Community market reading
Business Bay: April to May 2026
Completed residential sales fell from 148 to 111 between April and May; off-plan registrations fell from 198 to 104.
Completed and off-plan residential transactions both slowed.
Completed residential title-deed transactions fell from 148 in April to 111 in May; off-plan Oqood registrations fell from 198 to 104. The reported average completed sale changed from AED 1,841,800 to AED 1,888,948 even as the source's monthly residential price measure moved from −1.05% to −1.29%. A higher average sale value can arise from a different mix of homes; it does not establish that an identical apartment rose in value.
Fewer deals, but a higher average completed sale.
A change in the number of recorded transactions, not a change in the price of a home.
How this is calculated
(148 April transfers minus 111 May transfers) ÷ (148 April transfers) × 100. Calculated from the reported counts below, rounded to one decimal place.
On smaller screens, scroll across the table to compare the figures.
Business Bay residential figures reported for April and May 2026
| Measure | April 2026 | May 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Reported monthly residential price change | −1.05% | −1.29% |
| Reported 12-month residential price change | +9.48% | +8.20% |
| Reported gross residential rental yield | 6.58% | 6.49% |
| Completed residential title-deed transactions | 148 | 111 |
| Off-plan residential Oqood registrations | 198 | 104 |
| Average completed residential sale | AED 1,841,800 | AED 1,888,948 |
A specific apartment needs building-level comparables.
The slowdown was sharper in off-plan
Completed residential transfers fell by 37, while off-plan registrations fell by 94. The decline therefore reached both parts of the recorded market, but was more pronounced in new registrations. The reports do not identify whether launch timing, available stock or buyers postponing purchases drove that difference.
Annual price growth remained positive at 8.20% in May even though the monthly measure was negative. These figures describe different time windows: a softer month can sit within a year of price gains.
A higher ticket is not a higher price for the same apartment
The average completed transaction increased by AED 47,148 between the two reports. Without a matching breakdown by floor area, building and home type, that increase describes the homes that changed hands rather than a gain on an unchanged apartment. It should not overturn the separate monthly price measure.
For a particular apartment, compare completed sales in the same building or a credible nearby substitute before using either monthly average. Offices and retail sit in a separate commercial report; the residential yield and price movement do not price commercial space.
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