Dubai luxury property demand remained resilient in July, with buyers committing AED3.42 billion to 244 high-end off-plan homes as investors continued to put substantial capital into the emirate’s residential market.
The transactions covered properties priced above AED5 million and ranged from premium apartments and villas to homes changing hands for tens of millions of dirhams. The average value of the off-plan transactions reached AED14 million per property, according to an analysis released by Dubai luxury developer Keturah on August 12.
The figures suggest that demand at the upper end of Dubai’s housing market is not being driven solely by occasional trophy-property deals. Instead, buyers are continuing to purchase across several luxury price brackets.
Dubai Luxury Property Records AED3.42bn in July Sales
Developers recorded 244 off-plan residential transactions valued above AED5 million during July, generating a combined AED3.42 billion.
Apartments accounted for the larger share of activity, with 151 off-plan transactions worth approximately AED2.3 billion. Villas contributed another 93 deals with a combined value of around AED1.1 billion.
That brought the average value of a luxury off-plan purchase during the month to around AED14 million.
The numbers highlight the continued willingness of buyers to commit significant sums before construction is complete, an important indicator of confidence in developers, individual projects and Dubai’s longer-term residential market.
Luxury Apartment Buyers Drive Dubai Property Activity
Apartments were particularly active during July.
The AED5 million to AED10 million category recorded the largest number of apartment transactions, with 81 sales generating AED552.6 million.
However, a large proportion of the overall value came from buyers purchasing considerably more expensive homes.
There were 41 apartment sales valued between AED10 million and AED20 million, worth a combined AED593.6 million. Another 24 transactions in the AED20 million to AED50 million bracket generated AED708.5 million.
At the top of the market, four off-plan apartments were sold in the AED50 million to AED100 million category, averaging AED69.9 million each.
One apartment transaction reached AED166 million, illustrating that demand for ultra-prime residences remains present alongside the broader luxury segment.
Villas Maintain Their Appeal Among Wealthy Buyers
Luxury villas also continued to attract buyers.
July recorded 60 off-plan villa transactions in the AED5 million to AED10 million range, generating AED387.4 million.
Another 22 villas priced between AED10 million and AED20 million changed hands for a combined AED317.2 million, while 10 sales in the AED20 million to AED50 million bracket were worth AED334.1 million.
A further villa sold for AED72.7 million.
The spread of transactions across several price categories indicates that Dubai luxury property demand extends beyond a narrow group of ultra-expensive trophy homes.
Buyers appear to be active across different levels of the premium market, from comparatively accessible luxury homes above AED5 million to highly exclusive residences costing more than AED50 million.
AED12.11bn Committed Over Three Months
The July figures form part of a broader three-month trend.
Between May and July, Dubai developers recorded 942 off-plan residential sales priced above AED5 million, generating AED12.11 billion in total transaction value. The average property sold during the period was worth approximately AED12.9 million.
May was particularly strong, with 391 luxury off-plan apartment and villa transactions generating AED4.96 billion.
Villa buyers accounted for AED2.51 billion across 184 May transactions, while 207 apartment sales produced another AED2.45 billion. The average transaction was worth AED12.7 million.
In June, luxury off-plan residential sales remained above AED3.7 billion. Developers recorded 307 transactions worth AED3.72 billion, including 166 apartment sales and 141 villa transactions.
July’s AED3.42 billion total was lower than the previous two months, but buyers still committed billions of dirhams to 244 premium homes.
That makes the three-month picture more significant than any single month’s movement.
Dubai Luxury Property Demand Goes Beyond Off-Plan Homes
Completed properties are also attracting high-value buyers.
In July, developers recorded another 43 ready-property transactions above AED5 million, generating AED552.8 million. The average value of those completed homes was approximately AED12.9 million.
This provides another indication that demand is not confined to buyers seeking newly launched off-plan developments.
Ready properties appeal to purchasers who want immediate occupancy, rental opportunities or completed homes where the final design, location and surrounding community can already be assessed.
