Dubai residential sales hit AED 73.8bn in Q3 2026

Homebuyers in Dubai spent AED 73.8bn on residential property in the third quarter of 2026, a period in which more than 34,600 homes changed hands, brokerage Betterhomes said in a statement on Thursday, Nov. 5.

The figures came after regional uncertainty began weighing on confidence across the Middle East in March, according to the company. Enquiries received by Betterhomes rose steeply over the March-to-September stretch, and September’s tally was its largest for any single month since January 2024.

Population data cited by the firm point the same way. Dubai added upwards of 161,000 residents during the first seven months of the year.

Harry Martin, Head of Off-Plan and Capital Markets at Betterhomes, said foreign interest in the country rests on lasting foundations. “The UAE’s appeal to global investors isn’t a trend. It’s structural,” he said. He pointed to the favourable tax regime, legal rules he described as maturing, a fast-growing population and authorities keen to attract money from abroad, adding that recent months had shown how solid those fundamentals are.

Investors had not pulled back but had grown more deliberate, Martin said. Purchasers now probe further before signing, weigh Abu Dhabi against Dubai and scrutinise the total cost of an acquisition, according to the company. Those based overseas also consider exchange-rate effects and the tax consequences in their own countries.

Betterhomes is responding with an investment guide it presents as the first of its kind in the UAE, both personalised and interactive. Users state how much they plan to spend, which market interests them and what they hope to achieve, and the content adapts accordingly. It compares markets, reviews different communities, sets out indicative yields and purchase costs, and walks buyers through each stage, whether they are in the country or abroad.

Chief executive Richard Waind said confidence in Dubai had not been shaken, though investors were right to seek clarity before committing. The guide, he said, tailors its information to each buyer’s own circumstances.