Key Highlights

• Ramadan 2026 (Feb 18 to Mar 19) produced 15,196 transactions worth AED 50.58 billion, up 29.7% in value year-on-year.
• Weeks 1 through 3 of March confirmed 8,509 transactions worth AED 27.98 billion.
• Dubai’s luxury market posted AED 10.92 billion across 900 deals in the first 24 days of March.
• January and February 2026 combined produced AED 133.3 billion across 34,452 deals, up 38.8% in value year-on-year.

Dubai entered March 2026 with strong momentum behind it. January delivered AED 72.4 billion in sales, the highest monthly sales figure in Dubai’s real estate history at the time of reporting. February followed with 16,959 transactions worth AED 60.60 billion, an 18.14% year-on-year increase in value and a 5% rise in volume.

March brought two external pressures simultaneously. The final weeks of Ramadan 2026 ran until March 19. Regional geopolitical tensions added a layer of investor caution across the same period. Despite both factors, the official data shows a market that held its ground.

All property transactions in Dubai are registered with the Dubai Land Department (DLD), the official UAE government body responsible for real estate registration, ownership transfers, and market data in the emirate. 

DLD operates through its regulatory arm, the Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA), which licenses all brokers, developers, and real estate professionals active in the market. 

Mortgage lending activity in Dubai is regulated by the UAE Central Bank, which sets loan-to-value limits based on buyer nationality, property value, and purchase type. 

Keep reading the article to learn more. 

March 2026 Market Snapshot

The Ramadan 2026 period is the defining headline of this month. Far from slowing the market, Ramadan 2026 delivered its strongest performance on record by total DLD-registered transaction value.

The Ramadan 2026 Factor: A Record-Breaking Period

Ramadan 2026 ran from February 18 to March 19. The first 19 days of March therefore fell within the holy month.

Historically, Ramadan is associated with slower real estate activity due to shorter working hours and reduced buyer viewings. March 2026 broke that pattern entirely.

DLD-cited data confirmed by Gulf Economist and Zawya shows the full Ramadan 2026 period produced 15,196 transactions worth AED 50.58 billion, a 5.63% increase in volume and a 29.7% increase in value compared to Ramadan 2025.

The Ramadan 2026 breakdown by DLD-registered transaction type:

• Off-plan sales: 9,665 transactions worth AED 24.71 billion
• Ready sales: 5,531 transactions worth AED 25.87 billion
• Mortgage transactions: 3,298 deals worth AED 14.77 billion
• Gift transactions: 651 deals worth AED 3.98 billion

Ready sales slightly outpaced off-plan in total value during Ramadan, with AED 25.87 billion versus AED 24.71 billion. This is an unusual reversal of the typical off-plan dominance pattern seen across 2025 and early 2026. It reflects growing end-user and owner-occupier confidence in Dubai’s secondary market as governed by RERA regulations.

Week-by-Week DLD Transaction Breakdown

Week 1: March 2 to 8

Reliant Surveyors’ DLD-citing weekly report confirmed 2,402 sales transactions worth AED 8.29 billion for Week 1.

Off-plan deals drove the week’s volume. Market reports citing DLD data indicate approximately 1,657 off-plan deals worth AED 5.31 billion, representing 64% of the week’s total sales value. Ready property transactions came in at approximately 745 deals worth AED 2.98 billion.

DLD also registered 18,013 rental contracts worth AED 1.61 billion during the same week. That rental volume confirms strong occupier demand running alongside the softer sales week. All registered tenancy contracts fall under RERA’s regulatory framework governing landlord and tenant rights in Dubai.

The average sale price for Week 1 stood at AED 3.44 million, higher than the February 2026 monthly average, confirming upward price pressure even during a period of reduced transaction volume.

Week 2: March 9 to 15

Week 2 delivered the sharpest single-week recovery of the month.

Reliant Surveyors confirmed 3,721 transactions worth AED 12.10 billion, a 55% jump in both volume and value compared to Week 1. The full DLD-registered Week 2 breakdown:

• Off-plan deals: 2,585 transactions worth AED 7.59 billion (69% of Week 2 total value)
• Ready deals: 1,136 transactions worth AED 4.52 billion
• Mortgage transactions: 1,124 deals worth AED 3.39 billion
• Residential share: 3,576 transactions (96% of all Week 2 deals) worth AED 9.62 billion

Gulf News confirmed that March 15 alone recorded AED 3.8 billion in transactions across 1,194 DLD-registered deals. Two landmark transactions anchored that day’s volume. Al Yalyis 5 registered a single AED 515.6 million transaction. Palm Jebel Ali added AED 387 million on the same day.

Week 3: March 16 to 22

Week 3 was the first full post-Ramadan week, with Ramadan having ended on March 19.

DLD transaction data for Week 3 confirmed 2,386 sales transactions worth AED 7.59 billion. The segment-level breakdown:

• Ready sales: 516 transactions worth AED 1.70 billion
• Mortgage transactions: 538 deals
• Commercial sales: 100 deals worth AED 628.7 million

The commercial segment rose from 63 deals in Week 1 to 100 deals in Week 3, a 59% week-on-week increase. Off-plan office sales drove that increase, signaling that business investor confidence held firm even as some residential buyers took a cautious approach during the post-Ramadan transition.

