Dubai and Abu Dhabi · 1 October 2026
Villas and townhouses, in numbers.
How many are built, how many are coming, who sells them, where prices rose, and what nobody counts. Every figure names its source.
15,299
Dubai villa and townhouse sales, last 12 months
DLD
77.7bn
AED paid for them in Dubai
DLD
3,695
Abu Dhabi villa and townhouse sales, first half of 2026
ADREC
34.3bn
AED paid for them in Abu Dhabi
ADREC
1
Under construction or ready to move in
Dubai
39,291
villas and townhouses under construction, due by 2029. DLD’s own register shows a similar 36,839 not yet titled. ValuStrat
68,297
launched and not yet finished, which includes projects where building has not started. 58,349 of them (85.4%) are already sold. Fäm Properties
<20%
of Dubai’s roughly 1 million homes are villas or townhouses, so fewer than 200,000 are standing today. ValuStrat
9,382
villas and townhouses were completed in 2025. ValuStrat
128,620
villas and townhouses in freehold areas hold a title today, with 36,839 more registered but not yet titled. DLD register
Abu Dhabi
409,000
homes of every type stand in Abu Dhabi emirate today. ADREC
71,000
more homes are due by 2030. The biggest year is 2028, with about 21,800. ADREC
82%
of first-half 2026 home sales were off-plan, so most buyers are buying homes still being built. ADREC
Abu Dhabi does not publish how many of its 409,000 homes, or of the 71,000 on the way, are villas or townhouses.
What Dubai buyers bought, 12 months to 25 Sep 2026
9,214 off-plan, still being built (60%)
6,085 ready homes (40%)
DLD
2
Freehold and leasehold
Counted from Dubai Land Department's buildings register: 223,701 villas and townhouses, each one flagged.
Freehold · 74%
165,459
In areas where any nationality can own. 128,620 already hold a title; 36,839 are registered but not yet titled, mostly off-plan.
DLD register
Citizens’ areas · 24%
53,595
Outside the foreign-ownership areas. Freehold for UAE and GCC nationals only, so an expat cannot buy these.
DLD register
Leasehold · 2%
4,647
Long leases, in three places only.
DLD register
The freehold and leasehold counts cover every villa in those areas. The citizens’ areas count is a floor: those homes only reach this register when they are recorded with DLD, mostly for renting out, so the true number is higher. Freehold villas sit in 64 DLD areas; citizens’ villas are spread over 151.
Biggest freehold communities
DLD register
Where the citizens’ villas are
DLD register
The three leasehold places
DLD register
Abu Dhabi has no public register like this, so it cannot be counted. The logic is the same: a villa inside an investment zone is freehold for any nationality, and a villa outside one is for UAE and GCC nationals.
Dubai
- Freehold
- Foreign buyers can own freehold only inside areas the Ruler has designated. Almost every master-planned villa community sold to expats sits in one.
- Leasehold
- Leases of up to 99 years, and usufruct rights, exist in a few designated areas. Outside the designated areas only UAE and GCC nationals can own.
Law No. 7 of 2006
Abu Dhabi
- Freehold
- Since April 2019 foreign buyers can own freehold, land included, inside investment zones such as Saadiyat, Yas, Al Reem, Al Raha Beach, Al Reef, Masdar City and Hudayriyat.
- Leasehold
- Before 2019 foreigners held villas there on 99-year musataha or usufruct rights, and older contracts can still be on those terms. Outside the zones, ownership is for UAE and GCC nationals.
Law No. 13 of 2019
72,000+
homes of all types sit inside Abu Dhabi’s investment zones, more than 22% of the emirate’s stock. Al Reem Island alone has 27,500. ADREC
3
How many communities
Dubai
95
DLD areas recorded at least one villa or townhouse sale
DLD
Dubai
393
separate projects and phases recorded a sale
DLD
Abu Dhabi
6
districts will take 77% of new supply to 2030: Saadiyat, Al Reem, Yas, Zayed City, Khalifa City and Hudayriyat
ADREC
Busiest in Dubai, by sales in the 12 months to 25 Sep 2026
DLD
There is no official list that counts villa communities in either emirate. The Dubai figures count where sales were actually registered.
4 · 5
Supply and demand: townhouses, then villas
Dubai Land Department files townhouses and villas under one type, “Villa”, so Dubai’s official records cannot split them. Abu Dhabi’s can.