The coexistence of strong off-plan and completed-property transactions gives Dubai’s luxury residential market a broader base.
High-Value Buyers Remain Selective
Although billions of dirhams continue to flow into luxury residential property, buyers at this level tend to look beyond basic factors such as bedroom numbers and floor area.
Privacy, location, architecture, wellness facilities, waterfront access, landscaping and long-term community quality are increasingly important considerations.
Talal M. Al Gaddah, CEO and founder of Keturah, said the July figures demonstrate that demand extends beyond isolated high-value transactions, with investors continuing to commit substantial capital to Dubai residential property.
This means developers face growing pressure to differentiate their projects.
For buyers spending AED10 million, AED20 million or significantly more on a residence, the quality of the wider development can become almost as important as the home itself.
Off-Plan Market Remains Important to Dubai Luxury Property
The strength of off-plan transactions is particularly notable because buyers are effectively committing capital to properties that may still be under construction.
Such purchases rely heavily on confidence.
Buyers must be comfortable with the developer, location, payment structure, design and expected quality of the completed project.
July’s 244 luxury off-plan transactions therefore provide a useful measure of how investors currently view the premium development pipeline.
The data also demonstrates that buyers are willing to make large commitments across a wide range of price levels rather than concentrating exclusively on entry-level luxury units.
Premium Demand Spreads Across Multiple Price Bands
One of the clearest themes from the July figures is the depth of the market.
The AED5 million to AED10 million category produced the greatest number of transactions, but substantial volumes were also recorded between AED10 million and AED20 million and between AED20 million and AED50 million.
At the same time, apartment transactions above AED50 million and individual deals exceeding AED100 million show that the ultra-prime segment remains active.
This mixture matters because a sustainable luxury property market typically requires more than a handful of headline-grabbing sales.
Regular transactions across several premium price brackets suggest a broader pool of buyers.
Dubai Continues to Compete for Global Wealth
Dubai’s luxury residential market has increasingly become international in character, with premium developments designed to appeal to wealthy residents and investors looking for high-quality homes in a globally connected city.
For developers, this means competition is no longer limited to other projects within Dubai.
Luxury buyers can compare properties and lifestyles across major international cities before deciding where to place their capital.
Dubai developers are responding by placing greater emphasis on branded residences, waterfront communities, wellness-focused developments and master-planned neighbourhoods.
Keturah, whose analysis produced the July figures, currently has two major luxury projects under development: Keturah Reserve, an AED5.7 billion community in Mohammed Bin Rashid City, and The Ritz-Carlton Residences at Keturah Resort on Dubai Creek.
Luxury Market Remains Active Despite Monthly Fluctuations
Property markets rarely move in a straight line, and transaction volumes can vary considerably from one month to another.
May produced nearly AED5 billion in luxury off-plan sales, followed by AED3.72 billion in June and AED3.42 billion in July.
The declining monthly totals therefore deserve attention, but they do not tell the whole story.
Over the full three-month period, buyers still committed AED12.11 billion to 942 off-plan homes priced above AED5 million.
For developers and investors, sustained activity across multiple months may provide a more useful indication of underlying demand than one exceptional transaction or short-term monthly movement.
Dubai Luxury Property Market Shows Depth
July’s figures reinforce an important feature of Dubai’s premium residential sector: luxury demand is spread across apartments, villas, off-plan developments and completed homes.
The AED3.42 billion committed to 244 off-plan properties during the month represents an average transaction of AED14 million, while another AED552.8 million flowed into completed luxury homes.
More importantly, buyers were active from the AED5 million level through to transactions exceeding AED100 million.
That breadth suggests Dubai luxury property demand continues to have depth even as monthly transaction values fluctuate.
The next test will be whether developers can maintain that momentum as new premium projects enter the market and wealthy buyers become increasingly selective about location, quality and long-term value.
For now, the July numbers show that substantial capital is still being committed to Dubai’s luxury residential market — and not only through the headline-grabbing mega-deals.
