Dubai market holding firm
On-the-ground data point to resilience: Dubai issued 10,776 building permits in Q1 2026 — a 12% year-on-year jump — even while commentators churn headlines about a crash (propertynews.ae). Local market commentary and transaction tracking also show heavy activity: executives cite robust sales and continued deal flow despite noise, and media monitoring flagged steady buyer interest amid the chatter (x.com).
Permitted built-up area jumped about 48% to roughly 3.9 million square metres in Q1 2026, and the municipality issued 3,154 building completion certificates during the quarter. (gulfnews.com) The city carried out roughly 10,855 on‑site structural inspections in Q1 and supplied about 824,381 cubic metres of concrete to active projects, signalling large‑scale construction activity rather than project stoppages. (constructionweekonline.com) January 2026 alone posted a record monthly transaction value of AED 107.96 billion with 16,858 deals completed, according to contemporaneous DLD reporting covered by Gulf News. (gulfnews.com) Multiple market trackers and DLD‑based reports place Q1 2026 transaction values in the AED 120–135 billion range and identify Palm Jumeirah, Downtown Dubai and Dubai Marina among the top‑performing submarkets. (digitaldubai.ai) Emaar Properties issued a March 4, 2026 statement saying the group entered 2026 with “strong momentum” following record 2025 results and a robust start to the year. (properties.emaar.com) Independent market commentary points to a transition from speculative trading to end‑user demand after two years of steep gains, with average residential price rises of about 18.3% in 2024 and 12.7% in 2025 cited in recent market reviews. (astraterra.ae) Ramadan‑period reporting recorded 15,196 transactions worth AED 50.58 billion between Feb 18 and Mar 19, 2026, including 9,665 off‑plan sales valued at AED 24.71 billion — data that industry analysts use to substantiate ongoing buyer interest. (economymiddleeast.com)
