Dubai has more branded residences than any other city, with 116 new projects in pipeline

The city has more than twice as many projects as Miami as UAE pipeline becomes world’s largest.

Dubai has cemented its position as the global capital of branded residences, with more than twice as many projects as its nearest rival and a development pipeline that is transforming the city’s luxury property market.

There are now 184 branded residence projects in Dubai, comprising 68 completed developments and another 116 in the pipeline, according to Global Branded Residences’ Annual Branded Residences Report 2025-2026.

That puts Dubai far ahead of Miami, which ranks second globally with 85 projects, followed by São Paulo with 39 and New York with 36. The report describes Dubai as being “in a league of its own”.

The boom forms part of a much bigger expansion across the UAE. The country has 75 completed branded residence schemes and 185 in development – the largest pipeline of any country in the world.

Dubai boom

The scale of the market is increasingly visible across Dubai.

Bugatti Residences by Binghatti in Business Bay is the first Bugatti-branded residential development in the world.

It features 171 Riviera Mansions and 11 Sky Mansion penthouses, with amenities including a Riviera-inspired beach and car lifts capable of taking vehicles directly to penthouses.

Binghatti has also partnered with Mercedes-Benz and Jacob & Co on residential developments in Dubai, illustrating how the branded model is expanding well beyond traditional hotel operators.

Football has entered the market too. Chelsea Residences by DAMAC in Dubai Maritime City is being developed in partnership with Chelsea FC and comprises more than 1,400 residences.

It has been billed as the world’s first Chelsea-branded residences development.

Premium buyers

The trend is being driven partly by the premium buyers are prepared to pay for a recognised name.

Global Branded Residences analysed transactions across 106 projects between 2020 and 2026 and found branded homes sell for an average 44 per cent more than comparable non-branded properties.

The premium is considerably higher in the Middle East and North Africa, where it reaches 59 per cent – joint highest of any region globally. Resort properties command an average 57 per cent premium, compared with 34 per cent for urban developments.

MENA is now the fastest-growing branded residence region in the world. It has 118 completed projects but another 308 in the pipeline, accounting for around 27 per cent of the entire global development pipeline.

One of the biggest changes, however, is that branded residences increasingly do not need a hotel attached.

Standalone developments account for 47 per cent of the MENA market, compared with 37 per cent globally. In Dubai, the shift is even more pronounced: 77 per cent of the city’s upcoming branded residence supply is standalone.

Globally, there are now 1,972 branded residence projects, of which 848 are completed and 1,124 remain in the pipeline.

With 57 per cent of the global market still under development, the report predicts the sector is entering a new phase in which brands, rather than hotels themselves, increasingly become powerful drivers of property sales and pricing.