According to the 20th edition of The Wealth Report 2026, published by Knight Frank on April 23, 2026, Dubai not only maintains but strengthens its position as one of the key global wealth centers. The report highlights the emirate’s dominant role in the super-prime residential real estate market, its systemic importance in the structure of global capital, and its sustained attractiveness to ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWI), family offices, and institutional investors.
In the section dedicated to the global prime real estate market (PIRI 100), it is noted that the Middle East became the leader in prime residential price growth in 2025 (+9.4%), with Dubai acting as the key driver. Prices for luxury residential real estate in the city rose by 25.1%, and the emirate effectively shapes the dynamics of the entire region. “Dubai (25.1%) continued to dominate headlines, recording 500 residential transactions above $10 million in 2025 compared to 113 transactions in 2021,” the report states. The authors describe the UAE as a global leader in the super-prime residential segment, emphasizing that Dubai has remained the most active market for homes priced above $10 million since the end of 2022.
Dubai is also viewed as one of the key nodes in the global capital mobility system. The report highlights the emergence of a new pattern of behavior among wealthy clients — the so-called multi-home lifestyle — in which capital owners distribute their lives and assets across several countries. Within this system, Dubai holds a strategic position alongside global centers such as London, New York, Singapore, and Hong Kong, offering a combination of tax efficiency, high levels of safety, and advanced quality-of-life infrastructure.
Demand for super-prime real estate in 2025 was driven by buyers fr om the Middle East, Europe, China, and India. At the same time, Dubai retains its status as one of the most tax-efficient hubs for highly mobile capital. In the context of wealth migration, the report notes that some wealthy households leaving the United Kingdom due to changes in the tax regime are choosing Dubai as their primary or secondary residence, integrating it into their global asset ownership structures.
In the section on family offices, Knight Frank explicitly names Dubai as one of the world’s leading wealth hubs. The city successfully competes for capital allocation thanks to its flexible tax environment and rapidly developing lifestyle-oriented offerings. At the same time, Abu Dhabi’s strengthening position as a more stable alternative is noted, which in the long term could further enhance the attractiveness of the UAE as a whole.
According to the Wealth Sizing Model, the number of UHNWI (with wealth above $30 million) in the UAE continues to grow steadily: from 3,139 individuals in 2021 to 4,851 in 2026, with a forecast increase to 6,588 by 2031 (+35.8% over five years). This growth directly supports demand for luxury real estate and reinforces Dubai’s position as a global center of capital concentration.
The report also pays attention to structural features of the market. In particular, it highlights the limited supply of high-quality turnkey luxury homes, which intensifies competition for such properties and supports price growth. An additional driver is the rapid expansion of branded residences, wh ere Dubai is one of the world’s key markets due to its high service standards and the integration of hospitality principles into residential real estate.
At the same time, growing interest from global institutional capital in UAE commercial real estate is observed. The report notes increased activity from players such as Brookfield, Hines, Gaw Capital, and Blackstone, investing in industrial, logistics assets, and the build-to-rent segment. Dubai remains the most dynamic luxury housing market in the world since the end of 2022, shaping the country’s investment profile as a key commercial and financial gateway for the region.
The report also highlights an increasing gap between the premium and mass residential segments: Dubai’s luxury housing market is more strongly influenced by global capital and international wealth migration, showing its own dynamics that are often uncorrelated with local economic cycles.
Overall, The Wealth Report 2026 presents Dubai not merely as a rapidly growing market, but as a structurally significant element of the global financial and investment system. Despite geopolitical risks, the emirate demonstrates resilience, record performance in the super-prime transaction segment, and continues to strengthen its role as one of the central nodes of the global wealth economy.
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