Townhouses
664
Abu Dhabi townhouse sales in the first half of 2026, worth AED 1.87bn ADREC
5,100+
townhouses in DAMAC’s Dubai pipeline alone. Townhouses are most of what is coming. Savills
17,468
villas and townhouses due in Dubai from mid-2025 to 2027, mostly townhouses Savills
Villas
3,031
Abu Dhabi villa sales in the first half of 2026, worth AED 32.43bn ADREC
7.67m
AED median Abu Dhabi villa price in the first half of 2026 ADREC
95%
of the 5,376 Dubai villas due for handover in 2026 were already sold Fäm Properties
Dubai demand, month by month
- 1,554Oct 25
- 1,356Nov
- 1,910Dec
- 2,272Jan 26
- 1,824Feb
- 1,389Mar
- 1,081Apr
- 634May
- 798Jun
- 818Jul
- 759Aug
- 722Sep
Dubai sales peaked at 2,272 in January 2026 and have run at 630 to 820 a month since May. First-half 2026 was 7,998 sales against 8,832 a year earlier, down 9%.
DLD · September runs to the 25th
What size sells in Dubai
DLD · sales with a bedroom count
What price sells in Dubai
DLD
6
Beachfront
Nobody publishes a single count of beachfront villas. These are the island and beach addresses with a known size.
1,730
Palm Jumeirah Dubai
Villas on the register, all titled. Built out, so supply is fixed. DLD register
1,619
Palm Jebel Ali Dubai
Villa plots on the register. 544 are under construction on Fronds A to F, with first handovers late 2026 into 2027. DLD register
165
The World islands Dubai
Villas on the register across all islands, 12 of them titled. DLD register
620
Saadiyat Beach Villas Abu Dhabi
Villas and townhouses in one gated community on Saadiyat Island. Community site
131
Floating Seahorse, The World Dubai
Floating villas with an underwater level, at The Heart of Europe. Developer
24
Amali Island, The World Dubai
Villas reached by boat. First phase sold out. Developer
Also beachfront, without a published villa count: Jumeirah Bay Island, Jumeirah Asora Bay and Dubai Islands in Dubai; Nawayef and Nobu on Saadiyat, Ramhan Island, Jubail Island and Hudayriyat in Abu Dhabi.
7
Appreciation, area by area
Dubai communities
Change in the median price per sq ft of ready villas and townhouses, last 12 months against the 12 before. Communities with at least 50 resales in each year. The area is the one DLD registers, which for a finished villa is the plot.
A median moves when the mix of homes sold changes, not only when prices do. Jumeirah Village Triangle shows +43% on this measure and is left out for that reason. All Dubai ready villas together: AED 1,476 per sq ft, up 8.5%.
DLD
+2%
Dubai villa values, year to June 2026. Jumeirah Islands +17.9%, Emirates Hills +10.7%, The Meadows +10%.
ValuStrat
+12%
Abu Dhabi villa prices, year on year, on repeat sales of the same homes
ADREC
+9%
Abu Dhabi villa rents on new leases, year on year
ADREC
ADREC does not publish villa price growth community by community. Press reports put Yas Island and Saadiyat Island villas up by 10% to 15% over the year, with Saadiyat the most expensive.
8
Most sold and most expensive developers
Most sold in Dubai
Villa and townhouse sales registered in Dubai, last 12 months, grouped by developer brand.
About 2,200 sales could not be matched to a developer and are not counted. DAMAC sold the most homes; Emaar took the most money.
DLD
Most expensive in Dubai
Highest median sale price in Dubai, developers with at least 30 villa sales in the year.
DLD
Abu Dhabi
23bn
AED of Abu Dhabi sales by Modon in the first half of 2026, the most of any UAE developer. All home types. Gulf News
9.5bn
AED of UAE development sales by Aldar in the same six months. All home types. Gulf News
448
sales at Al Naseem, Abu Dhabi’s top villa project by value: AED 4.34bn, median AED 9.63m ADREC
No public ranking splits Abu Dhabi developers by villas alone.
9
Palm Jumeirah and Jebel Ali
Built and trading
Palm Jumeirah
- Villa sales, last 12 months
- 84 DLD
- Money paid
- AED 4.1bn DLD
- Median price
- AED 37.9m DLD
- Median per sq ft
- AED 4,878 DLD
- Ready villas, year on year
- +12.9% per sq ft DLD
- Top sale
- AED 260m, September 2026 DLD
- Villas on the register
- 1,730 DLD register
Every villa is resale now; one off-plan villa sale was registered all year. The record in this data is AED 300m in May 2025.
