Dubai Government allocated Dh39 billion — 46 percent of its 2025 budget to infrastructure and construction projects, that reflects the government’s commitment to the development of land, property and new communities
Date: Dubai, UAE; February 24, 2026
Zabadani Real Estate, one of the pioneers in the UAE’s land and property sectors, has recorded six land deals, with a combined value of Dh3 billion (US817.43 million) last year, compared to four deals worth Dh1.2 billion (US$327 million) in 2024.
Anil Gehani, Founder and Managing Director of Zabadani Real Estate
One of its largest land deals has been the sale of a plot in the Motor City, worth Dh700 million (US$190.73 million).
The growth not only reflects Zabadani Real Estate’s leadership position in the land trading market, but also the appreciation of land price and properties in Dubai – that is driving the economy.
“The land trading business has come a long way in the last quarter of a century in Dubai when prices of land skyrocketed due to the introduction of the freehold property in 2002,” Anil Gehani, Founder and Managing Director of Zabadani Real Estate, says.
“In 2025, we closed a landmark transaction in Al Jadaf at approximately Dh1,700 per square foot, with a total land value of around Dh330 million — without freehold conversion. This is a critical distinction.
“The pricing reflects pure land value, not enhanced by ownership restructuring or speculative entitlement upside. It places Al Jadaf firmly in the same valuation conversation as more established central Dubai districts — and underscores how land in the UAE is now priced on their development potential, planning certainty and long-term capital preservation.”
Zabadani Real Estate’s land deals are part of the sale of the 4,466 plots of land in Dubai, worth Dh128.5 billion recorded in 2025, growing at 10.4 percent compared to the previous year, according to Dubai Land Department.
Land transaction value in Dubai jumped 403.6 per cent between 2019 and 2024, according to a recent report, Beyond the Skyline: Dubai’s Land Market Transformation Story, by Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL), a global real estate advisory. The surge underscores the emirate’s success in combining demographic expansion, infrastructure investment, and regulatory innovation into a cohesive growth model.
From Dh13.7 billion in 2019, land transaction values climbed to Dh68.8 billion in 2024, while volumes nearly tripled from 691 to 1,991 deals, marking a 188.1 per cent increase. The momentum continued into 2025, with Dh43 billion worth of transactions in the first half alone, a 42.9 per cent year-on-year rise.
Dubai’s land market transformation has been driven by an unprecedented demographic shift that has fundamentally altered demand dynamics across the emirate, according to the JLL report.
“What makes this story unique is not just the scale of growth, but the quality of migration driving it. The surge in Dubai’s population has been primarily fuelled by expatriate migration, and more recently by a wave of high net-worth individuals relocating to the emirate, rather than by organic demographic increase,” JLL said in its report.
“This migration pattern represents a fundamental shift in global wealth flows, accelerated by Dubai’s strategic positioning as a regional business hub, favourable tax environment, and enhanced quality of life offerings that appeal to international professionals and wealthy families seeking alternative residency options.”
While many cities struggle to accommodate rapid population growth, Dubai turned demographic pressure into a competitive advantage through strategic urban planning, it said.
“Newly announced development zones in Dubai typically experience rapid price escalation, sometimes even before construction begins, while established central areas maintain premium valuations due to limited supply and high population density,” JLL said.
“Areas such as Dubai Creek Harbour witnessed 81.4 percent land value appreciation following their launch announcements, demonstrating how Dubai’s anticipatory development strategy creates sustained upward pressure on land prices across both emerging and established districts.”
Dubai’s rapid urban development and population growth necessitated rapid infrastructure development to ensure seamless connectivity across new districts while maintaining service quality standards. Infrastructure development serves as a powerful catalyst for land price appreciation through multiple interconnected mechanisms that create measurable, sustained value.
Dubai Government allocated Dh39 billion (US$10.6 billion) — a remarkable 46 percent of its 2025 budget — to infrastructure and construction projects, that reflects the government’s commitment to the development of land, property and new communities.
Anil Gehani says, “As more wealthy individuals – businessmen, start-ups, fin-techs, retirees move into the city, the land price will continue to grow as the migration by the world’s millionaires will keep the demand for properties and land high. This is why investment in land parcels will remain lucrative from the Return on Investment (RoI) perspective.”
Zabadani Real Estate specialises in land trading, buying, selling, leasing and re-development and re-energising of residential, commercial, hospitality properties as well as warehouses.
Founded by Mr. Anil Gehani in 1990, Zabadani has grown into one of the most trusted names in the real estate industry. Over the past 36 years he has expanded from the traditional retail brokerage model to a niche and active advisory firm focused on real estate investments, specialty assets and project management in the region.
Notably over the years, it has been involved in a number of important deals and negotiations which have garnered accolades and recognition locally and regionally. Zabadani has been featured for two consecutive years in the Forbes Middle East Top Ten Real Estate Consultancies in the region in 2016 and 2017 respectively.
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About Zabadani Real Estate
Zabadani Real Estate is a property advisory that helps investors to generate wealth through real estate investment.
Founded by Mr. Anil Gehani in 1990, Zabadani has grown into one of the most trusted names in the real estate industry. Over the past 36 years he has expanded from the traditional retail brokerage model to a niche and active advisory firm focused on real estate investments, specialty assets and project management in the region.
Notably over the years, it has been involved in a number of important deals and negotiations which have garnered accolades and recognition locally and regionally. Zabadani has been featured for two consecutive years in the Forbes Middle East Top Ten Real Estate Consultancies in the region in 2016 and 2017 respectively.