Near-equal median prices; Maritime City dearer per foot, Dubai Islands far more supply.

Dubai Islands or Dubai Maritime City — Which Waterfront Market?

Dubai Islands and Dubai Maritime City sell at almost the same median price — AED 3,064,418 against AED 3,020,990 — but Maritime City is about 10% dearer per square foot, at AED 3,116 against AED 2,822, according to the Dubai Land Department transaction register, off-plan sales January to 17 September 2026. The bigger contrast is supply: Dubai Islands recorded sales across 110 developments, Maritime City across 42.

Median price per sqft
2,822 vs 3,116
Dubai Islands vs Maritime City, AED
Recorded 2026 off-plan sales
Median price paid
AED 3,064,418 vs AED 3,020,990
Dubai Islands vs Maritime City
Recorded, not asking
Recorded off-plan sales
3,416 vs 1,689
110 vs 42 developments
2026 to date
Projects past their 2026 date
7 of 20 vs 1 of 4
Filed completion passed, not finished
As of 17 September 2026

Price and unit mix

Dubai Islands: 46% one-bedroom, 39% two-bedroom, 12% three-bedroom, almost no studios. Dubai Maritime City: 51% one-bedroom, 24% two-bedroom, 20% studios.

Maritime City's studio share is part of why its per-foot figure is higher; Dubai Islands' larger mix buys more space at a lower rate per foot for a similar total outlay.

Dubai Islands AED 2,822/sqft vs Maritime City AED 3,116/sqft.

Supply, delivery and escrow

Dubai Islands is the larger and more crowded market: 3,416 recorded sales across 110 developments, led by Hado By Beyond (619), The Meriva Collection (472), Ellington Sands I (278). Maritime City recorded 1,689 across 42, led by Breez by Danube (401), Kanyon By Beyond (307), Franck Muller Yachting (151).

7 of 20 Dubai Islands projects filed for 2026 are past that date and unfinished, against 1 of 4 in Maritime City. Of 2026 registrations, 18 of 28 on Dubai Islands and 11 of 13 in Maritime City hold an open escrow account. In the register, Dubai Islands is filed as Palm Deira and Maritime City as Madinat Dubai Almelaheyah.

Past their 2026 date: Dubai Islands 7 of 20, Maritime City 1 of 4.

Where these numbers come from

Every figure is from the Dubai Land Department transaction register, off-plan sales January to 17 September 2026, read on 17 September 2026. Prices are medians of what buyers actually paid, pooled across all recorded off-plan sales in each community — not asking prices and not an average of project averages. 'Past their 2026 date' counts projects whose filed completion date in the register has already passed without the project being recorded as finished; the register can lag a real site, so verify any single project in Dubai REST. Communities are matched to the register through their official DLD district names, listed on our district-names page.

The buildings behind these numbers

Every project we track in these areas, busiest first — each page has its payment plan, handover date and the prices actually paid.

Dubai Islands

All Dubai Islands projects →

Dubai Maritime City

All Dubai Maritime City projects →

Project vs project

  • Hado by Beyond vs The Meriva Collection Both are one-bedroom-led towers on Dubai Islands. Hado transacts at AED 3,153/sqft with handover in 2029; Meriva at AED 3,448 with handover in 2031. The two-year gap is the real decision.
Our verdict

Dubai Islands or Dubai Maritime City? Median prices are almost identical (AED 3,064,418 vs AED 3,020,990), but Maritime City is about 10% dearer per square foot (AED 3,116 vs AED 2,822). Dubai Islands is the far bigger market, with 110 developments against 42, larger units, and 7 of its 20 2026 projects already past their filed date. Source: Dubai Land Department transaction register, off-plan sales January to 17 September 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dubai Islands cheaper than Dubai Maritime City?

Per square foot, yes: AED 2,822 on Dubai Islands against AED 3,116 in Dubai Maritime City for recorded 2026 off-plan sales. Median sale prices are close — AED 3,064,418 and AED 3,020,990 — per the DLD register as of 17 September 2026.

Dubai Islands or Maritime City — which is better?

Dubai Islands offers more space per dirham and far more choice (110 developments) but more competing supply and a higher count of late 2026 projects; Maritime City is a smaller, pricier-per-foot market with a higher studio share.

What is Dubai Islands called in the DLD register?

Palm Deira. Dubai Maritime City is registered as Madinat Dubai Almelaheyah.