Under construction
Palm Jebel Ali
- Size
- 7 islands, 16 fronds Nakheel
- Beachfront
- 90 km+ Nakheel
- Villas on the register
- 1,619 DLD register
- Being built now
- 544 on Fronds A to F Nakheel
- First handovers
- Late 2026 into 2027 Nakheel
- Beach Collection, 5 to 6 bed
- From AED 25.2m Nakheel
- Coral Collection, 6 to 7 bed
- From AED 42.6m Nakheel
- Contracts awarded
- AED 13bn+ Nakheel
Prices are from Nakheel’s August 2026 release of 44 villas on Frond F. I could not isolate Palm Jebel Ali sales in the DLD records, so there is no sales count here.
On the mainland
Jebel Ali Village and Al Furjan
- Villa and townhouse sales, last 12 months
- 206 DLD
- Money paid
- AED 0.92bn DLD
- Median price
- AED 4.0m DLD
- Median per sq ft
- AED 1,669 DLD
- Year on year
- +2.6% per sq ft DLD
- Top sale
- AED 12.6m DLD
This is DLD’s “Jabal Ali First” area, all ready homes. It is the affordable side of the Jebel Ali name.
10
One-of-a-kind villas
There is no register of “unique” villas, so no total exists. These are the ones with numbers behind them.
131 villas
Floating Seahorse The Heart of Europe, The World
Three floors on the water, with the bedroom level below the surface. Developer
24 villas
Amali Island The World
22 sales registered since 2024. Median AED 56.9m, top sale AED 220m in March 2026. DLD
6 sales
Zuha Island The World
Private-island villas. Median AED 68.6m, top sale AED 79.2m. DLD
10 palaces
Sweden Beach Palaces The Heart of Europe, The World
Beach mansions on Sweden Island. Developer
AED 300m
Eome Palm Jumeirah
Three sales above AED 200m since 2024, the highest villa prices in Dubai’s records. DLD
AED 95.2m
Emirates Hills Dubai
Value of a typical villa, AED 5,600 per sq ft. Custom-built mansions on a golf course. ValuStrat
From AED 42.6m
Coral Collection Palm Jebel Ali
Six and seven bedroom beach villas of 11,500 to 12,500 sq ft. Nakheel
Top 20
The 20 best-selling villa and townhouse projects
1
DAMAC Islands 2
DAMAC · Dubailand, Dubai
3,511sales
- Money paid
- AED 11.7bn
- Median price
- AED 2.9m
- Per sq ft
- AED 1,822
- Off-plan share
- 100%
- Bedrooms
- 4 and 5
- Homes on register
- 4,659
Launched late 2025 across ten island-themed clusters. Nothing is built yet.
2
Grand Polo Club and Resort
Emaar · Dubai Investment Park 2, Dubai
1,195sales
- Money paid
- AED 4.8bn
- Median price
- AED 3.7m
- Per sq ft
- AED 2,232
- Off-plan share
- 100%
- Bedrooms
- 3 and 4
- Homes on register
- 3,105
Equestrian community. On my Top 10 list.
3
The Valley
Emaar · Dubai–Al Ain Road, Dubai
1,171sales
- Money paid
- AED 4.0bn
- Median price
- AED 3.2m
- Per sq ft
- AED 1,495
- Off-plan share
- 74%
- Bedrooms
- 3 and 4
- Homes on register
- 9,311
Early phases are handed over and reselling; resale prices rose 3.4% in a year.
4
Hayat
Dubai South Properties · Dubai South, Dubai
644sales
- Money paid
- AED 3.2bn
- Median price
- AED 4.7m
- Per sq ft
- AED 1,353
- Off-plan share
- 100%
- Bedrooms
- 4 and 5
- Homes on register
- 902
Large villas near Al Maktoum Airport.
5
Mudon
Dubai Holding · Dubailand, Dubai
543sales
- Money paid
- AED 2.1bn
- Median price
- AED 3.7m
- Per sq ft
- AED 1,644
- Off-plan share
- 27%
- Bedrooms
- 3 and 4
- Homes on register
- 4,154
Mostly resale. The fastest-rising community in this data, up 27.4%.
6
The Springs, Meadows and Lakes
Emaar · Emirates Living, Dubai
487sales
- Money paid
- AED 3.7bn
- Median price
- AED 5.0m
- Per sq ft
- AED 1,701
- Off-plan share
- 0%
- Bedrooms
- 2 and 3
- Homes on register
- 7,587
All resale, built 2004 to 2008. Up 12.4% in a year.
