SKID Dubai Marina Benchmark (October 2026): Off-Plan vs Resale Price per Sq Ft
Oct 26, 2026
Short answer: In Dubai Marina, SKID's DLD-based area sale price is AED 1,904.1 per sq ft, only 4.1% above the AED 1,828.8 per sq ft median paid for ready apartments across 591 closed sales. Gross rental yield is 5.53%, and 10 off-plan launches are on the SKID board (data as of 23 October 2026). The area gap is the tightest of the areas compared here, but the branded towers now launching in the Marina are priced well above that resale benchmark, so the useful comparison is project by project, not area-wide.
SKID Dubai Marina Benchmark. Data as of 23 October 2026.
What is the price per sq ft in Dubai Marina in 2026?
| Measure (SKID, 23 Oct 2026) | Dubai Marina |
|---|---|
| SKID area sale price per sq ft (DLD-based) | AED 1,904.1 |
| Ready apartment closed-sale median | AED 1,828.8 / sq ft |
| Ready sample size (n) | 591 sales |
| Gap, area sale price vs ready median | +4.1% |
| Gross rental yield (DLD sale + Ejari rent) | 5.53% |
| Off-plan launches on the SKID board | 10 |
Source: SKID area data and DLD closed-sales comparison, 23 Oct 2026. Gap = area sale price ÷ ready median − 1.
Dubai Marina is a mature district. Most of its stock is finished towers that already trade on the secondary market, which is why the area sale price and the ready median sit close together. With 591 ready sales behind the median, the resale benchmark is solid. If you are quoted for a new Marina launch, AED 1,828.8 per sq ft is the number to compare it with: it is what buyers have actually paid for finished apartments in the same district.
Is Dubai Marina off-plan more expensive than resale?
At the area level, barely. The +4.1% gap is small. At the project level, often by a lot. Few new plots are left in the Marina, so most launches are branded or hotel-serviced towers, and they are priced as such.
SKID's comparison tool shows how fast the premium grows with the quoted price per sq ft. Two hypothetical quotes, run on 23 October 2026:
| Hypothetical Dubai Marina quote | Price per sq ft | Premium vs Marina ready median |
|---|---|---|
| AED 1,650,000 for 750 sq ft | AED 2,200.0 | +20.3% |
| AED 3,250,000 for 1,300 sq ft | AED 2,500.0 | +36.7% |
Both quotes are made-up examples. The premium figures are SKID's comparison output against a ready median of AED 1,828.8/sq ft (n=591).
The project pages tell the same story. On 23 October 2026, SKID's live project pages for five Dubai Marina launches reported these figures:
| Launch (SKID project page) | SKID score (band) | SKID "fair value" vs market | Gross yield shown |
|---|---|---|---|
| Six Senses Residences | 7.2 (compare) | +82.8% | 3.0% |
| Rove Home Dubai Marina | 6.9 (compare) | +114.4% | 2.6% |
| Residences Du Port, Autograph Collection | 6.9 (compare) | +71.2% | 3.2% |
| Franck Muller Vanguard | 6.7 (compare) | +18.3% | 4.7% |
| Kempinski Dubai Marina Residences | 6.3 (caution) | +23.0% | 4.5% |
Source: SKID project pages, all marked "Last evaluated: 2026-10-23". Scores are re-evaluated and can change, so open each page for the current figure. SKID's definitions of "fair value" and project-level yield are being documented. This table is not a recommendation to buy or avoid any project.
Every one of these five launches shows a premium over the market on SKID's own measure, ranging from +18.3% to +114.4%. The higher the premium, the lower the gross yield shown. For the city-wide pattern, see Is off-plan more expensive than ready property in Dubai?.
How does Dubai Marina compare with JLT, Business Bay and JVC?
| Area | SKID area sale price (AED/sq ft) | Ready median (AED/sq ft) | Ready n | Gap | Gross yield | Launches on SKID |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai Marina | 1,904.1 | 1,828.8 | 591 | +4.1% | 5.53% | 10 |
| Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT) | 1,848.4 | 1,422.2 | 294 | +30.0% | 5.25% | 7 |
| Business Bay | 2,239.8 | 1,806.4 | 692 | +24.0% | 4.88% | 49 |
| Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC) | 1,422.1 | 1,283.7 | 1,371 | +10.8% | 6.11% | 81 |
Source: SKID, 23 Oct 2026. Gap = area sale price ÷ ready median − 1.
Ready apartments in the Marina and in Business Bay now trade at almost the same median (AED 1,828.8 vs AED 1,806.4 per sq ft). Business Bay's area sale price sits 24.0% above its ready median, though, while the Marina's sits only 4.1% above. Next door, JLT shows a much lower ready median (AED 1,422.2) and the widest gap in this set, from a thinner sample (n=294). JVC remains the value and yield option at AED 1,283.7 per sq ft ready and 6.11% gross. For the full reads, see the Business Bay benchmark and the JVC benchmark.
