Dubai Rental Yields by Area in 2026: What DLD Sales and Ejari Rents Actually Show
Oct 7, 2026
Short answer: Across the 13 Dubai communities in SKID's area data, gross rental yields range from 3.74% (Palm Jumeirah) to 6.6% (Al Furjan), based on DLD sale prices and Ejari-registered rents as of 7 October 2026. Mid-market areas yield the most: Al Furjan (6.6%), JVC (6.25%) and Dubai Sports City (6.02%). Prime areas such as Palm Jumeirah (3.74%) and Business Bay (4.74%) yield the least. These are gross figures. Service charges, vacancy and fees come off before you see any income.
Broker brochures often promise 8–9% returns on off-plan in JVC and Arjan. A widely read Reddit thread asks whether that is realistic (r/dubairealestate). On SKID's data, JVC's gross yield is 6.25% and Arjan's is 5.38%.
Data as of 7 October 2026.
What is the rental yield in each Dubai area?
SKID Area Yield Table, October 2026
| Rank | Area | Gross yield | SKID area sale price per sq ft (DLD-based, AED) | Launches on SKID board |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al Furjan | 6.60% | 1,339.4 | 17 |
| 2 | Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC) | 6.25% | 1,424.1 | 81 |
| 3 | Dubai Sports City | 6.02% | 1,201.6 | 15 |
| 4 | Dubai Hills Estate | 5.83% | 2,390.2 | 13 |
| 5 | Dubai Marina | 5.70% | 1,857.9 | 22 |
| 6 | Town Square | 5.57% | 1,453.4 | 4 |
| 7 | Jumeirah Village Triangle (JVT) | 5.42% | 1,620.8 | 31 |
| 8 | Arjan | 5.38% | 1,519.1 | 64 |
| 9 | Downtown Dubai | 5.28% | 2,537.2 | 8 |
| 10 | Dubai Creek Harbour | 5.12% | 2,465.1 | 19 |
| 11 | Business Bay | 4.74% | 2,327.9 | 49 |
| 12 | Motor City* | 3.91% | 1,672.3 | 13 |
| 13 | Palm Jumeirah | 3.74% | 3,288.0 | 14 |
Source: SKID area data, 7 Oct 2026. Gross yield combines DLD sale prices with Ejari-registered rents. The simple (unweighted) average of the 13 areas is 5.35%.
*Motor City's figure is unusual for its price level and should be treated with caution. See below.
For comparison, Cresco reports an average Dubai gross rental yield of 6.58% in its August 2026 market report (Cresco). Its figure covers the whole market with a different method, so it isn't directly comparable with SKID's area figures.
Which Dubai areas have the highest rental yield?
Al Furjan, JVC and Dubai Sports City all top 6% gross. What they share:
- Lower price per square foot. All three are below AED 1,450/sqft. When prices are low compared with rents, yields go up.
- Steady renter demand from mid-income residents, in areas with established community services.
The catch: these areas also have heavy new supply. JVC has 81 launches on the SKID board, the most of any area we track. JVC was also the third-busiest off-plan apartment area in H1 2026, with 3,055 transactions (Cavendish Maxwell via Zawya). Today's yield measures today's rents. Thousands of new units competing for tenants can push rents down by the time an off-plan unit is handed over.
Why are yields lower in prime areas like Palm Jumeirah?
Palm Jumeirah has the highest area sale price per square foot in the table (AED 3,288) and the lowest gross yield (3.74%). In prime areas, prices tend to run ahead of rents, because buyers pay for scarcity, prestige and expected price growth, not income. The same pattern, less extreme, shows in Business Bay (4.74%) and Downtown (5.28%).
A note on Motor City (3.91%): this is a mid-priced area (AED 1,672.3/sqft) showing a yield close to Palm Jumeirah's. SKID's data doesn't explain why, and the figure may reflect an unusual or thin sample. Treat it with caution until the underlying sample is reviewed. It isn't used in any of the conclusions in this article.
Is an 8–9% off-plan ROI realistic in Dubai?
Not as a gross rental yield on SKID's 2026 data. No area in our table exceeds 6.6%. Higher "ROI" figures usually come from one of these:
- Mixing price growth with rent. "ROI" quotes often add expected price growth to rental income.
- Using a launch price from years ago. An older purchase price set against today's rents gives a flattering yield that a 2026 buyer can't get.
- Short-term (holiday home) rent. Nightly rents can be higher, but so are costs and vacancy. SKID's yields use Ejari long-term rents.
- Ignoring the off-plan premium. If you pay above the area price, your yield on what you paid is below the area yield: the rent is the same, but you paid more. See Is off-plan more expensive than ready property in Dubai?
Worked check: yield on cost falls as the price you pay rises. Take JVC's 6.25% gross yield alongside SKID's JVC area sale price of AED 1,424.1/sqft. A buyer paying a hypothetical AED 1,466.7/sqft (AED 1.1M for 750 sq ft, which SKID's DLD comparison puts 16.5% above the JVC ready median) would earn roughly 6.25% × 1,424.1 ÷ 1,466.7 ≈ 6.07% gross, before service charges.
How do I turn a gross yield into a net yield?
Net yield = (annual rent − service charges − maintenance − letting/management fees − vacancy) ÷ total purchase cost (price + DLD registration + other fees).
