Dubai now has more branded residence projects than any other city on earth, and the number is staggering. The emirate has 184 branded residence projects, more than double the 85 in second-placed Miami, according to Global Branded Residences’ Annual Branded Residences Report 2025-2026. If you are thinking about buying property in Dubai, this is a trend worth understanding, because it is reshaping prices across the market.
Why Dubai real estate investors can’t stop talking about branded homes
The numbers tell the story. Dubai has 68 completed branded residence developments and another 116 in the pipeline. The report calls the city “in a league of its own”, and it is easy to see why. São Paulo sits in third place with just 39 projects, followed by New York with 36. Dubai is not just ahead, it is in a different category entirely.
This boom is not happening in isolation. Across the wider UAE, there are 75 completed branded residence schemes and 185 more in development. That makes the UAE’s pipeline the largest of any country in the world. For anyone following the emirates news on property and investment, this is one of the clearest signs yet of how fast the luxury real estate sector is growing here.
Branded residences are homes developed in partnership with a known name, whether a hotel group, a fashion house or a luxury brand, offering buyers the services and prestige that come with that association. Buyers are often willing to pay more for the guarantee of quality, management and brand reputation that comes attached.
What that 44 per cent price premium actually means for your wallet
Here is the number that matters most if you are buying or investing. Global Branded Residences analysed transactions across 106 projects between 2020 and 2026 and found branded homes sell for an average 44 per cent more than comparable non-branded properties. That is a significant premium, and it shows just how much buyers value the branding attached to these homes.
The premium is even bigger closer to home. In the Middle East and North Africa, branded homes sell for 59 per cent more than non-branded equivalents, among the highest premiums of any region in the world. Resort properties command the steepest markups, at an average 57 per cent, compared with 34 per cent for urban developments. So if you are eyeing a resort-style branded home on the coast, expect to pay well above the going rate for a similar unbranded property.
This matters for a few reasons. First, if you already own a branded property in Dubai or elsewhere in the UAE, this data suggests your asset could be commanding a strong resale value compared to non-branded neighbours. Second, if you are shopping for a new home, it is worth knowing that the “brand” itself is part of what you are paying for, not just the bricks, location or finishes.
Third, and perhaps most importantly for the region, MENA is now the fastest-growing branded residence market in the world. The region has 118 completed projects, but a massive 308 more in the pipeline. That accounts for roughly 27 per cent of the entire global development pipeline. In other words, more than a quarter of all branded residences being built anywhere in the world right now are happening in this region.
For GCC investors and developers, this signals where the market momentum is heading. Branded residences are no longer a niche luxury product reserved for a handful of five-star names. They are becoming a mainstream part of how major developments are marketed and sold, from Dubai to the wider Gulf. The scale of the pipeline, 185 projects still to come in the UAE alone, suggests this growth has a long way to run yet.
It also raises a question worth watching: can supply keep pace with demand without eroding that premium over time? With hundreds of projects still under construction across the region, buyers and investors will want to keep an eye on how pricing trends shift as more branded homes hit the market. For now, though, the data from Arabian Business makes one thing clear: Dubai and the wider UAE have become the undisputed global capital of this fast-growing corner of real estate.
What to watch next is whether this pipeline of nearly 200 UAE projects gets delivered on schedule, and whether that 44 per cent premium holds steady as supply grows across Dubai and the broader MENA region.
