the same period in 2025. Last year ended with a record 377,660 registered rental contracts.
One-bedroom units lead
One-bedroom homes accounted for the largest share of rental contracts in 2026 so far, with 88,327 agreements, or 41% of the total.
Two-bedroom units followed with 49,894 contracts, while studios accounted for 48,186. Three-bedroom and four-bedroom homes recorded 21,038 and 6,962 contracts respectively.
Al Warsan First recorded the highest number of rental contracts at 20,830, followed by Jebel Ali First with 18,478 and Al Barsha South Fourth with 16,489.
Business Bay recorded 13,728 contracts, while Nadd Hessa, Marsa Dubai, Al Thanyah Fifth, Wadi Al Safa 5, Al Barsha South 3 and Dubai Investment Park First also ranked among the top 10 areas.
Sales reach Dhs34.5bn
Dubai recorded 13,872 property sales transactions worth Dhs34.5 billion in July.
Off-plan transactions accounted for 9,585 deals worth Dhs20.5 billion, compared with 4,287 resale transactions valued at Dhs14 billion.
According to DXBinteract data, Dubai South was the leading area by sales volume for the fifth consecutive month, recording 2,351 transactions worth Dhs2.6 billion. Of these, 2,231 were off-plan deals valued at Dhs2.3 billion.
Firas Al Msaddi, CEO of fäm Properties, said: “The level of rental activity overall is a good sign of market resilience. The volume of renewals alone shows that, regardless of regional uncertainty over the last few months, people still see Dubai as one of the best places in the world to live and work.”
Apartment sales dominate
Apartment sales led July activity, with 11,759 transactions worth Dhs17.8 billion. Villas recorded 1,322 sales worth Dhs7.8 billion, while 268 plot sales were valued at Dhs6.9 billion.
Commercial transactions, including offices and shops, reached 515 deals worth Dhs1.9 billion.
The highest-priced apartment sale was a Dhs166 million unit at Aman Residences Tower 2 in Jumeirah Second. The most expensive villa sold for Dhs73 million at The Oasis – Lavita.
Properties priced above Dhs5 million accounted for 7% of sales. Homes priced between Dhs3 million and Dhs5 million made up 8.2%, while 11.4% were between Dhs2 million and Dhs3 million.
Properties priced between Dhs1 million and Dhs2 million represented 30.3% of sales, while 43.4% were below Dhs1 million.
Among the other leading areas for July sales were Al Barsha South Fourth, Jebel Ali, Wadi Al Safa 4 and Jebel Ali First.
tanvir@dubainewsweek.com
