Dubai property demand holds as Ramadan week posts Dh18.93bn in deals

Dubai real estate UAE keeps pace during Ramadan — numbers that surprise

Dubai's real estate UAE market kept moving through Ramadan, recording nearly Dh19bn in transactions in the second week alone. That kind of volume in a five‑day trading window is a clear signal that appetite for property and housing in Dubai is active even while regional tensions are on the news cycle.

This report reviews the transaction data, breaks down what kinds of assets are trading, and explains what the numbers mean for buyers, investors, and expats. We use the official figures reported by Rasd and offer practical analysis for people considering an entry into Dubai's property market or adjusting existing holdings.

How the numbers add up: week two and the Ramadan total

The headline figure for the second week of Ramadan is Dh18.93 billion in total real estate transactions. That amount was recorded across approximately 4,507 transactions. Sales over the five working days in that week exceeded Dh11.01 billion.

Key breakdowns from Rasd are:

• Dh5.85 billion in sales of ready-made properties through 1,188 transactions
• Dh5.16 billion in sales of properties under construction through 2,109 transactions
• Total sales transactions: 3,297 (of which 2,733 were residential units, 241 were buildings, and 323 were land)
• Mortgage volume: Dh6.05 billion across 949 transactions (including 605 for residential units)
• Donations (gifts): Dh1.87 billion through 261 transactions
• Total recorded transactions during the Ramadan period so far: Dh25.29 billion across 7,497 deals (since the start of Ramadan)

In the immediate aftermath of the regional escalation, Dubai still posted Dh3.98 billion in sales during the first two working days, and total transactions for that period exceeded Dh6.15 billion. That short-term resilience is notable.

Ready inventory versus off‑plan: what buyers are choosing

The split between ready-made (completed) property sales and off-plan (under construction) transactions is one of the clearest signals of market confidence.

• Ready-made sales accounted for Dh5.85 billion through 1,188 transactions. Buyers here are completing purchases where delivery risk is absent and rental income can begin sooner.
• Off-plan sales reached Dh5.16 billion via 2,109 transactions. The higher number of off-plan transactions suggests developers remain successful in moving units by offering staged payments, incentives, or project pipelines that match investor demand.

What this means for buyers and investors:

• Investors seeking near-term cash flow are tilting toward ready stock, as reflected in the larger transaction value per deal for completed properties.
• Buyers willing to accept construction risk are still active; the volume of off-plan deals indicates developers are still incentivizing purchases and that financing or payment plans are accessible.

In our view, this balance suggests a bifurcated market: institutional and yield-focused buyers target completed stock for immediate returns, while speculative or longer-horizon buyers use off-plan projects for capital appreciation potential.

Mortgage and gifting activity: financing remains a driver

Mortgage deals totaled Dh6.05 billion in the second Ramadan week across 949 transactions. The mortgage distribution included 605 transactions for residential units, 103 for buildings, and 241 for land.

Large mortgage volumes matter for two reasons:

• They show banks and lenders are engaged in the market and underwriting new loans, which supports transaction liquidity.
• They demonstrate buyer reliance on leveraged purchases; mortgage availability is a leading indicator of ongoing demand.

Gifting transactions (donations) recorded Dh1.87 billion through 261 deals, with most of that activity linked to housing units. Donations are a structural feature of the UAE market and can be used for intra-family transfers, estate planning, and transfers between Emirati and non-Emirati entities in certain contexts.

For prospective buyers and mortgage-dependent investors, our analysis is straightforward: secure lender pre-approval early, check current lending criteria for expatriates, and factor financing costs into yield calculations. Mortgage availability is supportive, but interest rate direction and bank risk appetite can change.

Who is transacting and what types of assets are moving?

The raw transaction counts show heavy activity in residential units: 2,733 residential sales within the week. Buildings and land are smaller though still meaningful categories.

Buyers active in Dubai include end-users (families and individuals), local and regional investors, and international buyers seeking portfolio diversification, residency pathways, or currency diversification. The mix is important because it affects price sensitivity and holding periods.

From the figures we see:

• Residential sales dominate volume, indicating a broad base of demand for living space and rental stock
• Land and buildings trades reflect development activity and large-balance investors or developers reshaping portfolios

If you are an investor, ask sellers for granular data: rental yields by community, occupancy histories, service charge trends, and recent comparable sales. Relying on headline volumes alone can mislead when micro-markets within Dubai diverge significantly.

The geopolitical context and market resilience

Dubai's activity during the second week of Ramadan came amid heightened tensions in the wider Middle East. Despite that, the market produced strong transaction values and volumes, including Dh3.98 billion in sales in the two working days after the regional escalation.

High-profile figures have publicly praised Dubai’s management and safety environment, and that message appears to translate into investor confidence. While such endorsements do matter for perception, we must separate signal from noise:

• Perception of safety and governance is part of why international capital considers Dubai. That is real and material.
• Conversely, geopolitical risk can move quickly. Short-term flows may persist while tensions are localized, but sustained instability would change calculations for cross-border buyers.

We judge the market to be resilient in the short term, yet not immune to large-scale contagion or sanctions that would affect liquidity and the banking system.

Practical advice for buyers, investors and expats

The headline numbers create a backdrop, but individual decisions require specific steps.