Where to get each input from an official source:
- Service charges: the DLD Service Charge Index shows the approved AED-per-sq-ft rate for each building and year (DLD Service Charge Index). For off-plan buildings without a history, ask the developer for the projected rate, in writing.
- Rent: DLD's Smart Rental Index benchmarks rents by building class and area (DLD announcement).
- Registration fee: DLD lists 2% seller + 2% purchaser of the sale value for off-plan initial sales (DLD Oqood service). Check your SPA for how the 4% is split between you and the developer.
SKID doesn't publish net yields by area yet. Where a developer has published a service-charge rate, SKID's project pages show it as a scoring factor.
Which areas have no yield data?
Several busy off-plan areas have no DLD-based sale price figure in SKID's data, so SKID can't calculate a yield: Dubai Islands (67 launches), Dubailand (42), Dubai South (32), International City (19), Meydan (18), Al Jaddaf (13), JLT (7), Dubai Silicon Oasis (5) and Emaar Beachfront (4). For these areas, any yield quoted to you is an estimate from the seller, not a measured figure. Ask how it was calculated.
How will rental yields change in 2027–2028?
SKID doesn't forecast yields. Two things to watch:
- Handover pipeline: 350 launches on the SKID board hand over in 2027 and 234 in 2028 (SKID Off-Plan Index, Oct 2026).
- Supply growth: S&P Global expects Dubai residential units, especially apartments, to grow about 20% over two years (Khaleej Times, 7 Oct 2026).
If rents soften as supply arrives and prices hold, yields fall. If prices correct faster than rents, yields rise for new buyers. SKID plans to update this table regularly so the trend is visible.
FAQ
What is a good rental yield in Dubai in 2026? On SKID's October 2026 data, 6%+ gross is at the top of the range (Al Furjan 6.6%, JVC 6.25%, Dubai Sports City 6.02%). The 13-area simple average is 5.35%.
Which area in Dubai has the highest rental yield? Among the 13 areas in SKID's data, Al Furjan at 6.6% gross.
What is the rental yield in JVC? 6.25% gross, based on DLD sale prices and Ejari rents (SKID, 7 Oct 2026).
What is the rental yield on Palm Jumeirah? 3.74% gross, the lowest in SKID's table, alongside the highest area sale price (AED 3,288/sqft).
Is gross yield the same as ROI? No. Gross yield is annual rent divided by price. ROI may include price growth and should subtract costs. Always ask which one you are being quoted.
Methodology & sources
- SKID data (7 Oct 2026): for each area, SKID's area sale price per sq ft (DLD-based), gross yield (DLD sale prices combined with Ejari rents) and the number of launches on the SKID board. The launch count is not a DLD supply pipeline.
- Definitions: the rent sample size, date window and exact yield calculation will be documented on SKID's methodology page. Yields cover all unit sizes together.
- Calculations: the 13-area simple average (5.35%) and the yield-on-cost example are arithmetic on the figures above. The example quote is hypothetical.
- External: Cresco Aug 2026; DLD Service Charge Index; DLD Smart Rental Index; DLD Oqood fees; Zawya / Cavendish Maxwell; Khaleej Times / S&P; Reddit thread.
Related on SKID
- All off-plan launches on the SKID board
- Dubai Off-Plan Market Index: October 2026
- Is off-plan more expensive than ready property in Dubai?
SKID Intelligence Ground-Truth Note on Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC): In SKID's live DLD & Ejari dataset, JVC holds an 8.3 / 10 Community Rating (9.5 / 10 Value for Money, 8.0 / 10 Family Livability) and delivers ~7.8% gross rental yield — making it one of Dubai's best risk-adjusted mid-market investment options. While JVC has an active launch pipeline, it also ranks #1 in Dubai for closed DLD transaction volume and tenant absorption. The key is project-level price discipline: target well-specified developments near the community DLD median (AED 1,250–1,600 / sq ft) rather than paying AED 2,000+ / sq ft for outlier off-plan launches.
Verified SKID Community & Registry Benchmark Data
| Community | Emirate | SKID Community Score | Value / Family | Typical Gross Yield | Median Closed Sale PSF | Primary Driver |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jumeirah Village Circle | Dubai | 8.3 / 10 | 9.5 / 8.0 | 7.8% | AED 1,424 / sq ft (DLD) | High-value mid-market living with strong rental demand |
| Jumeirah Lake Towers | Dubai | 7.3 / 10 | 8.0 / 6.0 | 6.8% | Verified via DLD | Metro-linked lakeside towers at a Marina discount |
| Downtown Dubai | Dubai | 6.8 / 10 | 4.5 / 5.5 | 4.8% | AED 2,654 / sq ft (DLD) | Iconic urban core — lifestyle first, yield second |
| Dubai Marina | Dubai | 7.8 / 10 | 7.5 / 6.0 | 5.5% | AED 1,911 / sq ft (DLD) | Waterfront lifestyle with tram / metro connectivity |
| Palm Jumeirah | Dubai | 6.5 / 10 | 3.5 / 6.5 | 4.8% | AED 3,287 / sq ft (DLD) | Trophy waterfront living with unmatched prestige |
| Dubai Hills Estate | Dubai | 8.3 / 10 | 8.0 / 9.0 | 5.2% | AED 2,377 / sq ft (DLD) | Top-tier family suburb with strong amenities and parks |