The short answer
Emaar is the lower-risk default: it files more projects with the DLD by value, its master communities are built out with schools, retail and transport, and its resale market is deep. DAMAC sells more units in 2026 on the projects we cover, largely through big launches with low entry prices and long payment plans, and it is the stronger choice if you specifically want a branded residence or a post-handover plan.
What the register does not support is a blanket claim that one delivers and the other does not. Neither has a project due this year that is past its filed completion date. Judge each project on its own escrow, construction progress and filed completion date, all of which are public.
What the DLD register shows
The table below is live: it reads the Dubai Land Department register each time the page loads. Sales cover the projects on this site for each developer. Registrations are projects filed with the DLD this year. Each developer trades under several legal companies (Emaar Development PJSC, Emaar Dubai South DWC, DAMAC Prime Development and others), and all of them are counted.
The biggest single difference is scale per launch. DAMAC Islands 2 recorded 3,412 sales at a median AED 2.82M, and DAMAC Lagoons Valencia 1,217 at a median AED 782,000. Emaar's best sellers are spread across more projects: Creek Bay (681 sales, median AED 3.30M), Terra Woods (472) and Creek Haven (464).
| Emaar Properties | DAMAC Properties | |
|---|---|---|
| Off-plan sales recorded in 2026On the projects this site covers for each developer | 3,041 | 5,040 |
| Projects registered with the DLD in 2026New projects filed this year | 27 | 15 |
| Units in those registrations | 3,935 | 5,558 |
| Declared value of those registrations | AED 16.03bn | AED 3.49bn |
| Registrations with escrow openA project cannot legally be sold before its escrow account opens | 27 of 27 | 15 of 15 |
| Projects due to complete in 2026 | 11 | 1 |
| … of which complete | 4 | 0 |
| … of which past their filed dateLower is better | 0 | 0 |
| Cancelled projects on the registerAll years; lower is better | 14 | 32 |
- Creek Bay 681 sales · median AED 3,295,888
- Terra Woods 472 sales · median AED 1,723,888
- Creek Haven 464 sales · median AED 1,982,388
- Golf Vale 236 sales · median AED 1,558,388
- DAMAC Islands 2 3,412 sales · median AED 2,824,000
- DAMAC Lagoons Valencia 1,217 sales · median AED 782,000
- DAMAC District 403 sales · median AED 1,252,000
- Harbour Lights 8 sales · median AED 2,049,000
● marks the better figure where more or fewer is clearly better. Sources: DLD project register and transactions, 2026 to date. A developer with no 2026 registrations shows zero in those rows; that is a fact about this year, not a verdict.
Emaar: The Safe Default
Emaar Properties is majority government-owned through Dubai Holding. That backing matters — it means projects are unlikely to stall due to capital issues, and escrow oversight is tight. Emaar's master communities (Downtown Dubai, Dubai Hills Estate, Emaar Beachfront, Creek Harbour) are self-contained, with retail, schools, and infrastructure built around the residential units. Resale liquidity in Emaar communities is consistently high because buyers recognise the brand and trust delivery. The trade-off is price: you pay a premium at launch, and capital appreciation from entry to handover is lower than smaller developers who launch at a discount.
DAMAC: High Brand, Variable Execution
DAMAC has delivered landmark projects — DAMAC Hills, Paramount Tower, SLS Dubai — but also has a history of delays on smaller developments and those built during earlier market slowdowns. Their branded partnerships (de GRISOGONO, Versace, Cavalli) attract buyers who respond to lifestyle marketing, but the brand premium does not always translate to superior resale values. DAMAC projects in core locations (Business Bay, Al Safa, Jumeirah area) perform well. Projects in emerging or secondary locations carry more execution risk. Due diligence on the specific project — not just the DAMAC name — is essential.
Which Developer Suits Which Investor
Emaar suits investors who prioritise capital preservation, predictable delivery, and community infrastructure. Entry prices are higher but downside risk is lower. DAMAC suits investors who want a lifestyle product, are comfortable with slightly more execution uncertainty, and are targeting areas where DAMAC has an established presence. For end-users, Emaar's community completeness is a significant advantage — schools, malls, and parks are already built in most master developments. For pure rental investors in Business Bay or Downtown, DAMAC units often command strong short-term rental yields due to the branded fit-outs.
Pricing and Resale Comparison
Emaar projects often launch below secondary-market prices in established communities, meaning buyers benefit from development-stage appreciation. However, because many investors know this, early phases sell out quickly to institutional and repeat buyers. DAMAC launches at lifestyle pricing — sometimes at or above secondary market — which compresses capital gains potential but attracts buyers who want a finished product with branded interiors. Resale in Emaar communities is faster and attracts a broader buyer pool including end-users, which is important if you plan to exit before or shortly after handover.
Delivery track record: what actually happened
Emaar's large phases in Dubai Hills Estate, Creek Harbour and Downtown have generally handed over close to their original dates, with delays tied to specific projects rather than the whole portfolio. DAMAC's record is more mixed across market cycles: some projects handed over on time or early, others ran well past their dates, and branded products have sometimes waited on brand-partner approvals as well as construction.
For 2026 specifically the register is clear: of the projects due to complete this year, neither developer has one past its filed completion date. Both register projects under the RERA escrow framework, which protects your payments from developer insolvency but not from delay. Check a project's construction percentage and filed completion date before you buy.
Payment plans and launch pricing
DAMAC launches attract buyers partly through creative payment plan structures. Post-handover payment plans significantly reduce construction-phase risk for buyers and are a core DAMAC sales tool. This is a genuine advantage: it means buyers can earn rental income before completing their full payment, which improves capital efficiency.
Emaar's payment plans are more conventional — typically front-loaded during construction with standard post-handover plans on select projects. The Emaar advantage is not payment structure but pricing discipline: Emaar price increases are gradual and market-reflective. DAMAC launch pricing has sometimes been aggressive — projects launched at premium prices relative to the secondary market in the same area, compressing margins for buyers who try to exit at handover.
The key risk with DAMAC post-handover payment plans: if the market softens between purchase and handover, the buyer still owes the remaining post-handover balance on a unit that may have depreciated. The payment plan does not eliminate market risk.
Resale value and secondary market depth
Emaar communities dominate Dubai's secondary market by volume and depth. Dubai Hills Estate, Downtown Dubai, and Creek Harbour consistently generate more secondary transactions per quarter than DAMAC communities of comparable size. This liquidity advantage matters when you want to sell — wider buyer depth means faster exit and more competitive offers.
DAMAC communities have secondary markets that are thinner and more susceptible to supply-led price pressure. When DAMAC delivers large volumes of new product in a community, it competes with secondary stock from existing owners, creating downward pressure on resale pricing. Buyers who purchased at launch and try to sell within 2 years of handover often face this dynamic.
The exception: DAMAC's branded ultra-luxury product (Bugatti Residences, Jacob & Co — though Jacob & Co is developed by Mantra, not DAMAC) attracts a distinct buyer who is not cross-shopping within the community. These buyers compete on uniqueness of product, not comparables.
Branded residences: DAMAC vs Emaar
This is where the two differ most. DAMAC builds with outside luxury and lifestyle brands (Cavalli and Bugatti among them, and de GRISOGONO at Harbour Lights), so the brand is part of what you pay for. Emaar mostly brands with its own hospitality names, Address and Vida, which come with hotel-style management in the building.
A branded unit usually costs more per square foot than an unbranded one nearby, and the premium only holds on resale if the brand still means something to the next buyer. Compare the recorded price per square foot of the branded project with unbranded towers in the same area before you pay the difference. Our transactions search shows both.