7
Al Naseem
Modon · Hudayriyat Island, Abu Dhabi
448sales
- Money paid
- AED 4.3bn
- Median price
- AED 9.6m
- Per sq ft
- Not published
- Off-plan share
- 100%
- Bedrooms
- 4 to 6
- Homes on register
- Not published
Abu Dhabi’s top villa project. These are six months of sales (first half of 2026), not twelve.
8
Lunaya
Zaya · Saih Shuaib, Dubai
399sales
- Money paid
- AED 3.2bn
- Median price
- AED 6.6m
- Per sq ft
- AED 2,712
- Off-plan share
- 100%
- Bedrooms
- 4
- Homes on register
- 564
Lagoon villas launched in 2026. Handover planned for 2029.
9
Villanova
Dubai Holding · Dubailand, Dubai
371sales
- Money paid
- AED 1.2bn
- Median price
- AED 3.2m
- Per sq ft
- AED 1,496
- Off-plan share
- 33%
- Bedrooms
- 3 and 4
- Homes on register
- 4,684
La Tilia and La Violeta phases still selling off-plan; the rest is resale.
10
Arabian Ranches 3
Emaar · Dubailand, Dubai
343sales
- Money paid
- AED 1.3bn
- Median price
- AED 3.3m
- Per sq ft
- AED 1,804
- Off-plan share
- 36%
- Bedrooms
- 3 and 4
- Homes on register
- 4,220
The one community here where resale prices slipped, down 2.2%.
11
Nad Al Sheba Gardens
Meraas · Nad Al Sheba, Dubai
333sales
- Money paid
- AED 2.0bn
- Median price
- AED 6.1m
- Per sq ft
- AED 2,627
- Off-plan share
- 98%
- Bedrooms
- 3 to 5
- Homes on register
- 1,878
Close to Downtown, sold phase by phase.
12
Emaar South
Emaar · Dubai South, Dubai
325sales
- Money paid
- AED 1.0bn
- Median price
- AED 2.9m
- Per sq ft
- AED 1,424
- Off-plan share
- 40%
- Bedrooms
- 3 and 4
- Homes on register
- Not published
Golf-course townhouses. The lowest entry price among the Emaar communities here.
13
MBR City District 11
G&Co, Leos and others · Meydan, Dubai
309sales
- Money paid
- AED 3.0bn
- Median price
- AED 6.7m
- Per sq ft
- AED 2,126
- Off-plan share
- 55%
- Bedrooms
- 4 and 5
- Homes on register
- 3,574
The Fields and Knightsbridge are the main projects.
14
Reportage Hills
Reportage · Dubailand, Dubai
292sales
- Money paid
- AED 0.6bn
- Median price
- AED 2.0m
- Per sq ft
- AED 1,417
- Off-plan share
- 100%
- Bedrooms
- 3
- Homes on register
- 902
Among the cheapest new townhouses in Dubai.
15
Town Square
Nshama · Al Qudra Road, Dubai
289sales
- Money paid
- AED 0.9bn
- Median price
- AED 2.9m
- Per sq ft
- AED 1,358
- Off-plan share
- 0%
- Bedrooms
- 3 and 4
- Homes on register
- 3,792
All resale. Up 9.7% in a year.
16
Arabian Ranches
Emaar · Dubailand, Dubai
279sales
- Money paid
- AED 2.3bn
- Median price
- AED 6.8m
- Per sq ft
- AED 1,379
- Off-plan share
- 0%
- Bedrooms
- 3 to 6
- Homes on register
- 4,301
The original, on big plots. Up 2.3% in a year.
17
South Bay and the Residential District
Dubai South Properties · Dubai South, Dubai
268sales
- Money paid
- AED 1.3bn
- Median price
- AED 4.2m
- Per sq ft
- AED 1,237
- Off-plan share
- 40%
- Bedrooms
- 4 and 5
- Homes on register
- 2,204
The lowest price per sq ft on this list.
18
DAMAC Riverside
DAMAC · Dubai Investment Park 2, Dubai
267sales
- Money paid
- AED 0.8bn
- Median price
- AED 2.8m
- Per sq ft
- AED 1,744
- Off-plan share
- 100%
- Bedrooms
- 4 and 5
- Homes on register
- 2,110
Townhouse clusters, none built yet.
19
Reportage Village
Reportage · Dubailand, Dubai
264sales
- Money paid
- AED 0.3bn
- Median price
- AED 1.3m
- Per sq ft
- AED 1,254
- Off-plan share
- 100%
- Bedrooms
- 2 and 3
- Homes on register
- 1,752
The cheapest homes on this list.
