What's happening in Dubai's property market right now?
Our co-founder and co-CEO Rami Tabbara hosted a live webinar to address exactly that, cutting through the noise with data, historical context, and an honest assessment of what we're seeing on the ground.
Here's what he shared:
The defense systems worked as intended, holding off all major threats.
"Walk into Dubai Mall today," Rami noted. "Supermarkets are stocked. The metro is running. Hotels and restaurants are operating normally. The UAE President was photographed walking through Dubai Mall. Daily life continues."
This matters because in any conflict, the critical question is whether daily infrastructure and civilian life can continue.
In Dubai, they have: business continues as usual across the city.
Where was the market before tensions began? This helps to set a starting point for monitoring any changes.
2025 was a record year:
"This isn't a fragile market," Rami emphasized. "This is a market that was performing at its peak when this started."
Rami has been in Dubai real estate for 20 years and was there when the 2008 crisis hit.
"Everyone wrote Dubai off. People were taking pictures of parking lots full of abandoned cars at the airport. Headlines declared it finished."
Prices fell sharply and recovery took five to six years.
But here's what's changed since then:
Regulated down payments: UAE now requires 20-40% down for expats, 50% on off-plan mortgages. Easy credit no longer exists.
End users, not speculators: Resale within 12 months has dropped from 25% in 2008 to just 4-5% today. People are buying to live, not flip.
Population growth: Dubai has grown from 1.5 million to over 4 million residents = demand from people who've made Dubai home.
Escrow protection: Developer funds are now held in independent accounts and released only upon construction milestones.
"The market today is structurally different," Rami said. "The vulnerabilities that caused the 2008 crash have been addressed."
When the pandemic hit, rents dropped 13%. The same headlines returned: Dubai is finished.
"Everyone who left during COVID came back," Rami observed. "Because once you've experienced Dubai, the infrastructure, the safety, the environment, there's nothing like it."
Over 25 years, Dubai's property market has compounded at roughly 11% annually, nearly three times the global average.
Transaction volumes would likely dip. Buyers and sellers would diverge on pricing, which could cause some short-term pressure on values.
However, it’s important to not that this would be a cyclical slowdown, not a structural decline.
"Nothing is fundamentally broken," Rami explained. "The governance, the business environment, the infrastructure: none of that has changed. Short-term dips don't change long-term growth."
Notably, there are already buyers waiting on the sidelines. People who were priced out over the last four to five years of rapid appreciation are watching for opportunities to enter.
Investor confidence rebounds immediately and capital that paused comes rushing back.
"Dubai is going through one of its biggest tests ever, a conflict on its doorstep, and it's defended every attack. What does that show the world? That even in the worst times, you're protected here. That's a powerful signal."
If resolution comes faster than expected, the market could accelerate rather than simply recover.
Capital inflows remain steady, prices stabilize and population growth continues.
The facts that brought people to Dubai continue to hold.
"If housing costs stabilize, that's actually not a bad thing," Rami noted. "Cost of living was the main concern people had about Dubai. A cooling market might bring more people in who couldn't afford it before."
Real estate doesn't swing on a headline. It's supported by fundamentals: population growth, infrastructure investment, people who need homes.
What hasn't changed:
"You need real estate in your portfolio," Rami said. "Ask anyone if they'd sell their home for what they paid. The answer is always no. Over time, real estate appreciates because the cost of living rises everywhere."
Stake manages close to 600 properties in the UAE, totaling over AED 1 billion in value. Nothing has been affected, tenants are paying on time. Additionally, construction on renovation projects continues without delays.
"We're still in the market to buy," Rami confirmed. "We're long-term believers. Our shareholders are long-term believers. If you have real estate at the right price, we're buyers."
The approach hasn't changed. If anything, selection criteria are becoming more selective to ensure only the best opportunities make it onto the platform.
For investors, Stake continues to offer:
Headlines work on getting clicks - you’re unlikely to read ‘things continue as normal in Dubai’.
Dubai has systems that work and the fundamentals that make the city attractive haven't changed.
"A safe haven isn't about avoiding challenges," Rami concluded. "It's about how you respond to them. We'll keep doing what we've always done: helping people build long-term wealth through property ownership in a region we believe in."
Watch the full webinar here.
Explore live opportunities on the Stake app.
This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. All investments carry risk. Past performance is not indicative of future results. All Investments carry risks. Stake Properties Limited is regulated by the DFSA as an Operator of a Crowdfunding Platform in the UAE.