Market median per sqm$5,270/m²Average apartment deal across all Dubai districts, around 70 percent off-plan. Dubai only: Abu Dhabi is deliberately not averaged in. Source: Knight Frank, Dubai Residential Market Review Q3 2025
Below are the rules, the rates and the steps of the deal, each number with its source, while the platform figures arrive live from the catalogue.
Strengths
Perpetual freehold ownership inside designated areas
No personal income tax and no capital gains tax for individuals
A mandatory escrow account on off-plan under RERA supervision
2 more
A dirham pegged hard to the US dollar
The golden visa threshold through property is 2 million AED
What to keep in mind
In exchange the investor factors in two things: a wave of mid-market off-plan handovers
The market record of delivering roughly half of what it announces on time
Market
The property market in the UAE right now
$5,270/m²Market median per sqmAverage apartment deal across all Dubai districts, around 70 percent off-plan. Dubai only: Abu Dhabi is deliberately not averaged in. Source: Knight Frank, Dubai Residential Market Review Q3 2025
454Projects in the catalogue
2026-10-14Exchange rate as ofexchangerate-api.com
Spread of price per sqm in the catalogue
Median $5,595/m²
$4,199/m² lower quartileupper quartile $7,503/m²
based on 454 of 454 projects
A price trend chart will appear once enough observations accumulate: daily snapshots of the catalogue aggregates have been collecting since August 2026, and we will not draw a line through a single point.
Economy
The market economy in numbers
The figures come straight from primary publishers: the World Bank, the IMF and the Bank for International Settlements. Every value carries its own date and publisher, and the full source list opens below the block.
What a foreigner may own in the UAE is decided by the emirate and by the exact area inside it, not by the country. Dubai keeps a list of designated freehold areas where a foreign buyer holds the property in perpetuity and in their own name; outside that list only a long lease is available. Neighbouring emirates run their own rule, and it has to be checked before the deposit, not after.
Ownership form for a foreign buyer
perpetual freehold inside designated areas, leasehold up to 99 years outside themDubai has more than fifty designated areas, among them Dubai Marina, Downtown, Business Bay, JVC and Palm Jumeirah. The right rests on emirate law, not on a developer permission.
leasehold only, usually for 100 yearsBuyers from outside the GCC are not granted freehold in Sharjah: the deal is a term agreement with the developer. This is neither better nor worse than freehold, it is a different asset, and yields of the two forms cannot be compared head on.
an entry in the Dubai Land Department registerA completed unit goes into the title register, while an off-plan contract is registered separately in the Oqood system before the first payment. An unregistered contract is not a right to the property in the UAE.
The tax appeal of the UAE rests on the absence of personal income tax, not on the absence of costs: the one-off transaction fees are visible, and they must be budgeted from the start, otherwise the yield is computed off an understated base.
Transfer fee (DLD)
4 percent of the deal priceFormally the fee is split by agreement between the parties; in Dubai practice the buyer pays all of it.
7 to 10 percent of the property priceThe range covers the DLD fee, registration, the agent fee and mortgage costs. It is this figure, not the four percent alone, that sets the real entry price.
0 percent for an individualThere is no personal income tax in the UAE, for residents or non-residents alike. This does not cancel the duty to declare the income in your own country of tax residence.
0 percent for an individualGains on resale are not taxed for an individual; for a company the same income falls under the general corporate regime, so the holding structure is chosen before the deal.
an individual's real estate investment income does not fall under corporate taxThe carve-out applies regardless of turnover, whereas the ordinary threshold at which an individual's activity enters the corporate regime is 1,000,000 AED. Real estate investment is defined there as investment activity of a natural person connected, directly or indirectly, with the sale, leasing, sub-leasing and renting out of land or property, and only while that activity is not conducted, and is not required to be conducted, under a licence from a licensing authority. That proviso is what draws the boundary of the carve-out: once the activity is licensable, the carve-out stops applying. A company sits under a different regime in any case, where the general rate applies.
9 percent on profit above 375,000 AEDBelow that threshold the rate is zero. The tax comes from Federal Decree-Law No. 47 of 2022 and applies to financial years beginning on or after 1 June 2023. For a residential investor this is the regime of an owning company, not of an individual, see the line above.
Property in the UAE does not grant citizenship and does not by itself make you a tax resident. It grants a renewable ten-year investor visa. The registered value counts, not what the seller agreed to write.
Golden visa threshold
2,000,000 AED, about 545,000 USDThe threshold is measured on a completed unit; for off-plan the amount actually paid to the developer and registered through Oqood is what counts.
the full DLD value counts, the minimum equity rule is abolishedThe earlier requirement to put in 50 percent of the value or 1 million AED of your own money has been removed, so a mortgaged purchase is no longer an obstacle to the visa.
may be aggregated up to the thresholdEach property must be registered with the DLD separately; it is the sum of registered values that is compared with the threshold.
