The journal
Numbers, read at close range.
Old Dubai on one side of the frame, new Dubai on the other. We write about both.
- 45issues
- 2languages
- 1named byline each
Buying a Ready Home in Dubai 2026: Form F to Title Deed
How a ready-home purchase in Dubai runs: Form F and the deposit, the seller's NOC, the trustee office and the new title deed. What the sources report on fees and timing, October 2026.
Dubai Property Management Fees 2026: 5% to 8% and Net Yield
Dubai property managers charge 5% to 8% of annual rent for a long-term let in three 2026 guides and 5% to 7% in a fourth, plus tenant-find, renewal, inspection and repair charges. We re-run our illustrative AED 1.5 million apartment at each fee level.
Dubai $10 Million Homes, Q3 2026: 86 Sales, Prime Prices Down 5%
Knight Frank counted 86 Dubai home sales of $10 million or more in Q3 2026, 34% fewer than Q2; prime prices fell 5%. Why the counts differ, and what a buyer pays on top.
Best Areas to Buy Property in Dubai 2026: By Budget, Yield and Goal
There is no single best area to buy in Dubai in 2026, only a best area for each goal. For rental yield, JVC leads the seven communities we compared at 6.36% gross; for capital growth we found no area showing it, so we rank none.
“The market we work in does not move on headline prices. It moves on which inventory finds a buyer, and how quickly.”
— from a recent dispatchDubai Property Market Report Q3 2026: AED 70.8bn or 72.6bn?
Savills counts about 34,500 Dubai residential sales worth AED 70.8bn in Q3 2026; Cavendish Maxwell reports more than AED 72.6bn. Why the reports differ, and what lower rents do to net yield.
Selling Off-Plan Before Handover in Dubai 2026: What You Net
In Dubai you sell an off-plan unit before handover by assigning your sale contract. The developer must issue a no-objection certificate (NOC) , usually once 30% to 40% of the price is paid, and the transfer is recorded in the Interim Property Register . Sources put the all-in cost of selling at 6% to 11% of the sale price .
Dubai Price per Square Metre 2026: Why Sources Disagree
Recent reports put a Dubai apartment at AED 15,113 to AED 19,558 per square metre. The gap comes from the source: Savills’ Q3 2026 average is AED 1,817 per sq ft, betterhomes’ September 2026 median is AED 1,404. Multiply any square-foot price by 10.7639 to get the metre price.
Villa or Apartment in Dubai 2026: Price, Yield and Net Cost
Dubai villas cost about 29% more per square foot than apartments but yield less: 4.42% gross against 6.61%. In our illustrative sum, costs narrow that 2.19-point gap to 1.27 points.
Dubai Rents Fell 6.2% in Q2 and Are Still Falling in Q3 2026: What It Does to Net Yield
CBRE has Dubai rents down 6.2% on the quarter and 2.6% on the year in Q2 2026. A worked example on the yield calculator shows what that does to net yield.
Dubai Off-Plan Handover Costs 2026: What the Final Cheque Covers
Beyond the final instalment, a Dubai off-plan handover typically adds a title-deed fee, a DEWA deposit, the first year's service charge, a snagging inspection and, if unpaid, the 4% DLD fee. What each costs in October 2026, and where the sources disagree.
Dubai Mortgage Rates 2026: What the 3.9% UAE Base Rate Changes
The UAE Central Bank raised its base rate to 3.9% from 17 September 2026. Dubai mortgages follow three-month EIBOR, 4.21% on 16 October. What the move adds to a monthly payment, worked through on one illustrative loan.
Dubai Golden Visa Off-Plan 2026: 50% Payment Rule Reportedly Gone
The ten-year Golden Visa reportedly no longer needs 50% paid up front: off-plan and mortgaged property counts on its AED 2 million recorded value. What that changes for structuring a purchase, and what to check before you sign.
Dubai Property Prices 2026: AED 1,636/sq ft, First Dip Since 2021
Cavendish Maxwell put Dubai's average residential sale price at AED 1,636 per sq ft in August 2026, down 1.7% year on year: its first annual fall since February 2021. What the number does and does not tell a buyer.
Dubai Branded Residences 2026: What the Brand Premium Really Is
Estimates of the Dubai branded-residence premium run from 30 to 35% to 64%. Why they disagree, and what each figure means in dirhams.
Dubai Off-Plan Payment Plans 2026: 60/40, 20/80 or Post-Handover
Dubai off-plan payment plans differ mainly in when the money leaves your account. On our illustrative AED 1,500,000 unit (our arithmetic), a 60/40 plan asks for AED 600,000 on handover day, while a 20/80 plan with instalments after handover asks for nothing that day but leaves AED 1,200,000 to pay; and sources use the "20/80" label for two opposite things.
