News
Real project launches, Dubai Metro progress and regulation changes from across the UAE. Every item links to the publication that reported it.
Emaar Properties said it is preparing one of its largest ever urban districts, a Dh200 billion development spanning more than 4.5 million square metres and designed for nearly 150,000 residents. The plan mixes towers, villas, offices, retail and civic space around a 20-minute-city concept, though the name and exact location have not yet been disclosed.
Dubai said its First-Time Home Buyer Programme, launched in July 2025 by the Land Department and the Department of Economy and Tourism, had helped more than 3,200 residents buy their first home, with transactions topping AED 5 billion. Tens of thousands of residents have registered, backed by participating developers and banks.
The Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre said the annual rental increase cap was temporarily cut from 5% to 0% on residential, commercial and industrial properties, so lease renewals should carry no rent rise while the measure is in force. Renewals and new agreements are to reference the rate in the property last registered Tawtheeq contract.
Sobha Realty unveiled Sobha Sanctuary, a Dh50 billion master development off Al Ain Road spanning about 37.5 million square feet with roughly 20,000 homes. The project will be delivered in phases with first handovers expected from the third quarter of 2029 and prices starting around Dh3.99 million.
Dubai released images from the ready-mix concrete plant in International City that supplies the Dubai Metro Blue Line, with officials putting the Dh20.5 billion project at 12% complete. Some 3,000 workers and 500 engineers are deployed across 12 sites, and the line remains scheduled to open in 2029.
The RTA said the 30km, 14-station Blue Line reached 10% completion five months after its June 2025 groundbreaking, and is targeting 30% by the end of 2026. The line is scheduled to open on 9 September 2029 and will connect the Red and Green lines while serving districts expected to house around one million residents.
The 60-storey AA Tower became the first freehold residential and commercial project on Sheikh Zayed Road, with 369 apartments plus offices and retail. The launch followed the Dubai Land Department decision opening plots on the corridor to freehold ownership, with residential prices ranging from about Dh2.9 million to Dh5.4 million.
The Dubai Land Department said its AI-driven Smart Rent Index has helped stabilise rents and curb inflation by assessing rental values from factors such as building classification and area averages. The framework ties permitted increases to the index and to a 90-day landlord notice rule, and the index can be updated through the year rather than annually.
Sobha Realty outlined plans to launch as many as 10 major projects across the UAE during 2025 while pursuing an expansion into the United States. The pipeline underlined how large private developers were scaling up supply to meet continued demand in Dubai.
The Dubai Land Department announced that owners of 457 plots, 128 along Sheikh Zayed Road and 329 in Al Jaddaf, could convert leasehold property to freehold ownership. The move extended freehold rights along a prime corridor and paved the way for new freehold launches in the area.
Every item links to the original publisher. Distressly curates this page and does not author these stories.