Dubai Land Department tightens oversight of $30.2bn property boom through 2033 strategy

DUBAI: The Dubai Land Department is using the 22nd International Property Show to demonstrate how regulatory frameworks, digital infrastructure and targeted programmes are reshaping the emirate’s real estate sector. The exhibition opened at Dubai World Trade Centre and runs through 9 September, positioning the department as a strategic partner in advancing both Dubai’s Real Estate Strategy 2033 and the broader Dubai Economic Agenda D33.

Omar Hamad Bu Shehab, Director-General of DLD, attended the opening. The department occupies Hall 7 and is participating in panel discussions and workshops addressing market governance and investment conditions. During the opening session, Majid Saqr Al Marri, CEO of DLD’s Corporate Support Sector, joined IPS President Dawood Al Shezawi in a conversation moderated by real estate expert Ismail Al Hammadi, focused on the regulatory environment and collaboration prospects.

The performance metrics DLD disclosed underscore the scale of recent activity. In the first half of 2026, Dubai’s real estate sector completed 104 projects valued at more than AED111 billion, adding 24,537 units to the market. Year-over-year, completed projects rose 38.7 percent, investment value increased 52 percent and new units grew by more than 36 percent compared with the same period in 2025. These figures reflect both the volume of development and the regulatory oversight required to track and certify project completion across the sector.

Al Marri framed the department’s role as foundational to investor confidence. “Through the services, data, and digital solutions we provide, we continue to enhance the experience of investors, developers, and customers, while strengthening the market’s ability to meet the needs of diverse investor segments,” he said.

Meanwhile, the First-Time Home Buyer Programme, launched in July 2025, has become a significant policy instrument for expanding homeownership. By June 2026, the programme had facilitated purchases for more than 3,200 residents, generating transaction value exceeding AED5 billion. More than 45,000 registrants have enrolled, indicating substantial demand for structured market entry.

Digital transformation and data governance featured prominently in departmental presentations. Mohammed Yahya, Director of DLD’s Real Estate Transactions Department, addressed how open data serves investor decision-making and enables market comparison, and discussed the digitization of property registration and the role of service efficiency in supporting market operations. Mohamad Al Dah, Real Estate Regulatory Consultant at DLD, highlighted the REES Real Estate Innovation Initiative and the Initial Registration platform, which integrates project registration, transaction processing and escrow account management. The platform employs artificial intelligence to extract data from documents and support transaction workflows, representing a shift toward automated regulatory compliance.

The department also organized sessions focused on workforce development and small business integration. An Emirati empowerment workshop, conducted with the Emirati Human Resources Development Council, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation and the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council (Nafis), examined pathways for increasing Emirati participation in the sector. Noura Al Jasmi, Senior Corporate Support Adviser at DLD, presented outcomes from two years of initiatives designed to expand Emirati employment and professional development in real estate.

The Jusoor Forum, organized jointly with the Mohammed bin Rashid Establishment for Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Dubai SME), created a platform for Emirati-owned companies to connect with developers, brokers and industry operators. Discussions centered on procurement and collaboration opportunities spanning construction, engineering, technology, marketing, training and consultancy, linking domestic businesses with sector demand.

At its exhibition stand, DLD is showcasing interactive transaction and market data, information on registered brokers and investor-support services. Featured digital tools include the Initial Registration platform, the First-Time Home Buyer Programme, the Dubai REST application and Malik, the department’s customer service assistant, which operates continuously and responds to enquiries. Whether the pace of digital integration and the volume of new registrants the programme continues to attract will test the department’s oversight capacity in the months ahead remains an open question.