An off-plan deal in the UAE is built around escrow: the buyer money goes to a project account in a RERA approved bank instead of to the developer, and is released as construction is confirmed. This is the buyer main protection and the first thing to verify.
Escrow on off-plan
mandatory, the developer puts in at least 20 percent of the construction cost before sales startThe requirement comes from Dubai Law No. 9 of 2007. The contribution is cash or a bank guarantee, and buyer payments never reach the developer operating accounts.
through Oqood before any payment is collectedEscrow funds are released to the developer in stages, after an engineer confirms progress, not on the developer word.
5 percent of escrow is held for 12 months after handoverThe retention covers structural and finishing defects, which is why the snagging report is worth doing in detail and on time.
Check that the unit sits inside a designated freehold area of the chosen emirate.
Check the project in the RERA register: escrow account, sales permit, construction progress.
Agree the reservation and the payment plan, and match it against construction milestones.
Sign the sale contract and register it in Oqood before the first payment.
Pay strictly into the project escrow account on schedule, never into a developer account.
On a completed unit pay the DLD fee and take the title in your own name.
Accept the unit by snagging report and record the defects within the warranty period.
Money
Cost of money and of holding
A mortgage is available to a non-resident in the UAE, but it is dearer and needs a larger down payment than a resident one. That changes both the entry price and the timeline.
Cost of money and of holding
Cost item
Rate
What it means
Non-resident mortgage
LTV of 50 to 65 percent, rate of 4 to 5.7 percent a year
A resident can reach an LTV of 80 percent. The gap of 15 to 30 percent of the price in the down payment is the real cost of being a non-resident.Source: StashAway
Bank requirements
income from 30,000 to 50,000 AED a month, approval in 3 to 6 weeks
Credit history and the country the income comes from are checked as well. The approval time has to be built into the contract payment schedule.Source: Masarif
Currency risk
the dirham is pegged at 3.6725 AED to 1 USD
The peg has held since 1997 and the central bank defends it by intervention. For an investor this means the currency risk is the risk of the dollar itself, not of the dirham.Source: Central Bank of the UAE
Central bank mortgage caps
a resident expat gets 80 percent on a first home up to 5 million AED, 70 above it, 60 on a second and 50 off-plan
Read this line with one correction: the table in the UAE Central Bank Regulations Regarding Mortgage Loans has only two borrower categories, UAE nationals and expatriates, that is residents of the country. There is no non-resident row at all, and a non-resident cannot apply these caps to themselves: they are offered materially less, see the line above. These are the regulator's upper limits, not any single bank's offer. The same article carries two limits that are asked about less often and hit more often: total debt payments may not exceed 50 percent of income, and the loan term may not exceed 25 years.Source: Central Bank of the UAE
Yield
Rental yield: what a source confirms
Below are published gross yield ranges with publisher and year. They are a market benchmark, not a computation for a specific unit: the platform has no rental model of its own for the UAE, so none of these numbers is fed into a calculator or extrapolated over time.
Average gross yield
6.68 percent market wide, 7.15 percent for apartmentsStudios return 7.5 to 9 percent, one bedroom flats 7 to 8.5 percent.
JVC 8.5 to 9.5 percent, Downtown 4 to 6 percent, villas 4.8 to 5.1 percentThe spread between districts is wider than the spread between countries, which makes a country average useless for a buying decision.
minus 1.5 to 2.5 percentage pointsService charges, management, vacancy and repairs come out. Comparing the gross yield of one market with the net yield of another is not a comparison.
The risks of the UAE market are known and measurable. Below are the ones that change a decision rather than decorate it.
The main risk here is not legal, it is calendar.
The market announces materially more completions than it delivers, so the date in the contract reads as a developer intention rather than a date.
More detail
The practical consequence: tie the payment plan to construction milestones instead of the calendar, and never prepay a project without confirmed progress.
The second risk is concentration: the overwhelming share of transactions is off-plan, and the 2026 mid-market handover wave creates a local oversupply. The effect lands on rents in the very districts whose paper yield looked highest.
Risk 1
On-time delivery
historically 50 to 60 percent of what is announced, the 2026 plan is about 49 percent
Of the 71,613 units planned for 2026, about 34,740 are expected to be handed over.
The price level of our catalogue sits higher up this page and is computed on our own sample. This block carries only external dynamics and demand: the aggregate does not measure them and they do not argue with it.
Year on year price growth
about 10 percent in the third quarter of 2025Through the first nine months of 2025 growth ran at about 3.2 percent per quarter.
