Dubai’s property market took the return of regional tensions in stride. When the news returned in late August, buyer demand strengthened, prices edged higher, and the only thing that wavered was what buyers expected prices to do next. Property Finder today released the latest Property Finder Market Pulse, its bi-monthly consumer sentiment poll in which active property seekers on the platform are asked about their buying intent and price expectations for the next six months.
Demand held its upward line through the month. Of 4,113 respondents across July and August, roughly 69% said they plan to buy within six months, and the figure strengthened from 68% in July to 71% in August. The rise came in the same weeks that regional tensions dominated the headlines.
The market moved with it, not against it. The median price per square foot rose from AED 1,271 in July to AED 1,301 in August. What shifted was sentiment. Late in August, the share of buyers expecting prices to fall ticked up, a short-term reaction to the news rather than a change in what buyers did.
That caution sits inside a longer story of fading fear. Among those planning to buy, the share expecting a decline has dropped from a March high of 73% to around 53% across July and August. Most still anticipate a dip. Far fewer are willing to wait for one.
“The real test came in August. Regional tensions returned to the headlines, expectations reacted, and demand did not,” said Cherif Sleiman, Chief Revenue Officer at Property Finder. “Buying intent rose to 71% and the median price per square foot climbed to AED 1,301 over the same period. When a market takes a geopolitical knock and buyers keep moving, the demand underneath is structural, not speculative. That is the signal for anyone weighing an entry into Dubai real estate today.”
