Dubai’s property market has taken a measurable step up in openness. The emirate climbed 11 places in two years to rank 17th globally and first in the Arab world in the 2026 Global Real Estate Transparency Index from JLL and LaSalle, improving from 28th in the 2024 edition.

Dubai achieved a score of 1.98 in the index, reflecting progress in regulation, data availability and the digitalisation of real estate services, according to Dubai Global News. The same coverage noted that Dubai and Abu Dhabi were both listed among the markets with notable transparency improvements, and among the most improved over the past decade.

What drove the improvement

The report coverage points to two practical changes: more services and procedures moving online, and the Dubai Land Department making real-time transaction data publicly accessible. For a buyer, that means prices, procedures and costs are easier to verify before committing money — the opposite of relying on an agent’s word alone.

Investors reviewing property listings on screens in an office
Clearer data and digital services were credited for Dubai’s improvement.

Why a ranking matters to ordinary buyers and renters

Transparency rankings sound abstract, but they track things that affect real transactions: whether sale prices are published, whether fees are clear in advance, and whether records can be checked digitally. Industry reaction quoted in the coverage made the same point — clearer information lowers uncertainty for international investors comparing several markets before placing capital. For residents, the practical takeaway is simpler: use the public data. Check recent transaction prices in a building before you offer, and confirm procedure costs in writing.

Reading this alongside a Dubai move

If the ranking has you looking at a longer stay, start with our where to stay in Dubai guide for neighbourhood basics, the Dubai trip cost breakdown for budgeting, and free things to do in Dubai while you explore areas in person.

Dubai Land Department style service centre with customers at counters
Real-time public real estate data from the Dubai Land Department was highlighted in the report coverage.

A note on what the index does not do

A transparency score is not a price forecast and not a guarantee about any individual project. It measures how open a market’s information and processes are, not whether values will rise or fall. Buyers should still do project-level checks: developer track record, escrow arrangements, service charges and handover history all sit outside a headline ranking, and each one can matter more to a single purchase than a national score.

FAQs

Where does Dubai rank for real estate transparency in 2026?

17th globally and first in the Arab world, up from 28th globally in 2024.

Who publishes the transparency index?

JLL and LaSalle publish the Global Real Estate Transparency Index.

What was Dubai’s score?

1.98 in the 2026 index.

What improved Dubai’s ranking?

Coverage credits regulatory progress, better data availability, digitalised services and public real-time transaction data from the Dubai Land Department.