The handover of more than 72,000 homes this year is expected to stabilise rents in Dubai, reducing pressure on tenants and offering them more choice, according to a new report by property portals Bayut and dubizzle.
The market is entering a phase of “healthy stabilisation”, with long-term rents showing more measured shifts and short-term rentals continuing to attract steady demand, the research found.
“Dubai’s rental market is starting to stabilise after a period of rapid growth,” said Haider Ali Khan, chief executive of Bayut and Dubizzle Group Mena.
“With over 72,000 new units expected this year, the pressure on rents is slowly starting to ease, offering more breathing room and better choices for tenants.”
However, not all units are typically completed on time. Last year, a total of 27,000 new homes were completed, a report by ValuStrat management consultancy found, which is said was the lowest figure for six years.
“With the rent-versus-buy debate picking up, especially now that prices are levelling out, we’re seeing more people take a serious look at home ownership," Mr Khan said.
“The first-time homebuyer initiative launched by the Dubai Land Department is also nudging renters to consider making that leap, offering access to exclusive units and attractive financing.”
Dubai's property market has benefited from government initiatives such as residency permits for retired and remote workers, expansion of the 10-year golden visa programme and overall growth in the UAE’s economy on diversification efforts.
Under the first-time homebuyer initiative, purchasers will have priority access to new homes from participating developers as well as existing inventory. They will also benefit from discounts or limited-time offers on the price of off-plan units, flexible payment plans and improved mortgage options with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees, according to the DLD.
Watch: What is Dubai's first-time home ownership scheme?
Apartment rents
Affordable apartment rents increased by 7 per cent in the first half of the year, but some units in Bur Dubai and Deira reported decreases of 6.19 per cent, the Bayut-dubizzle report found.
Mid-range apartment rentals experienced rises of 1 per cent to 6 per cent in annual rates.
Asking rents for luxury apartments decreased between 1 per cent and 5 per cent. However, some units in Dubai Marina and Downtown Dubai reported an increase of up to 3 per cent in annual rent.
Bur Dubai, Arjan and Deira are popular for affordable apartment rentals. Jumeirah Village Circle, Business Bay and Jumeirah Lakes Towers are sought-after for mid-tier units, while Dubai Marina, Downtown Dubai and Dubai Creek Harbour maintained their status as prime choices for luxury apartments, the study showed.
Villa rents
Affordable villa rents surged by up to 9 per cent in some districts. Asking rents for mid-tier villas have generally risen by up to 7 per cent. The exceptions are three and four-bedroom units in Al Furjan, and four and five-bedroom units in JVC, which recorded rent decreases of up to 13 per cent, according to the report.
Luxury villa rents surged by up to 53 per cent in the first six months of the year, with five-bedroom units in Dubai Hills Estate reporting the highest rises following the influx of new inventory.
“Continued demand and lack of extensive supply has meant that villa rentals have remained competitive for landlords,” the report said.
While Damac Hills 2, Mirdif and Dubai South were preferred for affordable villa rents, Al Furjan, JVC and Arabian Ranches 3 attracted the most tenant interest in the mid-tier segment. Dubai Hills Estate, Damac Hills and Jumeirah were top picks for luxury villa rentals, the report added.
A separate report by Springfield Properties showed that apartment rents in Dubai for the second quarter of this year increased to an average of Dh72,090 ($19,629) per annum, up from Dh66,725 in the corresponding period last year.
Townhouse rents on average also recorded healthy growth, rising to Dh165,783, while average villa rents increased to Dh263,373, compared to Dh224,879 a year ago, the real estate agency reported.
“The consistent rise in rental values, especially in prime communities, highlights the strong yield potential for property investors in Dubai. With growing tenant demand and attractive rental returns, the market remains a favourable environment for both short- and long-term investment strategies,” the report said.
Results
2pm: Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (Dirt) 1,200m, Winner: Mouheeb, Tom Marquand (jockey), Nicholas Bachalard (trainer)
2.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Honourable Justice, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
3pm: Handicap (TB) Dh84,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Dahawi, Antonio Fresu, Musabah Al Muhairi
3.30pm: Conditions (TB) Dh100,000 (D) 1,200m, Winner: Dark Silver, Fernando Jara, Ahmad bin Harmash
4pm: Maiden (TB) Dh60,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Dark Of Night. Antonio Fresu, Al Muhairi.
4.30pm: Handicap (TB) Dh68,000 (D) 1,600m, Winner: Habah, Pat Dobbs, Doug Watson
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Checks continue
A High Court judge issued an interim order on Friday suspending a decision by Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots to direct a stop to Brexit agri-food checks at Northern Ireland ports.
Mr Justice Colton said he was making the temporary direction until a judicial review of the minister's unilateral action this week to order a halt to port checks that are required under the Northern Ireland Protocol.
Civil servants have yet to implement the instruction, pending legal clarity on their obligations, and checks are continuing.
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
MATCH INFO
Leeds United 0
Brighton 1 (Maupay 17')
Man of the match: Ben White (Brighton)
THE CLOWN OF GAZA
Director: Abdulrahman Sabbah
Starring: Alaa Meqdad
Rating: 4/5
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More from Rashmee Roshan Lall
'Munich: The Edge of War'
Director: Christian Schwochow
Starring: George MacKay, Jannis Niewohner, Jeremy Irons
Rating: 3/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
$1,000 award for 1,000 days on madrasa portal
Daily cash awards of $1,000 dollars will sweeten the Madrasa e-learning project by tempting more pupils to an education portal to deepen their understanding of math and sciences.
School children are required to watch an educational video each day and answer a question related to it. They then enter into a raffle draw for the $1,000 prize.
“We are targeting everyone who wants to learn. This will be $1,000 for 1,000 days so there will be a winner every day for 1,000 days,” said Sara Al Nuaimi, project manager of the Madrasa e-learning platform that was launched on Tuesday by the Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, to reach Arab pupils from kindergarten to grade 12 with educational videos.
“The objective of the Madrasa is to become the number one reference for all Arab students in the world. The 5,000 videos we have online is just the beginning, we have big ambitions. Today in the Arab world there are 50 million students. We want to reach everyone who is willing to learn.”
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
Green ambitions
- Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
- Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
- Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
- Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water
Ovo's tips to find extra heat
- Open your curtains when it’s sunny
- Keep your oven open after cooking
- Have a cuddle with pets and loved ones to help stay cosy
- Eat ginger but avoid chilli as it makes you sweat
- Put on extra layers
- Do a few star jumps
- Avoid alcohol
Aayan%E2%80%99s%20records
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