20
Jumeirah Village Circle
Various · JVC, Dubai
248sales
- Money paid
- AED 0.9bn
- Median price
- AED 3.3m
- Per sq ft
- AED 1,618
- Off-plan share
- 5%
- Bedrooms
- 3 and 4
- Homes on register
- 3,248
Resale townhouses from many small developers. Up 5.8% in a year.
Ranked by number of sales. Tilal Al Ghaf (222 sales) is next. No other Abu Dhabi villa project has published sales figures, so only Al Naseem appears. Per sq ft uses the area DLD registers: the plot for a finished villa, the floor area for off-plan.
DLD · DLD register · ADREC
11
Villas and townhouses, A to Z
Villa or townhouse
A villa stands alone on its own plot. A townhouse shares one or both side walls with its neighbours, so the plot is smaller and the price lower. A “semi-detached” or “twin villa” shares one wall.
Plot and built-up area
The plot is the land. Built-up area (BUA) is the floor space inside. Price per sq ft is usually quoted on BUA, so a big garden makes a home look expensive per sq ft.
Freehold
You own the home and the land with no end date, and can sell, rent or pass it on. For foreign buyers this is only possible inside designated areas in Dubai and investment zones in Abu Dhabi.
Leasehold, usufruct, musataha
Rights to use a property for a fixed term, up to 99 years. You do not own the land. Resale value falls as the term runs down, and banks lend less readily.
Off-plan
Bought from the developer before it is finished. You pay in stages and the money goes into an escrow account that the developer can only draw on as building progresses.
Ready or secondary
Finished and transferable now. You can see it, rent it from day one and take a normal mortgage, but you pay everything at transfer.
Oqood
Dubai’s registration of an off-plan sale. It proves the unit is yours until the title deed is issued at handover. Check it exists before any resale.
Transfer fees
Dubai: 4% of the price to Dubai Land Department, plus small admin and trustee fees. Abu Dhabi: 2% of the price. Agency commission is usually 2% on resale.
Service charges
The yearly fee for running the community. Villas are charged on plot or built-up area, and it is far lower per sq ft than in a tower, but you pay for your own garden, pool and AC upkeep.
Payment plan
The schedule for an off-plan purchase, for example 60/40: 60% during construction, 40% at handover. A post-handover plan lets you keep paying after you get the keys.
Mortgage
For expats on a ready home, banks lend up to 80% below AED 5m and 70% above it on a first property. On off-plan the cap is 50%.
Golden Visa
Property worth AED 2 million or more can qualify the owner for a 10-year residence visa. Mortgaged and off-plan homes can count, under conditions.
Handover and snagging
At handover you inspect the home and list defects for the developer to fix. Use a snagging company. The developer is liable for defects for a year, and for the structure for ten.
NOC
A no-objection certificate from the developer, needed before a resale. It confirms service charges are paid.
Title deed
The ownership document, issued by Dubai Land Department or by Abu Dhabi’s land registry. It states whether the home is freehold or leasehold. Always read it.
Net yield
Yearly rent, minus service charge, upkeep and empty months, divided by the price plus fees. Villas usually yield less than apartments and gain more in value.
Who regulates
Dubai: Dubai Land Department and its agency RERA. Abu Dhabi: the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre, ADREC.
Looking at one villa? Send me the listing.
I'll send back what it sold for nearby, the fees, and the net yield. Free.
Message me on WhatsAppSanjay Ram, Portfolio Manager, Lyka Realty
Sources
- DLD register Dubai Land Department buildings register via data.dubai, snapshot of 1 October 2026: 223,701 villa and townhouse records. My own counts.
- DLD Dubai Land Department sales records via data.dubai, 1 Aug 2024 to 25 Sep 2026. My own counts and medians.
- ADREC Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre, market report for the first half of 2026, and its sales data as tabulated by Projectory.
- ValuStrat Dubai stock, pipeline and price index, January to June 2026.
- Fäm Properties Homes under construction and share already sold, 2026.
- Savills Dubai villa and townhouse pipeline by developer, mid-2025 to 2027.
- Nakheel Palm Jebel Ali release, 20 August 2026.
- Gulf News Top 10 UAE developers by sales, first half of 2026, 13 August 2026.
- Cavendish Maxwell Dubai residential market, first half of 2026.
Figures as of 1 October 2026. “Last 12 months” means the 12 months to 25 Sep 2026. Past price changes do not predict future ones. This page is information, not investment advice.