Reuters reported a 37% year-on-year volume drop for the period covering March 1 to 12. That figure accurately reflects the specific 12-day window measured. It captures only Week 1 and the first few days of Week 2 and does not include the full Week 2 recovery of 3,721 transactions or the post-Ramadan Week 3 data.

Off-Plan vs Ready Property: What DLD Data Shows

Two confirmed DLD-sourced datasets provide a consistent picture of the off-plan vs. ready split across early 2026.

Off-plan dominance at 62 to 64% is a structural feature of the DLD-registered market. RERA-approved developer payment plans, including post-handover structures, keep off-plan property accessible to investors across all budget levels.

Mortgage lending in Dubai is regulated by the UAE Central Bank, which sets loan-to-value limits based on buyer nationality, property value, and purchase type. Cash buyers represented 69% of all secondary market resales in February 2026, reducing the overall market’s exposure to global interest rate movements.

Top Area: JVC Leads Dubai for Third Consecutive Month

Jumeirah Village Circle recorded 1,146 transactions in February 2026, the highest among all Dubai communities, confirmed by DLD data published via Zawya. JVC has held the top position for at least three consecutive months.

JVC’s performance reflects structural mid-market demand from both end-users seeking affordable ownership and investors targeting higher rental yields at a mid-range price point. All transactions in JVC are DLD-registered and all operating real estate agents are RERA-licensed.

Dubai Luxury Market: March 2026 DLD-Registered Data

The luxury segment was the standout performer of the month.

Verified data from Keturah and DXBinteract, published via Zawya, confirms the following for March 1 to 24:

• AED 10.92 billion in developer luxury sales registered with DLD
• 900 luxury transactions completed
• 42% year-on-year growth in luxury transaction volume
• Largest single transaction: AED 422 million apartment at Jumeirah Peninsula

The average luxury transaction value calculates to approximately AED 12.1 million per deal, derived from AED 10.92 billion divided by 900 transactions. This is a calculated figure and not a directly stated DLD figure.

Demand is driven by ultra-high-net-worth buyers from European and Asian markets operating on longer investment horizons. 

This buyer profile is largely insulated from short-term Ramadan seasonality or regional geopolitical headlines, which explains why luxury DLD volumes held strong while mid-market activity softened in Week 1.

March 2026 vs February 2026: Month-on-Month

The Reuters -37% figure covers March 1 to 12 only, a window capturing the Ramadan-affected Week 1 alone. Reading all three confirmed weeks of DLD-registered data together gives the most accurate and complete picture of March 2026 market activity.

Q1 2026: The Bigger Picture

January and February 2026 together produced AED 133.3 billion across 34,452 DLD-registered transactions, a 38.8% increase in value and a 13.32% increase in volume year-on-year.

January alone set a record with 22,108 transactions worth AED 111 billion in total deal value, the highest single-month total in DLD-registered real estate history at the time of reporting.

The Ramadan 2026 period generated AED 50.58 billion in DLD-registered transactions from February 18 to March 19 alone. For full-year context, 2025 produced AED 917 billion across more than 270,000 DLD-registered transactions, a 20% increase over 2024.

What This Means for Buyers and Investors

Four data-backed takeaways from the verified March 2026 DLD figures:

• Off-plan deals at 62 to 64% of all DLD-registered transactions confirm that RERA-approved developer payment plans remain the most accessible entry point into Dubai property for new investors
• Cash buyers at 69% of secondary market resales confirm that Dubai’s DLD-regulated property market is structurally less exposed to global credit tightening than comparable international markets
• The luxury segment posted AED 10.92 billion in just 24 days, while mid-market volumes were softer, confirming the premium end is running on a separate and independent demand cycle
• JVC’s consistent top ranking across three consecutive months confirms that mid-market, high-yield communities represent a structural feature of DLD-registered demand, not a short-term trend

Investing in Dubai Property: What You Need to Know

Dubai’s DLD-registered market recorded over AED 133.3 billion in transactions in just the first two months of 2026. For investors looking to enter this market, the right legal and business structure is as important as choosing the right property.

Setting up the correct company structure in Dubai, whether a mainland LLC, a free zone holding company, or a property management entity, allows investors to hold, manage, and profit from Dubai real estate in the most tax-efficient and RERA-compliant way. 

Property investors meeting the AED 2 million minimum threshold may also qualify for the UAE Golden Visa under current DLD-linked visa rules.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How many properties were sold in Dubai in March 2026?

Verified DLD data confirms 2,402 transactions worth AED 8.29 billion in Week 1, 3,721 transactions worth AED 12.10 billion in Week 2, and 2,386 transactions worth AED 7.59 billion in Week 3. 

Weeks 1 through 3 combined produced 8,509 DLD-registered transactions worth AED 27.98 billion. The Ramadan 2026 period covering February 18 to March 19 totalled 15,196 transactions worth AED 50.58 billion.

2. Is Dubai real estate slowing down in 2026?

No. The Ramadan 2026 period produced a 29.7% year-on-year increase in DLD-registered transaction value and a 5.63% increase in volume. The luxury segment posted 42% year-on-year volume growth in the first 24 days of March. January and February 2026 combined grew 38.8% in value versus the same period in 2025.

3. Which area had the most transactions in Dubai in February 2026?

Jumeirah Village Circle led all Dubai communities in February 2026 with 1,146 DLD-registered transactions, based on data published via Zawya. JVC has held the top position for at least three consecutive months.