Offices and shops changed the narrative in April. Whilst Dubai’s residential market ground steadily forward, the emirate’s commercial sector exploded—561 transactions worth AED4 billion, up 34% month-on-month and 36% higher than the same period last year.
The commercial surge helped push total property sales to 13,977 transactions valued at AED48 billion, according to figures released Sunday by fäm Properties. Overall transaction volume climbed 3.5% compared to March, whilst total value jumped 10.7%.
That commercial momentum stands in sharp contrast to the more measured residential growth. Apartment sales rose 6.5% month-on-month to 11,377 deals worth AED24.1 billion. Plot transactions told a different story—237 sales valued at AED6.6 billion represented a 34.7% monthly increase, suggesting developers are still hunting for land.
The average price per square foot reached AED1,840, marking a 16.1% annual increase. For context, that’s the kind of year-on-year growth that suggests supply hasn’t caught up with demand, despite the construction cranes dotting the skyline from Dubai Marina to Dubai South.
Primary sales continue to dominate. By a substantial margin.
Data from DXBinteract showed off-plan purchases accounted for 10,563 transactions totalling AED35.8 billion in April, dwarfing the 3,414 resales worth AED12.2 billion. That roughly three-to-one split between primary and secondary markets points to something beyond speculative flipping—buyers are betting on projects that won’t complete for years.
“Last month’s performance reflects the market’s underlying strength, with steady demand across both residential and commercial segments,” said Firas Al Msaddi, CEO of fäm Properties.
He pointed to external factors that might typically dampen investment appetite. “Despite ongoing geopolitical tensions, Dubai is benefiting from its reputation as a stable, transparent and well-regulated environment for investment. The continued dominance of primary sales also points to long-term confidence in the emirate’s growth and development pipeline.”
The geography tells its own story. Dubai South claimed the top spot for the second consecutive month with 1,171 transactions worth AED2.7 billion—its sixth straight month in the top five performing areas. The aviation-focused district has quietly become a volume leader, though the AED2.7 billion figure suggests lower average prices than more established neighbourhoods.
Jebel Ali First followed with 887 deals valued at AED1.9 billion, whilst Al Barsha South Fourth recorded 828 transactions worth AED1 billion. Wadi Al Safa 5 notched 814 sales totalling AED1.4 billion. Dubai Islands rounded out the top five with 732 transactions—but those deals commanded AED2.8 billion, the highest value among the leading areas.
That AED2.8 billion from just 732 transactions signals something about buyer profiles. The maths works out to an average exceeding AED3.8 million per property, compared to Dubai South’s average of roughly AED2.3 million.
The luxury segment showed up in force. The priciest apartment sold for AED171 million at Aman Residences Tower 2 in Jumeirah Second—the kind of figure that would buy a small hotel in most markets. Two other apartments crossed the AED100 million threshold: AED122 million at Baccarat Residence T1 in Downtown Dubai and AED118 million at Building C at Marsa Dubai.
The most expensive villa reached AED76 million at Eden Hills, though that figure seems almost modest compared to the ultra-luxury apartment prices.
Breaking down the broader market by price band, properties above AED5 million represented 11.81% of sales. Another 12.65% fell between AED3 million and AED5 million, whilst 17.54% landed in the AED2 million to AED3 million range. The volume sat in the AED1 million to AED2 million bracket at 34.7%, with 23.3% of transactions below AED1 million.
That distribution suggests Dubai’s property market isn’t just catering to ultra-high-net-worth buyers—there’s substantial activity in the sub-AED2 million segment where end-users and smaller investors operate.
Among primary market apartments, Creek Bay Tower B led with 198 sales totalling AED584 million, averaging AED2 million per unit. The Damac Lagoons development appeared repeatedly in the top-selling projects, with Valencia Towers A and B recording 155 and 150 sales respectively. Median prices in those Damac projects hovered around AED750,000 to AED764,000—significantly below the emirate-wide average.
For primary market villas, Saih Shuaib 1 dominated with 254 transactions worth AED2 billion, averaging AED6.6 million per property. Dubai Investment Park First followed with 74 sales totalling AED106.3 million.
The resale market painted a different picture. Citywalk Building 18a topped the secondary apartment market with 64 transactions worth AED363.3 million, averaging AED4.9 million per unit—nearly double the emirate-wide average. The Polo Residence recorded 60 resales totalling AED121.7 million, whilst Ciel saw 44 transactions valued at AED38.6 million.
For resale villas, Damac Lagoons Costa Brava led with 15 deals averaging AED3.1 million, whilst Jumeirah Village Triangle recorded 13 sales averaging AED5.6 million per property.
The question facing analysts now isn’t whether Dubai’s market remains resilient—April’s figures settled that. What’s less certain is whether the commercial sector’s 34% monthly surge represents a sustainable trend or a one-off spike driven by specific large transactions. The answer will likely emerge when May’s figures land in early June.
