New launches in Dubai currently price about +30.2% above ready property per square foot at the citywide median (AED 1,809 vs AED 1,389); Abu Dhabi runs +38.1%. But the citywide number hides the decision: across 66 Dubai districts liquid on both sides, the gap ranges from slightly negative to more than +100%. This tool tracks that spread district by district and project by project, daily.
Um Suqaim Third (-4%), Al Merkadh (-1%), Dubai Hills (-1%), Dubai Creek Harbour (+1%). In districts like these, a staged payment plan costs almost nothing extra per square foot, which is the closest the market gets to free optionality.
The premium is also moving: a year ago it was +38% in Dubai and +59% in Abu Dhabi, so finished stock has been closing the gap. The full analysis is in our guide to off-plan vs ready property in the UAE.
Open the value-gap finder to see today's district and project list.
The difference between what developers charge for new launches and what comparable finished property resells for in the same district, per square foot. A small or negative gap means the payment plan comes almost free of premium; a large one means the launch is priced as a different product than the district's existing stock.
Right now the smallest launch premiums among liquid Dubai districts are in Um Suqaim Third, Al Merkadh, Dubai Hills, Dubai Creek Harbour, all within a few percent of resale pricing. The tool recomputes this daily, so the list moves as launches and resales reprice.
Not automatically: a large gap often means the new stock is a different product from the district's older buildings. The test is whether a specific reason justifies it. Divide the launch price per sqft by the district's resale median; much above 1.3 needs that reason.
Source: DLD (Dubai Land Department) and ADREC (Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre). Data updated 2026-08-15. Medians are computed from registered residential sales; figures are indicative, not valuations.
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