Dubai recorded around 104 real estate projects worth more than Dh100 billion in the first half of 2026, a 52 percent increase in project value from the same period last year, according to figures from the Dubai Land Department (DLD) presented at the Rise Summit 2026. The projects added more than 24,000 new residential units, up 36 percent year on year. Separately, at the Dubai Business Forum – China in Shenzhen on October 14, Dubai Chambers said the number of Chinese companies registered as active members of the Dubai Chamber of Commerce reached 6,650 by the end of September 2026, up more than 200 percent since 2016.
Both figures speak to the same audience from two angles: people evaluating Dubai real estate as buyers or investors, and Chinese businesses weighing whether to set up or expand a Dubai presence. DLD officials framed the project-launch growth as part of a deliberate push to widen the market and attract long-term capital, while Dubai Chambers framed the China figure as a shift from early-stage interest to committed, operating presence.
The project-launch growth sits inside Dubai’s own long-range plans: the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, the Dubai Real Estate Strategy 2033, and the Dubai Urban Master Plan 2040, all aimed at strengthening competitiveness and investor appeal. DLD Director General Omar Bu Shehab said the sector’s growth reflects “Dubai’s long-term development vision,” supported by infrastructure, a competitive business environment and public-private partnerships. Separately at the summit, Majid Sager Al Marri, CEO of Corporate Support and Real Estate Promotion at the DLD, put the H1 figure in context: Dubai’s full 2025 market recorded Dh917 billion in transactions across more than 270,000 deals, and by the time of his remarks the H1 2026 project count had already risen past 150, with a further announcement expected soon. On the China side, Dubai Chambers data shows active Chinese chamber membership rising from 2,000 companies in 2015 to 6,362 at the end of 2025 and 6,650 by September 2026, with trading and services accounting for more than 3,830 of those companies, around 58 percent of the total. China remains Dubai’s largest trading partner, with bilateral non-oil trade reaching roughly US$99 billion (Dh363.5 billion) in 2025, more than double the 2016 level.
Al Marri said the DLD plans to expand its international investor outreach through roadshows in India and participation in a broker conference in the United States the following month, and said the department “could consider” extending its First-Time Home Buyer initiative — which has already helped more than 3,200 buyers — to non-residents in the future. Saeed Al Gergawi, vice president of the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, said conversations with Chinese companies have changed over roughly three years: firms that once wanted local contacts and introductions now mostly either already have a Dubai presence and want to expand it significantly, or are committed to establishing one, and are increasingly interested in testing and developing technology in Dubai before taking it to other markets. Sultan bin Saeed Al Mansoori, chairman of Dubai Chambers, said attracting Chinese manufacturers to establish production in Dubai — to supply the domestic market and export elsewhere — remains a priority.
References
Khaleej Times – Dubai real estate projects surge 52% to Dh100 billion in the first half of 2026 / Arabian Business – Chinese companies in Dubai reach 6,650, up over 200% since 2016
