GCC real estate sector led by Dubai, but other UAE cities see fastest growth
GCC Real Estate Transactions Hit $78.2bn in Q1 2025, Led by Dubai’s Dominance
Property deals across the GCC reached a total value of $78.2 billion during the first quarter of 2025, reflecting an estimated growth between 20.5% and 22.3%, according to recent figures from Sakan.
Dubai maintained its position as the region’s top-performing market, registering $38.7 billion in property sales—making up nearly 50% of all real estate transaction value in the GCC.
Compared to the same period last year, Dubai’s real estate sector posted a 23.4% increase in activity.
Saudi Arabia secured its place as the second-largest market, contributing a minimum of $20.3 billion in transactions and capturing 26% of the regional share.
Overall, the UAE — encompassing Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Ajman — represented 65% of the total estimated transaction volume across the Gulf, emphasizing the country’s major role in driving real estate growth in the region.
Among individual cities, Abu Dhabi showed the strongest annual growth at 34.5%, followed by Sharjah at 31.9%, Ajman at 29%, and Kuwait at 24%.
Abdullah Al Saleh, CEO of Sakan, commented:
“Our analysis at Sakan indicates that in 2024, the GCC real estate market achieved $383 billion in property transactions, which marked a 25% growth.
Now, in Q1 of this year, we continue to observe this upward trend, even amid global economic uncertainty. As investors in the GCC turn to real estate as a reliable asset, and with the rise of artificial intelligence in streamlining property processes, we anticipate ongoing growth and resilience in the sector through the remainder of 2025.”
