Just five years ago, the U.A.E. city recorded only 30 home sales priced at $10 million and above.
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Dubai had a banner year in 2025, logging a record-breaking number of home sales at $10 million and above, according to a report from Knight Frank on Monday.
The U.A.E. city closed out the year with 500 sales valued at $10 million-plus—including 68 homes that sold for more than $25 million, another all-time high—producing a total value of $9.05 billion, a 27.7% increase of 2024’s luxury sales volume of $7.09 billion.
A strong fourth quarter helped propel the market to these record numbers, with 143 homes selling for more than $10 million during the final three months of the year, up from 103 in the third quarter.
Regional and worldwide luxury buyers alike continue to be compelled to buy property in Dubai, “attracted by the high quality of life, world-class amenities and infrastructure, enabled by the government’s ambitious investment programs,” Faisal Durrani, partner and head of research for Knight Frank’s Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, said in the report.
“Dubai’s meteoric rise as the world’s busiest market for $10 million-plus homes, having increased from just 30 sales in 2020 to 500 by the end of 2025, is best reflected in the emirate’s growing reputation as a magnet for the global elite,” he said.
The tree-shaped man-made island of Palm Jumeirah retained its spot as the most popular community for luxury home buyers, recording 28 sales of homes valued at more than $10 million during the fourth quarter.
The yet-to-be-completed Palm Jebel Ali—which closely resembles the shape of Palm Jumeirah—was close behind with 22 sales. It’s expected to be completed in 2028.
“At 50% larger than its established neighbor Palm Jumeirah, Palm Jebel Ali remains a destination to watch,” said Will McKintosh, regional partner and head of residential for MENA.
“While it will obviously take time to reach the maturity of other established communities, the 2025 sales figures are a welcome indication of its high potential and the growing demand from the wealthiest buyers for prime waterfront property and the luxury Dubai lifestyle.”
The priciest deal of the quarter was for a six-bedroom apartment in Bugatti Residences by Binghatti, within the Business Bay community.
The 47,200-square-foot home sold for AED 550 million (US$149.7 million), setting a U.A.E. sale price record for a penthouse.
The previous record was held by a 22,000-square-foot penthouse at the Como Residences on the Palm Jumeirah that sold for AED 500 million in November 2023.
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More than 10,000 homes, an expansive central park and a mix of hospitality, retail and wellness facilities will form Azizi Developments’ first master-planned community in the emirate.
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Sharjah is set to receive one of its largest new residential communities, with Azizi Developments unveiling plans for a US$8.1 billion master-planned precinct containing more than 10,000 homes.
Named Azizi Florence, the freehold development will comprise 1,130 villas, more than 6,000 townhouses and 3,500 apartments. Three-bedroom townhouses will start from US$515,000, with an indicative rate of US$231 per square foot of saleable space.
The project marks the Dubai-based developer’s first move into Sharjah, expanding a portfolio that includes the planned Burj Azizi skyscraper and the Azizi Venice community in Dubai.
Rather than treating landscaping as an afterthought, Azizi Florence will be organised around a 1.7 million sq ft central park.
The wider precinct is planned as a self-contained neighbourhood combining homes with retail, hospitality, education, leisure and wellness facilities.
Six residential clusters will sit within the development, each with its own park, clubhouse, community centre and landscaped gardens. The approach reflects a broader shift across large Middle Eastern developments, where greenery, recreation and everyday convenience are increasingly central to the residential proposition.
The scale of Azizi Florence suggests it is intended to function as a neighbourhood rather than a collection of housing estates. Its mix of housing types should also give the project broader appeal, accommodating apartment buyers alongside families seeking townhouses or standalone villas.
Azizi Developments has delivered more than 45,000 homes to buyers from over 100 countries and says it has approximately 150,000 units under construction.
Much of its growth has been concentrated in Dubai, where its portfolio extends across Palm Jumeirah, Mohammed Bin Rashid City, Dubai South, Sheikh Zayed Road and Downtown Jebel Ali.
Its most prominent current project is Burj Azizi, which is intended to become the world’s second-tallest building. Azizi Florence represents a different type of undertaking: a low-rise, family-oriented community built around public space and daily amenity.
For company founder and chairman Mirwais Azizi, the Sharjah project also carries a personal connection. The emirate was his first home in the UAE more than three decades ago, adding a symbolic dimension to the developer’s expansion.
Although Dubai and Abu Dhabi have traditionally captured much of the international attention directed at the UAE property market, Sharjah has been steadily broadening its residential offering.
Large freehold communities such as Azizi Florence have the potential to attract both local families and international purchasers looking for comparatively accessible entry points into the Emirates’ property market.
At a starting price of US$515,000, the project’s three-bedroom townhouses will sit well below the cost of equivalent family homes in many of Dubai’s more established luxury communities.
The ultimate appeal, however, will depend on execution. At this scale, the quality of the public realm, connections between residential clusters and delivery of the promised supporting infrastructure will be as important as the homes themselves.
If those elements come together, Azizi Florence could help establish a new benchmark for large-scale residential development in Sharjah—and give buyers another option beyond the UAE’s better-known property markets.