Dubai Chiller Fees 2026: What District Cooling Does to Net Yield
A chiller-paid Dubai building bills cooling apart from the service charge: a fixed charge per refrigeration ton plus metered use, reported for Empower at AED 750 a ton a year and AED 0.568 a ton-hour. On our illustrative unit that is AED 7,686 a year, or 0.44 points of net yield (our arithmetic), before any service-charge saving.
Jalili Real Estate Named a 2026 Best Workplace in the Middle East
Jalili Real Estate is ranked 47th in the Small category of the 2026 Best Workplaces in the Middle East™, published by Great Place to Work® Middle East in October 2026. The list names 200 organisations, ranked mainly on confidential employee feedback.
In memory of Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum
Jalili Real Estate extends its deepest condolences on the passing of Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, 21 September 2026.
Dubai Two-Year Property Investor Visa 2026: No AED 750,000 Floor
Dubai has removed the AED 750,000 minimum property value from its two-year property investor residence visa: a sole owner of a Dubai property can now apply at any value. Joint owners each need a registered share of at least AED 400,000. The update appeared on the Dubai Land Department's Cube Centre platform and was reported on 29 April 2026.
Dubai New Launches 2026: AED 75bn on Sale, AED 200bn Announced
Dubai's new-project pipeline passed AED 275 billion in the first half of 2026 — but only AED 75 billion of it, across 250 projects, was launched and registered with the Dubai Land Department by end-May. The other AED 200 billion is one Emaar masterplan announced on 11 June 2026 with no name, price or sales date yet.
Agency or Independent Broker in Dubai (2026): 4 Questions to Ask
Every Dubai broker must be licensed and registered, and there were 9,785 brokerage offices at the end of 2025. What an agency and an independent broker each give you, and four questions that show which one you are getting.
ORN and BRN in 2026: How to Verify a Dubai Broker’s Licence
ORN is the office's RERA registration, BRN the broker's own. How to check both on the Dubai Land Department's licensed brokers list, read the yearly expiry date, and scan an advert's permit QR code.
How to Choose a Real Estate Broker in Dubai (2026): 5 Questions
Dubai had 32,294 registered brokers at the end of 2025. Five questions to ask before the first viewing, and how to check a broker's BRN and office ORN on the DLD's licensed list.
Is a Dubai Off-Plan Project Real? 5 Checks Before You Pay (2026)
Off-plan was 72% of Dubai's residential deals in Q3 2026. Five checks, grounded in Law No. 8 of 2007 and Law No. 13 of 2008, that tell you whether a project follows the rules before you pay a deposit.
Gross vs Net Rental Yield in Dubai: How to Work Out Your Real Return in 2026
The rental yield quoted on almost any Dubai property listing is the gross figure: annual rent divided by purchase price, before a single cost is subtracted. Your real return is what is left after the costs of buying and running the property, and it is reliably lower than the number in the listing. The only […]
How to Read Dubai Developer Results in 2026: Sales, Revenue, Backlog
Emaar's H1 2026: AED 26.6bn of sales, AED 23.9bn of revenue, AED 12.8bn of profit and a AED 164.9bn backlog. What each number measures, why the backlog matters most to an off-plan buyer, and what escrow does and does not protect.
Off-Plan vs Ready in Dubai 2026: 72% of Deals, 64% of the Value
Off-plan was 72% of Dubai's residential sales by count in Q3 2026 but 64% by value, and ready homes' share of the money is rising. Nine-month data, three series, sources linked.
Gross vs Net Rental Yield in Dubai 2026: Why 6.6% Nets About 4.7%
Dubai's gross rental yield was 6.17% in September 2026. After a 2026 service charge, management and one empty month, a 6.6% unit nets about 4.7%. The arithmetic, shown.
Creek Haven by Emaar 2026: AED 1.86m at Launch, AED 2.72m Today
Emaar's Creek Haven launched from AED 1.86 million; on 20 October 2026 the 24 units still listed start at AED 2,722,888. What is left, what Emaar has not published, and what to check.
Renting Out Property in Dubai 2026: Ejari, the 20% Rent Cap and 90 Days’ Notice
A Dubai landlord can raise rent at renewal only within a cap set by how far the rent sits below the average for similar units: no increase up to 10% below it, rising to 20% where it is more than 40% below, and only with notice at least 90 days before the lease ends.
