News: Dubai Home Sales Fall 16.1% in H1 2026: Anarock-13-07-2026
Residential transactions in Dubai totalled AED 225.7 billion in H1 2026, down 16.1% from AED 269.1 billion in H1 2025 amid the US-Iran war, according to an Anarock Middle East report titled ’Dubai Real Estate: Built on Vision. Proven by Numbers.’ The figure was still 14.7% above the AED 196.8 billion of H1 2024.
The report separates armed conflicts from economic or financial shocks, noting that geopolitical events have historically had a smaller and shorter effect on Dubai housing. In the Global Financial Crisis (2008-2010), prices fell around 40% and took nearly 3.5 years to recover, the slowest rebound in the city’s history. The 2015-16 oil price collapse brought only a 2% correction, as oil is less than 1% of Dubai’s GDP. In 2020, COVID-19 pulled prices down about 6%, with recovery in 13 months.
This time, prices fell 4-7%. Aayush Puri, CEO - Residential, Middle East & CEO - ANAROCK Channel Partners (India), said the dip in the February to April period was sentiment-driven, not structural. The DFM Real Estate stock index crashed 34% at its peak, which he called the widest sentiment-to-asset gap of any Dubai crisis on record.
Average residential prices in H1 2026 were around AED 1,900 (approximately Rs 44,300) per sq ft, up 6% from AED 1,800 (approximately Rs 42,000) a year earlier.
More than 129,600 new investors entered the market in 2025, up 23% year-on-year. About 80% of residential deals were cash-funded, cushioning the market from interest rate swings. By motive, 38% bought for self-use, 28% for rental income, 21% for Golden Visa residency and 13% for capital preservation.
