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Dubai Land Department records registered a mortgage worth Dhs618 million against a residential land plot in the Dubai Islands area on October 26 2026. The department’s data places this as a notable addition to financing activity in a district that had recorded only nine mortgages through August of this year. Dubai Islands forms part of a master-planned Nakheel development focused on residential offerings with multiple connected islands designed to expand the emirate’s housing inventory.
Mint Real Estate analysis of Dubai Land Department figures shows median prices in Dubai Islands rising 16.88 percent in the first eight months of 2026 to reach $769 per square foot. The same records indicate average project completion stands at 5 percent across registered developments with 48 of 103 projects yet to break ground. No resale transactions have been registered in the district since its first sale in 2023 according to the department’s open data.
The mortgage operates under Decree No. 31 of 2016 Concerning the Mortgage of Granted Land in the Emirate of Dubai which the Dubai Land Department enforces for plots allocated by the government. This framework requires that loans against residential land support construction maintenance expansion or reconstruction of buildings and mandates accompanying building permits from Dubai Municipality. Legal provisions in the decree outline processes for registration and potential enforcement to protect both lenders and beneficiaries.
Dubai Land Department transaction logs reflect broader growth in the emirate’s real estate financing with land and property mortgages contributing to overall sector volumes that have expanded in recent years. Central Bank of the UAE guidelines set loan-to-value limits for land financing typically between 50 and 65 percent depending on borrower category and project status according to industry assessments of regulatory filings. Such parameters have supported lending in emerging areas while maintaining risk controls across the portfolio.
Publicly available Dubai Land Department statistics show the district’s entry-level residential land starting around $169,000 while the median ticket size reaches $786,000 providing context for the scale of the Dhs618 million mortgage. The department’s project register confirms the focus remains on primary off-plan and land transactions rather than secondary market turnover at this stage. This pattern aligns with the development timeline for large-scale island projects that require substantial upfront infrastructure investment before full occupancy.
