104 Projects, AED 111 Billion: Dubai H1 2026 Real Estate Completions

DUBAI, 21 August 2026: Dubai completed 104 real estate projects in the first half of 2026. The Dubai Land Department released the figures this week. A year earlier, the city completed 75 projects, so the rise exceeded 38.7%.

The combined value of the 2026 projects passed AED111 billion. The figure stood at AED73 billion a year earlier, which puts growth at 52%.

What do the latest Dubai Land Department figures show?

The figures show a market growing in both volume and value at once.

Project completions rose from 75 to 104 over the year. Value rose faster than volume, at 52% against 38.7%. That gap suggests the projects finished in 2026 are larger and cost more to build than those finished in 2025.

The department links the growth to strong liquidity and steady capital flowing into the emirate. The first half of the year also brought a sharp rise in new project launches. Developers and investors appear focused on landmark schemes rather than small additions to existing stock.

How did residential supply and built-up areas perform?

Supply grew on both measures the department tracks. The number of new real estate units reached 24,537, against 18,043 in the first half of 2025. This marks a rise of more than 36%.

The completed area ready for handover reached 1.95 million square metres. The same measure stood at 1.58 million square metres last year, above 23.4%.

Unit numbers grew faster than floor space. This pattern points to a pipeline weighted towards apartments and mid-sized homes.

Why did land allocation values rise so sharply?

Land recorded the steepest rise of any measure in the release.

The value of land allocated to projects reached AED19.46 billion. The figure stood at AED8.27 billion in the same period of 2025, a rise of more than 135%.

The land area also more than doubled. Plots for completed projects covered about one million square metres, against 484,000 square metres a year earlier.

Investors read land data as a forward signal. Developers secure plots long before they hand over finished homes. A rise on this scale points to a pipeline that runs well past the current period.

What did Dubai's leadership say, and how does this support the D33 agenda?

H.H. Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum welcomed the results. He is the Crown Prince of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence of the UAE, and Chairman of The Executive Council of Dubai.

As per him, the sector's performance reflects the vision of H.H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai. The vision rests on building a strong and lasting economy on solid ground and also aims to make Dubai the preferred global destination for investment across key sectors.

Sheikh Hamdan called the growth in deals, project numbers and investment inflows a renewed vote of confidence from the global business community. He credited flexible laws, world-class infrastructure, high transparency and a strong partnership with the private sector. Together, these strengths draw global capital and offer a secure setting that delivers strong returns.

The results also align with the Dubai Economic Agenda D33. The agenda aims to double the size of the economy by 2033 and place Dubai among the world's top three cities. Sheikh Hamdan said the first-half figures show steady progress towards those goals.

The performance confirms real estate as a core pillar of Dubai's plan to broaden its economy. That plan rests on a diverse economic base, flexible laws, and leading infrastructure, digital tools and services. The figures also mark the sector as a secure destination for growth-led investment.

Key figures at a glance