Handover: An independent guide to buying property in Dubai.

Dubai property transactions, tracked

Registered sales, value and median price, updated each release. 1.77 million transactions back to 2000.

Market dataUpdated 7 Sept 20264 min read

Has the Dubai property market turned?

Sales are down 18% on last year and the median price is down 11%. Here is what 1.77 million registered transactions actually show.

Market data7 Sept 20264 min read

Dubai rents, month by month

The official rent index, updated monthly. Rent growth has slowed in every single month of 2026.

Market dataUpdated 7 Sept 20263 min read

Dubai house prices, quarter by quarter

The official index since 2019, updated each release. Villas have risen roughly two and a half times as far as apartments.

Market dataUpdated 7 Sept 20263 min read

Dubai construction costs rose almost as much in six months as in the previous seven years

Official index data, and what a jump like this means if you are waiting on an off-plan handover.

Market data26 Aug 20264 min read

Two official sources say different things about Dubai prices

The Land Department's transaction data and the Statistics Centre's index are ten points apart. Knowing why stops you quoting the wrong one.

Market data8 Jul 20263 min read

Dubai prices rose six times faster than the cost of building

Home prices are up 67% since 2019. Building one is up 11%. The gap is the whole argument about whether Dubai is expensive.

Market data17 Jun 20262 min read

Does commercial property qualify for a Golden Visa?

Offices and retail units can count toward the AED 2 million threshold. Almost no guide mentions it, because almost no agent sells it.

Golden Visa27 May 20262 min read

The 2-year property investor visa, and why nobody mentions it

There is a residence route well below the AED 2 million Golden Visa threshold. The rules were relaxed again in April 2026.

Golden Visa13 May 20263 min read

Dubai shops are up 197% and hotel rooms are up 7%

Commercial property gets discussed as a single asset class. The official index shows a spread wide enough to make that meaningless.

Market data22 Apr 20263 min read

Why villa owners did two and a half times better than apartment owners

Since 2019 the villa index has risen 128% and the apartment index 50%. The reason is supply, and it tells you something about what comes next.

Market data8 Apr 20263 min read

Does buying property in Dubai get you a Golden Visa?

AED 2 million is the number. What changed in February 2026 is who can reach it, and most published guidance has not caught up.

Golden Visa18 Mar 20263 min read

Can you sell an off-plan property before handover?

Usually yes, once you have paid enough of it. The mechanism is an assignment, and the costs are higher than most buyers were told.

Off-plan10 Mar 20263 min read

What happens if you cannot pay your mortgage in Dubai?

Selling does not automatically clear the debt. UAE mortgages are recourse loans, and the shortfall follows you.

Mortgages24 Feb 20262 min read

Rent or buy in Dubai: how to actually run the numbers

The monthly comparison everyone makes is the wrong one. Here is the arithmetic that decides it, including the costs people leave out.

Costs11 Feb 20263 min read

Can you cancel a Form F after signing?

Not on your own. Here is what the 10% cheque actually secures, what a standard Form F does not contain, and the one route out that works.

Contracts28 Jan 20263 min read

How buying property in Dubai actually works

Seven stages from the first signature to the title deed, what each costs, and where transactions actually stall.

Buying process14 Jan 20268 min read

Buying property in Dubai, explained

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