What a Dubai Purchase Costs in 2026: Fees Beyond the Price
On a ready Dubai apartment the costs beyond the price come to about 6.3% in our arithmetic: AED 126,780 on AED 2,000,000, led by the 4% Dubai Land Department fee (AED 80,000) and the 2% broker commission plus VAT (AED 42,000). A mortgage adds about AED 7,290 more, and the small fixed fees differ from […]
Dubai Golden Visa Through Property 2026: The AED 2 Million Rule
A Dubai property, or several, worth at least AED 2 million as certified by the Dubai Land Department qualifies its owner for the ten-year Golden Visa, and mortgaged property is accepted with a lien placed on it (GDRFA Dubai). The press reports more than the official page says; this guide keeps the two apart. The […]
Dubai Flexi Rent 2026: Pay Rent Monthly, Same Total
Dubai's Flexi Rent, launched by the Land Department on 23 June 2026, lets tenants of 12 participating companies split rent into instalments without changing the total: about AED 20,000 a quarter becomes about AED 6,667 a month. It is a pilot, and each company sets its own terms.
Resale or Off-Plan in Dubai 2026: 72% of Sales Are Off-Plan, but the Loan Cap Is 50%
Off-plan made up 72% of Dubai's home sales by number in Q3 2026 and 64% by value, but the choice is not a market call: an expatriate buying a first home under AED 5 million can borrow up to 80% of a ready home's value, and only 50% of an off-plan one.
Dubai Freehold Areas 2026: Where Foreigners Can Own, and the AED 2 Million Visa Line
Foreigners can own freehold property in Dubai only in areas the Ruler has designated, under Law No. 7 of 2006: freehold has no time limit, usufruct and leases stop at 99 years, and there is no age limit. Sources count between 60 and more than 70 designated zones, so check the plot, not just the area name.
Dubai Service Charges 2026: What Owners Actually Pay per Sq Ft
Service charges are the recurring cost of owning in Dubai — set per square foot, regulated by RERA, and easy to overlook at purchase. Here is what they cover, how they vary by area, and the extras that sit outside them.
Buying Off-Plan in Dubai 2026: The Process, Step by Step
Off-plan accounts for roughly three-quarters of Dubai's 2026 transactions. Here is how the purchase actually works — from booking deposit and Oqood registration to escrow, payment plans and handover.
An Open House with Dubai Holding
On 20 June, Jalili Real Estate opened an afternoon dedicated to Dubai Holding's master developers, Nakheel and Meraas: one day, a curated view of projects rarely shown together.
Jalili Real Estate Earns 2026 Great Place To Work Certification
Jalili Real Estate earns 2026 Great Place To Work Certification™ Dubai, UAE — Jalili Real Estate is proud to be Certified™ by Great Place To Work® for the first time. The recognition is based entirely on what current employees say about their experience working at Jalili Real Estate. This year, 93% of employees said it […]
Dubai 2026: The Shift to Logic – Why Asset Selection Now Outperforms Market Timing
The Dubai property market has long been synonymous with dazzling speed, headline launches, and, at times, sheer speculation. For years, capital appreciation moved so quickly that investors felt they could not lose, regardless of what they bought. The mantra was simple: get in now, ask questions later. As we move through 2026, that era has […]
Business Bay: Dubai’s commercial heart turns residential
Conceived as Dubai's central business district, Business Bay has become one of the emirate's busiest residential addresses. Here is what is driving the shift, and what it means for buyers in 2026.
Rent or Buy in Dubai 2026: AED 108,000 Rent Against a Mortgage at 3.89% or 6.05%
On our illustrative AED 1,650,000 apartment, renting costs AED 108,000 a year; owning costs AED 96,150 at a 3.89% fixed rate and AED 116,042 at 6.05%, after AED 436,790 of cash on day one. With Dubai rents down 6.81% on the year, the rate you can get decides which is cheaper.
Who Buys Dubai Property in 2026? Indian 20.6%, British 13.3%, Until You Change the Source
Indian buyers hold the largest share of Dubai property purchases in early 2026, an estimated 20.6%, ahead of British (13.3%) and Egyptian (12.6%) buyers; but one agency's own Q3 sales put British buyers first at 26%. The rankings measure different things.
Dubai Retirement Visa 2026: AED 1m Property Plus AED 1m Savings
Dubai's five-year retirement residence asks for 55-plus and 15 years of work, plus either AED 1 million of property and AED 1 million of savings, or AED 240,000 a year of income. The official rules, fees and how it compares with the Golden Visa.
How AI is changing Dubai’s prime property market in 2026
AI is reshaping how property is searched, valued, and invested in across Dubai. For UHNW buyers, the agencies that combine machine intelligence with deep market expertise are producing meaningfully better outcomes than those relying on either alone.
No articles in this section yet.
Read it before
it's repriced.
Unit economics, sub-market analysis, and what we are actually buying for clients. No noise, no referral asks. Unsubscribe in one click.