Dubai property transactions in September 2026: DLD records 11,430 sales worth AED 29.7bn, the first monthly rise since summer
September 2026: 11,430 sales worth AED 29.66bn, about 44% fewer than a year earlier but 9.9% higher than August by value. Ready homes took 54% of the money, off-plan 65% of the deals. Nine-month sales reached AED 379.4bn.
The Dubai Land Department (DLD) registered 11,430 property sales worth AED 29.66bn, about $8.1bn, in September 2026. That is roughly 44% fewer deals than in the record September of 2025, but 9.9% more than August by value and 3.3% more by number.
How many property deals did Dubai record in September 2026?
DLD processed 16,490 transactions worth AED 50.78bn in total. Sales made up 11,430 of them at AED 29.66bn, mortgage registrations 4,266 at AED 16.79bn, and gifts 796 at AED 4.33bn.
Within sales, 9,744 deals were for apartments, villas and other individual units, 910 for land plots and 777 for whole buildings. Land and buildings are under 15% of the count but a large slice of the value.
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We covered the two previous months in our piece on DLD data for July and August. September is the first month since the summer in which both value and volume moved up.
How far is the market down on last year?
About 44% by number of sales and 45% by value against September 2025. That month saw roughly 20,300 sales worth AED 54.35bn, the strongest September on record.
A comparison with a record always looks worse than the market itself. Over the first nine months of 2026, sales totalled AED 379.4bn, the second-highest figure in the market's history after 2025.
Across January to September, DLD processed 165,018 transactions worth AED 574.12bn, mortgages and gifts included. Off-plan accounted for 84,090 sales worth AED 183.32bn in that period.
Ready or off-plan: where the money went
Off-plan leads by number of deals, ready property by value. The reason is ticket size: the average secondary-market deal is about twice as large.
| Segment | Sales | Value, AED bn | Share of sales | Share of value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-plan | 7,476 | 13.63 | 65.4% | 46.0% |
| Ready | 3,955 | 16.03 | 34.6% | 54.0% |
The average ticket is simple division. For an off-plan unit it is about AED 1.8m, for a ready property about AED 4.1m. The ready segment includes expensive villas, plots and whole buildings.
Which projects sold best?
Among apartments, Emaar's Valia in Dubai Creek Harbour came first: about 260 sales worth AED 720–725m in the month, with a median unit price near AED 2.3m. That is the tower's total, not the price of a flat.
Among villas and townhouses, Greenz by Danube led with about 60 sales worth AED 280–305m. The spread comes from the cut-off date: industry digests of DLD data were taken on different days.
Both leaders are fresh launches. A high place in a monthly ranking means a successful sales start, not secondary-market demand: there are practically no resales in these projects yet.
What does this mean for buyers and investors?
The market has stopped falling month on month, but it is far from last year's volumes. For a buyer this is a time to negotiate: deals are down 44% on the year, and developers are holding demand with instalments and post-handover plans.
- Buying a ready home: check the price against the transaction register, not against listings.
- Investing off-plan: plan the exit in advance — reselling before handover is harder now than in 2024–2025.
- Selling: anchor on transaction prices in your own building over the last three months.
Rentals, meanwhile, picked up: an industry digest of DLD data counts 48,639 tenancy contracts registered in September, 22.6% more than in August. Housing demand has not gone away — it has shifted from buying to renting.
Frequently asked questions
How much property was sold in Dubai in the first nine months of 2026?
According to DLD data, sales reached AED 379.4bn. Including mortgages and gifts, there were 165,018 transactions worth AED 574.12bn. By sales value it is the second-best nine months on record, after 2025.
Why are sales down 44% while prices are not?
The count is measured against a record September 2025. Prices move more slowly: the ValuStrat index in August stood 3.1% below its level a year earlier. Volume reacts to sentiment within weeks, prices within quarters.
What is selling better now, ready or off-plan?
By number of deals, off-plan: 65.4% of September sales. By money, ready property: 54% of the value. The average ready deal is twice the size, about AED 4.1m against AED 1.8m.
Where can I see real transaction prices?
In DLD's open register, through the Dubai REST service. We explain the steps in our guide on how to check a Dubai apartment price in the DLD registry.
The month's leader stands in a district we cover separately: Dubai Creek Harbour — prices, timelines and what is already built.
Video on this topic
The same subject on the English channel — each clip has a written version of its own.
8:01Island Park at Dubai Creek Harbour: an Emaar tower that is almost finished9 August 2024
11:36Ready apartments in Dubai Creek Harbour: Creek Horizon, Harbour Views, The Cove24 September 2023
5:41Vida Residence Downtown: ready apartments beside the Burj14 June 2024
8:54Address Sky View: the twin towers with the bridge, reviewed properly31 May 2024
3:26Il Primo penthouses: the top of the Downtown market16 May 2024
13:08Two-bedroom apartments in Mina Rashid: reading the layouts properly10 October 2023
In the news
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July 2026: 13 930 sales worth AED 34.9bn, down about 31% in number on a record July 2025. August: around 11 600 sales worth AED 27.9bn, down 37% in number and 44% in value. Where the slowdown is real, and where it is a base effect.
Dubai malls rebuild: Mall of the Emirates’ AED 5bn revamp, Dubai Mall’s 240 new stores and Dubai Square
Majid Al Futtaim is spending AED 5bn on Mall of the Emirates: about 20 000 m² and 100 new stores. Emaar is adding 240 shops and restaurants to Dubai Mall for AED 1.5bn and building Dubai Square in Creek Harbour. How malls move home values in Al Barsha, Downtown and by the creek.
Emaar’s AED 200bn masterplan for 150 000 residents: what buyers know so far
Emaar has announced its largest masterplan ever: AED 200bn, 4.5 million m² of floor area, about 150 000 residents, five zones and a promised metro link. The name and site are still not official. Separately, it bought land in Ras Al Khor for AED 2.9bn. What it means for buyers.
Dubai property market in summer 2026: prices, transactions, rents and the rise of Dubai South
August 2026 in numbers: about 10 900 homes sold for AED 23.4bn, average prices 1.7% below a year earlier, three quarters of sales off-plan, and Dubai South leading on volume. What changed over the season and what to expect this autumn.
Dubai property market H1 2025 review: a record quarter and AED 431bn of transactions
Dubai in the first half of 2025: 125 538 transactions worth about AED 431bn (+26% and +25%), per the DLD. Knight Frank counted a record 51 000+ home sales in Q2 and 94 000 worth AED 268bn over the half. Prices +13.7% a year, villas +16% and 49% above the 2014 peak.
Dubai property market 2024 review: AED 761bn of transactions and villa prices up 31.6%
Dubai in 2024: 226 000 transactions worth AED 761bn (+36% and +20%) and 110 000 first-time investors, per the DLD. ValuStrat had prices up 27.5% — villas +31.6%, apartments +23.6%, Jumeirah Islands and Palm Jumeirah villas above 42%. Figures, leading districts and the September 2026 status.