Dubai’s Prime Real Estate Evolution: A 240% Boom in Just Two Years
The luxury real estate market in Dubai is rewriting the rules. According to Savills’ Prime Residential Report, sales of off-plan properties priced above Dh10 million have skyrocketed by 240% between 2022 and 2024, and the momentum is only growing in 2025.
Gone are the days when ready properties dominated high-end buyer interest. Today, Dubai’s ultra-wealthy investors are actively pursuing off-plan villas and branded residences, lured by long-term value, lifestyle-driven communities, and rising asset potential. The numbers don’t lie from 952 luxury off-plan sales in 2022 to 3,731 in Q1 2025, this is no trend. It’s a structural shift.
What’s Fueling This Surge in Off-Plan Sales?
Master-Planned Villa Communities Are Leading the Charge
The surge is heavily villa-driven. Large-scale developments featuring golf courses, equestrian clubs, and private leisure zones are offering much more than a home they’re delivering self-contained luxury lifestyles.
Buyers are increasingly opting to enter early in the development cycle, where prices are more flexible and customization opportunities are abundant.
Key reasons why these off-plan properties are gaining traction:
Customizable floorplans & finishings
Payment plans and early equity growth
Community-first amenities
Developer trust & delivery track record
From 952 to 3,731 Sales: The Growth in Numbers
| Year | Dh10M+ Off-Plan Sales |
|---|---|
| 2022 | 952 |
| 2024 | 3,223 |
| Q1 2025 | 3,731 (15% increase YoY) |
This dramatic increase reflects investor confidence, early capital commitment, and an evolving preference for lifestyle-rich communities over location alone.
What About Ready Properties? The Story of Stability
Interestingly, ready home sales in this price bracket have remained stable at around 1,500 annual transactions. That’s not a decline it’s a sign of longer ownership cycles and rising end-user demand.
Buyers of ready homes are:
Seeking move-in-ready quality
Valuing location and community legacy
Paying premiums for renovated, lived-in stock
Jumeirah Islands: A Case Study in Renovated Legacy Value
Take Jumeirah Islands. Once seen as dated, this 2006 community saw only 8 Dh10M+ sales in 2021. In 2024? That number soared to 89.
Over 90% of sales now exceed Dh10M
40% of those surpass Dh20M
Highest recorded price: Dh6,375 per sq. ft.
That’s more than triple what many new villa communities are asking all because these homes are completely renovated and move-in ready in mature, amenity-rich neighborhood.
Off-Plan vs Legacy Communities: Where’s the Value?
| Segment | Key Appeal | Price Trend |
|---|---|---|
| Off-Plan Villas | Early entry, payment flexibility | Fast-growing |
| Renovated Legacy Homes | Prime location, move-in ready | Premium pricing |
| Branded Apartments | Hotel services, design consistency | Stable growth |
Global Capital Flows into Dubai
“Dubai is no longer a stopover market,” says Andrew Cummings, Head of Residential at Savills ME. Buyers are globally mobile, long-term focused, and see Dubai as a city that delivers asset strength and lifestyle quality.
Factors driving international demand:
Tax-free environment
Golden Visa benefits
Political and economic stability
Strong infrastructure
Year-round luxury living
Global Capital Flows into Dubai
“Dubai is no longer a stopover market,” says Andrew Cummings, Head of Residential at Savills ME. Buyers are globally mobile, long-term focused, and see Dubai as a city that delivers asset strength and lifestyle quality.
Factors driving international demand:
Tax-free environment
Golden Visa benefits
Political and economic stability
Strong infrastructure
Year-round luxury living
Branded Residences: The Quiet Force in Prime Sales
Even though villas lead in volume, branded apartments still account for 30% of Dh10M+ activity.
Top branded residences in Dubai:
The Lana Residences Dorchester Collection
One&Only One Za’abeel
Bvlgari Residences
Ritz-Carlton Residences
Six Senses Residences The Palm
With over 50 branded residential projects in various stages, Dubai is the #1 global market for branded living, projected to represent 40% of all Middle East & Africa supply by 2031.
Strategic Outlook: What This Means for Investors
Whether you’re buying, selling, or building this shift to Dh10M+ off-plan investment alters the rules of the game.
Key Opportunities:
Early entry in master communities = future gains
Renovating existing stock = record-breaking ROI
Investing in branded apartments = stable luxury growth
The playbook for Dubai’s prime market has evolved. Now it’s about lifestyle, layout, location and long-term thinking.
