
UAE real estate market – outlook 2026 (3 of 3)
As mentioned in our two previous articles of this series, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) real estate market emerged from 2025 with a strong momentum which is likely to continue in 2026.

As mentioned in our two previous articles of this series, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) real estate market emerged from 2025 with a strong momentum which is likely to continue in 2026.

As has been mentioned in our previous article of this series, we are expecting that the UAE real estate market will keep its momentum and remain strong also in 2026, given its solid fundamentals and market’s maturity.

Undoubtedly, United Arab Emirates (UAE) real estate market has been one of the strongest in the world over the recent years. It emerged from 2025 with a strong momentum which is likely to continue in 2026.

As demand for a conscious living is on the rise, sustainable development is a growing trend in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). With almost 90% expatriate population, many prefer green, sustainable, quality housing.

Similarly to office market (pls see our article 2025 Update Part 1), vacancies are plummeting also on the retail market. Abu Dhabi retail vacancy fell to 9% in 3Q, down 5% year-to-year, while Dubai’s dropped to 6.8%, a 2.2% annual decrease.

In 3Q 2025 the new supply remains limited across the UAE for both, office and retail markets, thus pushing both demand and rents up, according to JLL 3Q Office Market Dynamics Report.

Dubai rental market is one of the strongest in the world in comparison to cities like London, New York or Singapore.

In 2024, Abu Dhabi’s residential property market experienced notable growth, driven by heightened demand and a shortage of available supply.

Dubai's real estate sector achieved yet another landmark last week with an impressive 3.7 billion USD in property sales within a single week.

While Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the emirates most talked about for their strong real estate appeal, in recent years Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) has also got into the limelight.