19.59 million overnight visitors in 2025, hotel occupancy of 80.7 percentA third record year in a row. For short lets this is demand; for long lets it is competition from 154,000 hotel rooms.
These are projects priced below the country median per square metre ($5,595 per sqm, sample of 454 out of 454 projects). Sorted by price per square metre. Prices converted to dollars at the rate of 2026-10-14.
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Yes. The UAE allows foreign ownership, but the right depends on the emirate and the specific zone. Dubai has more than fifty designated freehold areas - Dubai Marina, Downtown, Business Bay, JVC, Palm Jumeirah - where a foreigner gets perpetual ownership in their own name under emirate law. Outside those zones, as in most other emirates, only leasehold is available, usually up to 99 years. In Sharjah, for instance, buyers from outside the GCC get no freehold at all, only a term agreement with the developer, typically for 100 years. The status of a given plot should be checked before any deposit.
Is it possible to complete the whole deal remotely, without visiting?
Yes, a completed unit in Dubai can be bought fully remotely through a notarized and legalized power of attorney to a representative who signs the contract and completes registration at a DLD trustee centre. Under DLD Circular No. 29/R/2025 of 16 July 2025 such a POA undergoes mandatory electronic verification, must be transaction specific and no older than two years. Since 17 June 2025 sale proceeds must go only to the account of the owner named on the title, so a UAE bank account in one's own name is still needed since the attorney holder cannot receive the payment. For off-plan units funds go only to the project escrow account regardless.
What's the right way to transfer money for a purchase in the UAE?
Money into the UAE moves by ordinary international wire transfer to the seller, an escrow agent or a trustee centre, not in cash and not through intermediaries. For transfers from AED 3,500 the bank must pass full originator and beneficiary data - name, account number, address, date and place of birth, as required by the UAE Central Bank AML-CFT Decision. The bank may also ask for proof of source of funds: payslips, the sale contract of a prior asset, inheritance records. Real estate agents and lawyers must report to the financial intelligence unit any cash deal from AED 55,000 and any payment involving crypto assets.
Will I have to pay any taxes as a buyer and owner in the UAE?
There is no personal income tax and no capital gains tax in the UAE, on rental income or on resale gains for an individual. One-off charges arise at the deal itself: the land department transfer fee of 4 percent of the price, in practice paid entirely by the buyer, plus a registration fee of AED 4,200 with VAT for units from AED 500,000 and a separate title issuance fee. Together with the agent fee and mortgage costs the total transaction budget runs at 7 to 10 percent of the price. VAT of 5 percent applies only to commercial property, residential units are exempt.
What ownership forms exist, and how do they differ?
A foreign buyer in the UAE has two ownership forms. Freehold is perpetual ownership in one's own name, available in designated areas: Dubai has more than fifty, including Dubai Marina, Downtown, Business Bay, JVC and Palm Jumeirah, resting on emirate law. Outside these areas and in most other emirates, leasehold applies - a long-term right of use, usually up to 99 years, without a title. In Sharjah, for instance, buyers from outside the GCC only get leasehold, typically for 100 years, arranged as a term agreement with the developer. A completed unit enters the DLD title register, while an off-plan contract is registered separately, in Oqood, before the first payment.
How risky is it to buy off-plan?
Legally, an off-plan build is protected by a mandatory escrow account: the developer puts in at least 20 percent of the construction cost before sales start, and buyer funds are released in stages only after an engineer confirms progress, with 5 percent held back for 12 months after handover for defects. What escrow does not remove is the calendar risk: historically only about 50 to 60 percent of announced units are delivered on time, and the 2026 plan expects only about 49 percent of 71,613 planned units. Off-plan already makes up about 72 percent of deals, and the handover wave is concentrated in the mid-market segment, where oversupply risk is highest.
How do renting out and property management work?
A tenancy contract in Dubai must be registered through Ejari - via the DLD portal, the Dubai REST app or a trustee centre, with an official fee of about AED 100 plus two AED 10 fees. Management can be outsourced: according to industry sources for 2026, a typical long-term residential management fee is 5 to 8 percent of annual rent, 7 to 10 percent for commercial units, and 15 to 25 percent of revenue for short-term letting. A tenant-find fee, usually equal to one month's rent, and a renewal fee are often added on top. This is market practice, not a government tariff.
What costs come with owning the property?
Besides a mortgage and utility bills, the main recurring cost is the building service charge, which the DLD approves separately per project through the Mollak system, with no single citywide average. According to industry sources for 2026, the range runs roughly from AED 3 to AED 30 per square foot a year, with some premium towers reaching AED 70 or more. Market estimates put a typical level at AED 12-22 per square foot for mid-market stock and AED 28-50 for premium waterfront projects. This figure eats directly into any advertised gross yield and is worth confirming for the specific building before buying.
