Emaar Properties

Emaar is the developer most people picture when they picture Dubai — and the one whose projects most often set the reference price for an entire district.

Established in 1997 and listed on the Dubai Financial Market, Emaar built Burj Khalifa and the Downtown district around it.¹ Its portfolio also includes Dubai Hills Estate, Dubai Creek Harbour and Emaar Beachfront.

Why it matters for pricing

Emaar masterplans tend to define the areas they sit in rather than sit within them. Downtown Dubai and Dubai Hills are effectively Emaar-shaped markets, which means the developer's launch pricing becomes the anchor that resale pricing is measured against for years afterwards.

That has a practical consequence for buyers. In an Emaar-dominated area, comparing a resale unit against the current launch price of the next phase is often more informative than comparing it against the wider Dubai median.

What to check before buying

• Which phase of the masterplan you are buying into — early phases price differently from later ones.
• Whether the community amenities in the marketing are built, funded, or merely planned.
• Service charges for the specific tower, which vary widely across Emaar communities.
• For off-plan, the escrow account number and the Oqood registration.