Dubai real estate sales pass $12bn in January as one surprise sector leaps over 151%

Dubai’s real estate market has made a strong start to 2025, with property sales in January totalling AED44.4bn ($12.1bn), a 24.1 per cent increase in value on the same month last year.

A market update issued today by fäm Properties reveals that last month’s total of 14,236 transactions also represented a 23.2 per cent increase in volume over January 2024.

Land sales for January showed the biggest increase, with 811 plots – a 151.9 per cent month-on-month leap in volume – selling for AED8.6bn ($2.3bn).

Dubai real estate January 2025

Villa sales totalling AED16.4bn ($4.5bn) also climbed sharply in volume by 89.6 per cent to 3,117 compared with January last year, and apartment sales worth AED18.2bn ($5bn) were up 7.1 per cent in volume to 9,945.

A total of 363 commercial property transactions amounting to AED1.2bn ($327m) represented a 17.9 per cent increase in volume over January 2024.

While the average price per sq. ft was down slightly by 4 per cent to AED1,550 ($422), it still represents an 81.2 per cent increase over the last five years, from AED855 ($233) in January 2020.

Firas Al Msaddi, CEO of fäm Properties, said: “The figures once more emphasize the strength of Dubai’s real estate market and the consistent growth seen in recent years.

“This underlines Dubai’s status as a secure destination for real estate investment which continues to build investor confidence and draw interest from the local, regional and international markets.”

Dubai property sales for the month of January have now risen by 822 per cent in value over the last five years

• January 2020: AED4.8bn/$1.3bn from 2,700 transactions
• January 2021: AED6.6bn/$1.8bn from 3,300 transactions
• January 2022: AED16.3bn/$4.4bn from 5,700 transactions
• January 2023: AED27.8bn/$7.6bn from 9,700 transactions
• January 2024: AED35.8bn/$9.7bn from 11,600 transactions

The most expensive individual property sold in January was a luxury villa at Dubai Hills Estate which fetched AED140m ($38.1m). The most expensive apartment sold during the month went for AED57m ($15.5m) at Ava At Palm Jumeirah By Omniyat.

Overall, first sales from developers were significantly greater than those of resales – 65 per cent over 35 per cent in terms of volume, and 60 per cent against 40 per cent in overall value.

Properties worth more than AED5m ($1.4m) accounting for 9 per cent of total sales, 31 per cent came in the AED1-2m ($272,000-$545,000) range, 27 per cent below AED1m ($272,000m), 20 per cent between AED2-3 million ($545,000-817,000) and 14 per cent between AED3-5m ($817,000-$1.4m).

Source: Arabian Business