Am I allowed to live in the property myself, or must it be rented out?
Yes. Freehold ownership in Dubai's designated areas (Marina, Downtown, JVC and others) gives the right to use the property as the owner sees fit: live in it, rent it out, or leave it empty. Ownership itself is not a basis for staying in the country - it is a right to the property, not a residence visa. To legally stay in the UAE beyond the tourist period, a separate status is needed, such as the investor visa unlocked by a purchase from 2 million AED. Without a visa the owner can still visit under the tourist regime and stay in their own flat as a tourist.
How does reselling a property on the secondary market work?
Reselling an apartment in Dubai goes through a Dubai Land Department (DLD) trustee office. The parties sign a Form F memorandum of understanding, then the seller obtains a no-objection certificate from the developer through the eNOC system confirming no outstanding service charges - industry sources put this at around 3 to 5 working days. After the 4 percent DLD transfer fee, the trustee fee and admin charges are paid, the parties sign at the trustee office and the buyer receives a new title deed. The agent commission is not stated in these sources and should be confirmed with the specific broker.
What documents are needed to buy a property?
The Dubai Land Department (DLD) and authorized trustee centres request a passport copy, attested for a non-resident, the seller's original title deed, the signed Form F sale agreement, a no-objection certificate from the developer, proof of payment, and, for a remote deal, a notarized power of attorney for a representative. A company must add a trade licence and signatory documents, and a mortgage deal needs bank letters and a discharge confirmation. The exact list varies by developer and trustee centre, so it is worth confirming before, not after, the deposit.
Are there any currency risks when buying property in the UAE?
The dirham is hard-pegged to the US dollar at 3.6725 to 1, and the peg has held since 1997, defended by UAE central bank intervention. For an investor this means there is practically no dirham-dollar exchange risk: the property price in dirhams moves with the dollar. The real currency risk sits at the junction of the dollar and the investor's home currency - if that currency is not dollar-pegged, rental income and property value converted into it will move with the dollar rate, not with the local property market.
Is it worth hiring a lawyer, and what do they check?
Formally no: the ownership transfer runs through a DLD trustee office and can be completed without a lawyer. In practice one is commonly brought in for mortgage deals, off-plan purchases, joint ownership, inheritance-linked sales or large transactions - according to legal platforms this is common market practice, not a statutory requirement. A lawyer checks the title and registry status, the terms of the Form F contract, the developer's no-objection certificate and compliance of the escrow arrangement with the law. Fees at private firms, per the same sources, start at a few thousand dirhams and rise with the complexity of the deal.
What rental yield can I expect?
Per figures published for 2026, average gross yield across Dubai runs at about 6.68 percent, around 7.15 percent for apartments, and the spread by district and unit type is far wider: JVC delivers 8.5 to 9.5 percent, Downtown 4 to 6 percent, villas 4.8 to 5.1 percent. Net yield sits 1.5 to 2.5 points below gross after service charges, management and vacancy. A country-wide average is useless for deciding on a specific unit: the district and the unit type outweigh the mere fact of buying in Dubai.
What are these developer rental guarantee schemes about?
Some Dubai developers offer a fixed payout, typically 7 to 8 percent a year for two to five years, instead of market rent - one 2015 scheme, for instance, paid 8 percent a year for three years under the marketing label of a « 24 percent guarantee ». This is not a government program and RERA does not insure it, and the rate is almost always baked into a higher purchase price versus non-guaranteed comparables in the same district. The main risk is the developer's own solvency and a drop in actual rent once the guarantee period ends and payouts stop.
Do I need a visa just to own property?
No, a visa is not required to register ownership: a foreigner can buy and register a freehold unit in a designated area while in the country on a tourist visa, or without ever visiting, by handling the deal through a power of attorney. The visa is a separate option, not a condition of ownership: a purchase from 2 million AED opens the right to apply for a renewable ten-year investor residence visa, but an owner can hold the property without it, simply without UAE resident status.
The market figures are the live Housebook catalogue aggregate for this country plus an external publisher's reading where one has been found and verified. The legal, visa and tax facts come from the country profile: every number names its source.
Methodology
The median and quartiles are computed over active catalogue projects with a known price per square metre. Prices are converted to dollars using a single exchange rate snapshot rather than a mix of dates, so the figures stay comparable.
How often it updates
The catalogue aggregates are recomputed every day. The country profile and the external readings are updated by hand: the date of the last check is shown next to every source in the list below.
External market reading
What is measured
average apartment transaction price across all Dubai districts, around 70 percent of deals off-plan
The figures on this page describe the market and the rules as of the date they were checked. This is reference information, not an offer, investment advice or a promise of returns.
