Dubai property, with the numbers behind it.

Research on buying in Dubai: registered transaction data, statutory costs and mortgage rules, each figure traced to its source.

• 420 of Dubai's off-plan projects are dated for 2027: Of the 1,270 live Dubai off-plan projects carrying a completion date (as at 29 July 2026), 420 are dated 2027 and 287 are dated 2028. That concentration is a fact about the pipeline, and it is worth understanding before you choose a handover year.
• What buying in Dubai actually costs, to the dirham: The Dubai Land Department transfer fee is 4% of the purchase price plus AED 580. Add the trustee fee and, if you are financing, mortgage registration. Here is the full statutory list, and the two fees that vary by bank and therefore cannot be quoted honestly in advance.
• How much you can actually borrow in Dubai: UAE Central Bank regulations cap a first-property mortgage at 85% for nationals, 80% for residents, and 50% for non-residents. Your total monthly debt cannot exceed half your monthly income. Both rules bind, and the lower one wins.
• Where Dubai actually transacts: One area accounted for 5,910 of Dubai's 26,515 registered off-plan sales in the ninety days to 29 July 2026. The areas with the most registered sales are not the areas with the most marketing, and the difference is useful.
• Dubai's asking prices and its registered prices are two different numbers: Across 1,186 off-plan projects, the median registered price works out at AED 1,704 per square foot. Our own inventory's median entry price is AED 1,719,888. Those two numbers answer different questions, and confusing them is the most common mistake a first-time Dubai buyer makes.