Dubai Community Data · International City (Phase 1)

International City (Phase 1): Prices, Yields & Resale Performance

Market name first, official registry name in brackets: International City (Phase 1) (DLD: Al Warsan First). All figures are medians of registered transactions.

Data through July 2026 · Dubai Land Department registry

How have prices per square metre moved?

The median residential transaction price in International City (Phase 1) is AED 8,000 per square metre in 2026 year-to-date, across 1,255 sales registered with the Dubai Land Department (data through July 2026). That is 19.2% above the 2025 full-year median. The table below shows the full annual series since 2019.

Residential sales only. Source: Dubai Land Department transaction records (1.66M parsed sales; 5.6M rental contracts), AXD in-house database. Data through 2026-07-29.

How large is the off-plan share?

21.3% of the 2,195 residential transactions registered in International City (Phase 1) in the trailing 12 months to July 2026 were off-plan, per Dubai Land Department registration type — the rest were ready/existing sales.

DLD registration type, trailing 12 months to 2026-07-29.

Which projects trade the most?

INTERNATIONAL CITY EMARATI is the most-traded project in International City (Phase 1), with 262 registered residential sales in the trailing 24 months at a median of AED 6,706 per square metre (DLD registry through July 2026).

Ranked by number of registered residential sales, trailing 24 months. Linked names lead to the AXD project data page.

What do units cost by type?

A one-bedroom unit in International City (Phase 1) had a median transaction price of AED 457,735 in the 12 months to July 2026, across 1,008 registered sales (Dubai Land Department).

Residential units, trailing 12 months.

What gross rental yield do apartments achieve?

Bedroom-matched gross yields in International City (Phase 1) range from 7.6% to 9.4% over the 12 months to July 2026, per DLD sales and Ejari rental contracts. The figure divides the median new rent by the median sale price of the same unit type — before service charges and vacancy.

Median new rental contract ÷ median sale price of the SAME unit type, both trailing 12 months. Gross figure — before service charges, vacancy and management. Rent source: DLD/Ejari registered contracts.

What share of resales sold at a loss?

66.9% of 659 matched resales in International City (Phase 1) closed below purchase price, per the full DLD registry history (through July 2026). Annualised returns span -8.3% at the 10th percentile to 6.1% at the 90th, with a median of -1.7% per year.

Matched buy-sell pairs of identical units across the full DLD history. Bands, not averages: the 10th-90th percentile range shows realistic dispersion.

Analyst note

Analysis of the International City (Phase 1) market data through July 29, 2026, indicates a sustained upward trajectory in median price per square meter. The trend shows an increase from 5,073.0 AED in 2019 to 5,407.0 AED in 2023, continuing through 5,922.0 AED in 2024 and reaching 6,711.0 AED in 2025. Year-to-date figures for 2026 show the median price at 8,000.0 AED. Current market composition suggests that the off-plan share over the last 12 months stands at 21.3%. Regarding rental returns, the gross yield range is defined by a low of 7.6% (two bedrooms) and a high of 9.4% (one bedroom). Historical performance data across 659 resale pairs suggests significant volatility; the annual return band ranges from a 10th percentile of -8.3% to a 90th percentile of 6.1%. Furthermore, analysis shows that 66.9% of observed resales have resulted in losses relative to purchase price.

Dubai market context

Frequently asked questions

What is the median price per square metre in International City (Phase 1)?

AED 8,000 per square metre is the 2026 year-to-date median in International City (Phase 1), based on 1,255 residential sales in Dubai Land Department records through July 2026. The registry lists the community as Al Warsan First. Figures are medians of registered transaction prices — not asking prices, which typically sit above closed deals.

What gross rental yield can apartments in International City (Phase 1) achieve?

7.6% to 9.4% gross is the bedroom-matched yield range in International City (Phase 1) over the 12 months to July 2026, per DLD sales and Ejari rental contracts. The calculation divides the median new rental contract by the median sale price of the same unit type. Service charges, vacancy and management costs are not deducted.

How did resale investments in International City (Phase 1) perform historically?

-1.7% per year is the median annualised resale return in International City (Phase 1), across 659 matched buy-sell pairs in the full DLD registry history through July 2026. The band runs from -8.3% at the 10th percentile to 6.1% at the 90th, and 66.9% of resales closed below purchase price — dispersion, not an average.

What share of International City (Phase 1) transactions are off-plan?

21.3% of the 2,195 residential transactions registered in International City (Phase 1) in the 12 months to July 2026 were off-plan, per Dubai Land Department registration type. The remainder were ready/existing sales. The off-plan share indicates how much current activity depends on developer launches rather than the secondary market.

Which communities trade in a similar price band?

Ranked by proximity of the trailing-12-month median to International City (Phase 1) (AED 7,284/sqm), from Dubai Land Department registered sales:

• Damac Hills 2 (Akoya Oxygen): prices, yields & resale data median AED 9,438/sqm, trailing 12 months
• Median prices & yields in Mirdif (Mirdif Hills) median AED 9,812/sqm, trailing 12 months
• Arabian Ranches transaction data (DLD registry) median AED 11,579/sqm, trailing 12 months
• Barsha Heights (Tecom): prices, yields & resale data median AED 12,351/sqm, trailing 12 months

Sources & methodology. Transaction and rental figures: Dubai Land Department transaction records (1.66M parsed sales; 5.6M rental contracts), AXD in-house database, data through 2026-07-29. Resale pairs: 47,350 matched buy-sell pairs (AXD repeat-sales dataset). Market context: sources named per item. Medians are used throughout (robust to outliers). Page generated 2026-08-27; figures are not updated in real time.

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I run the same registry check on any Dubai property before a client buys — and I will tell you when the numbers say no. My family has been in the Dubai market for over 30 years; every figure on this page comes from our own Land Department database.

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This page is informational market research, not investment advice. Historical transaction data does not predict future performance. All figures are medians of registered transactions and can differ from asking prices.

Published by AXD Immobilien Dubai — Dubai real estate advisory for German-speaking investors, over 30 years of family history in Dubai real estate. Generated 2026-08-27.