The weekly report published by Edwards & Towers on 18 September 2026 shows AED 10.67 billion in transactions over five days, while the August figures confirm 11,600 sales and the first year-on-year price decline since 2021.
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On 18 September 2026, the firm Edwards & Towers released its weekly update on the Dubai property market, reporting AED 10.67 billion in transactions recorded over five days, including AED 2.80 billion in mortgage lending. This snapshot comes as the full figures for August, compiled from the Dubai Land Department registers, confirm a turning point: 11,600 sales worth AED 27.89 billion, but also the first year-on-year price decline for a month of August since 2021. It's a signal we're watching closely at Lucretia, because it marks less a loss of steam than a maturing market.
Key takeaways
- The Edwards & Towers weekly report published on 18 September 2026 records AED 10.67 billion in Dubai property transactions over five days.
- Of that weekly total, AED 2.80 billion corresponds to mortgage lending.
- August 2026 totalled 11,600 property sales in Dubai for AED 27.89 billion.
- August 2026 marks the first year-on-year decline in Dubai property prices for a month of August since 2021.
- Dubai property transactions from January to the end of August 2026 reached AED 523.44 billion, according to data published on 1 September 2026.
Volumes holding firm, prices easing off
The core message of this report is twofold. On one hand, activity remains strong: AED 10.67 billion changing hands in a single week, and 11,600 sales in August for AED 27.89 billion, confirm that demand hasn't dried up. On the other, price appreciation is levelling off, with a first year-on-year decline recorded for a month of August since 2021.
This split between volumes and prices is typical of a market moving out of a rapid growth cycle and into a calmer phase. Buyers are still plentiful, but they're negotiating harder and making choices with more discernment. The significant share of mortgage lending in the week's transactions — AED 2.80 billion out of 10.67 billion — also reflects a clientele that structures its acquisitions rather than buying in a hurry.
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A larger market, a sharper reading
This price slowdown fits into a market whose depth is undiminished: cumulative transactions from January to the end of August 2026 reached AED 523.44 billion. In other words, the overall momentum remains, but it now plays out far more unevenly across neighbourhoods, property tiers and developers.
It's precisely in phases like these that selection makes the difference. Not every location behaves the same way once the tide stops lifting the whole market: certain mature neighbourhoods and well-positioned projects keep attracting buyers, while more speculative segments correct more sharply. To build a strategy suited to this context, our guide to investing in Dubai sets out the essential markers, and the detailed breakdown of Dubai property purchase costs helps assess the real budget for a deal beyond the headline price alone.
What it changes for the investor
For an investor, this snapshot isn't a signal to pull back, but a call for selectivity. When volumes stay high and prices stop rising automatically, value no longer comes from the market simply going up: it comes from the choice of property, the location and the entry price. This is the moment when guidance and a fine-grained knowledge of the ground count most.
In practice, we favour neighbourhoods where rental demand is structurally strong and projects backed by solid developers, where the ratio between rent and purchase price remains favourable. It's worth remembering that in Dubai, individuals pay neither income tax on rental income nor capital gains tax on property: a framework that preserves net yield even when capital appreciation slows. We obviously make no claim about future performance figures — we help put the conditions in place to achieve it.
At Lucretia, our local presence lets us tell apart, project by project, what amounts to a healthy correction and what reflects a lasting weakness. For international investors who can't travel, we also set out the steps for buying remotely, and for those hesitating between destinations, our comparison of Dubai versus Bali helps frame the risk profile that suits each investor.
Source: edwardsandtowers.com — 2026-09-18
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About the author
Benoit CLAUDEL
Director of Strategy & Operations
With over 18 years of experience in real estate and wealth management, Benoît has developed recognized expertise in advising private investors, business executives and family offices. After starting out in a real estate agency and working within one of the most reputable wealth management firms in Paris, he then joined LCL as Head of Private Banking for Île-de-France, advising high-income clients on their real estate strategies. An entrepreneur, he founded and ran his own wealth management firm for 7 years, structuring investment and wealth optimization solutions. Today at Lucretia, Benoît oversees operational strategy, sales performance and advisor training. He works on high-value-added cases, particularly investments via French holding companies, legal structuring and wealth taxation.
