🏙️ Dubai office sales jump 203% as off-plan deals overtake ready stock

Dubai’s office market recorded AED 8.2 billion in sales in the first quarter of 2026, with transaction value up 203% year on year. Off-plan deals also surpassed ready stock for the first time in more than 15 years, underscoring how quickly demand has shifted toward future supply.

The figures, cited in a report attributed to Cavendish Maxwell and carried by Reuters on 4 June 2026, point to a market where occupiers and investors are competing for limited high-quality space. The same report said demand for larger offices has risen sharply, signalling that tenant requirements are expanding even as available prime inventory remains scarce.

Why it matters for investors

The jump in sales suggests Dubai’s office segment is moving beyond a simple recovery story and into a phase defined by constrained supply, stronger forward demand and a deeper appetite for development risk. Off-plan dominance typically indicates confidence in future delivery, but it also raises the premium on location, specification and completion credibility. For capital seeking income and capital growth, the market is increasingly splitting between prime, institutionally acceptable stock and secondary assets that may lag on pricing and leasing momentum.

➡️ Off-plan office sales overtook ready transactions in Dubai for the first time in more than 15 years.

➡️ Demand is rising for larger units, pointing to active occupier expansion rather than speculative trading alone.

The data leaves Dubai’s office market firmly in the spotlight as scarcity, not just sentiment, continues to shape pricing and transaction flow.