Dubai Islands homes sell at AED 2,761 a sq ft: what to know

Homes on Dubai Islands sold at a median of AED 2,761 per sq ft over the last 12 months, and that median is 11.5% higher than in the 12 months before. It is one of the busiest new markets in the city: 4,887 sales were registered in the period. This is the median registered sale price per sq ft over the 12 months to 16 October 2026, across all residential types (apartments, villas and townhouses, off-plan and ready), from DataHabibi’s analysis of Dubai Land Department (DLD) sales registrations. It is what buyers paid on paper, not an asking price.

Dubai Islands is Nakheel’s waterfront development of five islands off the Deira coast. Dubai Holding describes a master plan for more than 230,000 residents in about 62,000 homes, with more than 11,000 hotel keys and over 4,000 branded residences. The project began as Palm Deira in 2004, was later called Deira Islands, and was renamed Dubai Islands in 2022, when Nakheel released the master plan.

How much does a home in Dubai Islands cost?

The DLD-based median is AED 2,761 per sq ft, up 11.5% on the previous 12 months. Two cautions apply. First, a median moves with the mix of homes sold, so a change in the mix can move it as much as a change in prices. Second, almost all of these sales are off-plan launches, so the figure reflects launch pricing rather than resale prices of finished homes. The sample is large, so we treat the figure as reliable for what it measures.

What is the rent in Dubai Islands?

A registered average 1-bed rent for Dubai Islands isn’t published yet. Almost no homes are listed for rent so far. We will add a figure when a source publishes one for registered leases.

What do you get for your money?

Two sources help here, and they use different bases, so do not mix them with the DLD median above. Engel & Völkers, using Property Monitor data, gave average selling prices for 2025 up to December 2025 of about AED 2.15M for a 1-bed apartment, AED 3.33M for a 2-bed and AED 5.29M for a 3-bed. Betterhomes’ off-plan guide of 24 August 2026 lists developers’ starting prices: 1-beds from AED 1.5M, 2-beds from AED 2.08M, and studios at only a few projects, from AED 1.065M at Azizi Wasel and AED 1.65M at Beach Walk Residences. Starting prices are the cheapest unit in a project, so most homes cost more.

Is Dubai Islands freehold and who builds there?

Yes. Engel & Völkers states that Dubai Islands is a freehold community, so foreign buyers can own property outright. Nakheel is the master developer. Projects named in the sources come from Nakheel (Bay Grove Residences and Bay Villas), Imtiaz (Wynwood and Beach Walk Residences), Ellington (The Meriva Collection), Azizi (Azizi Wasel), Arada (JW Marriott Residences Dubai Islands), Samana, Casagrand and others. Betterhomes lists developer handover targets running from the first quarter of 2026 to the first quarter of 2030.

How do you get there and what is nearby?

Nakheel says the islands are reached by road bridges and water transport and sit close to Dubai International Airport, Dubai Creek, Jumeirah and Downtown Dubai. A bridge linking the mainland to the islands opened in December 2016. Three hotels are open according to Wikipedia: Hotel RIU Dubai, Centara Mirage Beach Resort Dubai and Park Regis by Prince Dubai Islands. Nakheel has also contracted marine works that add 320 metres of beach frontage near Bay Villas on Island B and upgrade about 3 km of its western shoreline. The master plan promises more than 20 km of beaches, including one Blue Flag beach, and over 80 resorts and hotels.

Who is Dubai Islands best for?

• Buyers who like the sea and are happy to wait for handover.
• Investors comfortable with off-plan payment plans and construction timelines.
• Second-home buyers who want a beach and a new master plan rather than an established street.

It is less suited to anyone who needs a home next month, a long record of rents, or an established neighbourhood of shops and schools.

What are the trade-offs?

Many homes are still being built, so you are buying a plan and a handover date, and developers’ dates can move. Roads, services and shops will arrive in stages. Because rentals are so few, there is no registered rent to test an investment case today. The price median describes launch pricing, so a finished resale may price differently. Check the developer’s DLD project registration, pay only into the project’s escrow account, and compare the same plot, size and view when you compare homes.

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