What rental yield can you expect in Dubai Marina?
SKID reports a gross yield of 5.53% for Dubai Marina, based on DLD sale prices and Ejari-registered rents. That is above Business Bay (4.88%) and JLT (5.25%) and below JVC (6.11%). It is gross: service charges, vacancy, furnishing and management for short-let units all come off before you see a net return. SKID's exact yield method is being documented on its methodology page.
Branded launches show lower gross yields on their project pages (2.6% to 4.7% in the table above). Paying well above the resale median for the same rent compresses yield. If a sales deck promises 7–8% in the Marina, ask which rents it assumes and whether they are Ejari-registered. For more areas, see Dubai rental yields by area in 2026.
How much off-plan supply is coming in Dubai Marina?
Very little, compared with the master-planned suburbs. SKID tracks 10 Marina launches, against 81 in JVC and 49 in Business Bay.
| Stated handover year | Launches on SKID board |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 | 2 |
| 2027 | 3 |
| 2028 | 1 |
| 2029 | 2 |
| Other or not stated | 2 |
Source: SKID, 23 Oct 2026, n=10 launches. These are counts of launches on the SKID board, not unit counts or a DLD supply pipeline.
Limited new supply is one reason Marina resale prices hold close to the area benchmark. It also means a new Marina tower competes mostly with the existing resale stock around it, not with other launches. That makes the 591-sale ready median the most relevant check before you reserve.
How do SKID's scores look for Dubai Marina launches?
In SKID's project search on 23 October 2026, the 10 Marina launches split 5 in the "compare" band (worth comparing, with mixed evidence) and 5 in the "caution" band. None were in the top "strong" band and none were marked "not recommended". SKID's stored analyses for the three launches checked (Six Senses Residences, Rove Home Dubai Marina, Kempinski Dubai Marina Residences) name delivery risk as the strongest evidenced factor and entry price as the weakest, which fits the premiums above.
On each scored launch, SKID gives one of four calls: Reserve, Negotiate, Wait or Walk Away. Open the project page for the live call. This post does not recommend specific units.
How much do Dubai Marina off-plan apartments start from?
Dubai Marina launches are not an entry-level market. In SKID's budget search on 23 October 2026, none of the 10 launches matched a budget of AED 1.5 million or less, 1 matched AED 2 million or less, and 5 matched AED 3 million or less. On top of the price, budget for the 4% DLD fee and the other purchase costs. See Dubai Off-Plan Fees Explained.
FAQ
What is the average price per sq ft in Dubai Marina? As of 23 October 2026, SKID's DLD-based area sale price for Dubai Marina is AED 1,904.1 per sq ft. Ready apartments have sold at a median of AED 1,828.8 per sq ft, across 591 closed sales.
Is Dubai Marina off-plan worth it compared with resale? At area level the gap is small (+4.1%). The five Marina launch pages checked on 23 October 2026 show SKID "fair value" premiums of +18.3% to +114.4%, so whether a given launch is worth it depends on how far its quote sits above the AED 1,828.8 ready median.
What rental yield does Dubai Marina give? SKID reports a 5.53% gross yield, before service charges, vacancy and management costs. Launch pages in the Marina show lower gross yields (2.6% to 4.7%) because of higher entry prices.
How many off-plan projects are there in Dubai Marina? 10 launches are on the SKID board as of 23 October 2026. That is far fewer than JVC (81) or Business Bay (49).
Is Dubai Marina cheaper than Business Bay? For ready apartments, they are nearly level: AED 1,828.8 vs AED 1,806.4 per sq ft median. Business Bay's area sale price is higher (AED 2,239.8 vs 1,904.1).
Methodology & sources
- SKID data (23 Oct 2026): the area sale price per sq ft (DLD-based), gross yield (DLD sale price with Ejari rent) and launch count for each area; the median price per sq ft and sample size (n) of ready apartment closed sales; launch counts by score band, stated handover year and budget; hypothetical quote comparisons; and the scores, "fair value" and yield figures shown on each linked project page. Gap = area sale price ÷ ready median − 1.
- Definitions: the exact definition and date window of each SKID measure (including whether figures are means or medians and how yield is computed) are being documented on SKID's methodology page. Ready medians cover all apartment sizes together. Launch counts are projects on the SKID board, not DLD unit supply. Searches were filtered to emirate = Dubai, and each project page lists the area as Dubai Marina.
- Changes since our last pull: on 14 October 2026 SKID counted 22 Marina launches. On 23 October it counted 10, with the ready sample unchanged at 591. Project scores were re-evaluated on 23 October.
- Public reference: DLD Smart Rental Index.
Check a Dubai Marina launch before you reserve
Got a Marina quote? Divide the price by the size and compare it with the AED 1,828.8 per sq ft ready median, then open the project on SKID's off-plan board. You'll see its premium over the market, what drove its score, and whether the call is Reserve, Negotiate, Wait or Walk Away.