Top 5 Dubai Off-Plan Developments in 2026: Emaar South, Oasis, Palm Jebel Ali, Dubai Islands and Hudayriyat Island

Dubai's off-plan market in 2026 is giving investors something they rarely see in a single cycle: genuine variety.

From Emaar's airport-adjacent master community at Dubai South, to Nakheel's twice-as-large Palm Jebel Ali beachfront, to Abu Dhabi's Hudayriyat Island generating AED 3 billion in sales on a single launch day, these five developments span price points, ROI, locations and investment timelines.

This guide breaks down what each one is, why it matters, and what the numbers actually say.

1. Emaar South Apartments: Are They Worth It?

The Community

Emaar South sits within Dubai South, a masterplanned community developed by Emaar Properties in partnership with Dubai Aviation City Corporation across approximately 7 square kilometres. It is the closest major residential address to Al Maktoum International Airport (15 to 20 minutes by road) and Expo City Dubai, two infrastructure anchors that underpin the long-term investment case here more than any single launch.

The community spans 22,700 residential units across apartments, townhouses, and villas. Current active launches include Golf Meadows, Golf Point, Golf Dale, and Golf Edge, all positioned around a championship golf course and extensive green space.

Developer Check: The Emaar Signature

Emaar Properties is the UAE's most recognised developer: Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, Dubai Creek Harbour, and countless master communities across the region carry their name. Their delivery track record sets the benchmark. For a comparison of how Emaar communities mature over time, see our Emaar Beachfront area guide and our Dubai Creek Harbour area guide, both of which trace the price trajectory Emaar communities tend to follow from launch to maturity.

Prices and Payment Plans

Entry price for apartments currently starts from AED 580,000, with Golf Meadows sitting at approximately AED 1.12 million for the lowest available launch price. The standard payment plan is 80/20: 10% on booking, 70% across the construction period, 20% on handover. Some phases offer a 60/40 structure. Handover for Golf Meadows is projected for Q3 2029.

Rental yields in Emaar South are tracked at 7 to 9% for smaller units, with properties priced approximately 60% below comparable Downtown Dubai addresses, according to Bayut market research.

Is It Worth Investing in Emaar South?

This is a long-horizon play. The real appreciation driver is the ongoing expansion of Al Maktoum International Airport, which is set to become the world's largest airport. As infrastructure milestones hit, the entry price premiums in this community will tighten. For a broader view of why infrastructure-adjacent areas are outperforming established zones right now, our 2026 Dubai real estate market trends analysis is the place to start.

2. Oasis by Emaar Villas: When Scarcity Does the Work

For a comprehensive guide to The Oasis, including full payment plan details, floor plans, and investment analysis, read our complete buyer's guide to The Oasis by Emaar.

What Is The Oasis?

The Oasis is Emaar's most ambitious single masterplan by investment scale: AED 73 billion, 100 million square feet in Dubailand, with 7,000 residences planned across the community. The detail that matters most to investors: only approximately 3,100 of those are villas. That ratio of land to villa count is where the value proposition lives.

Launched in phases across 2024 and 2025, The Oasis includes Palmiera, Mirage, Lavita, and Address Villas Tierra. Each phase has been absorbed quickly, with Lavita, offering 6 to 7-bedroom ultra-luxury mansions starting above AED 36 million, representing the pinnacle of the offering.

Phases, Prices, and Availability

• Palmiera: 4-bedroom villas from AED 8 million
• Mirage: 5-bedroom villas from AED 15 million
• Palmiera Collective: from AED 16.5 million, handover Q1 2029
• Lavita: 6 to 7-bedroom from AED 36 million+

Price per square foot (BUA) ranges from AED 1,800 to AED 2,000. Payment plan across all phases is 80/20: 10% deposit, 70% during construction, 20% on handover.

Why Limited Villa Supply Is a Feature, Not an Afterthought

In a city where apartment supply continues to scale, true villa communities with restricted unit counts and large plot sizes are becoming structurally scarce. The Oasis joins Emirates Hills and Arabian Ranches in the category of villa-first communities where land constraints protect long-term capital value. Our Emirates Hills area guide and Arabian Ranches area guide document how that dynamic has played out in Dubai's two most established villa communities.

3. Palm Jebel Ali, Palm Central Private Residences: The New Benchmark for Beachfront

The Scale Context

If you thought Palm Jebel Ali was not a rerun of Palm Jumeirah, keep reading.

Palm Jebel Ali is twice the size of its Jumeirah sister: 7 islands, 16 fronds, over 90 kilometres of beachfront. When people ask whether Palm Jumeirah can ever be replicated, Palm Jebel Ali is the answer, and then some. To understand the kind of price trajectory that Palm Jebel Ali buyers are benchmarking against, our Palm Jumeirah area guide tracks what original frond villa buyers have seen since handover.

Developer Nakheel is behind this project, the same company that built Palm Jumeirah, Deira Islands, and Dubai Islands. Their coastal delivery record is unmatched in the UAE. In April 2026, Nakheel awarded over AED 3.5 billion in construction contracts for 544 villas across multiple fronds, a strong signal that the timeline is being taken seriously, according to Arabian Business.

What Was Delivered by Nakheel in June 2026

On 24 June 2026, Nakheel released 222 beachfront homes as the latest phase of Palm Central Private Residences, as reported by The National. The release comprises apartments, townhouses, and standalone villas across three buildings on the fronds. Construction completion is targeted for September 2030.

Current prices for Palm Central Private Residences:

• 1-bedroom apartments: from AED 2.7 million
• 2-bedroom: from AED 4.3 million
• 3-bedroom: from AED 7.5 million
• 4-bedroom: from AED 12.4 million
• Townhouses: from AED 14.9 million
• 5-bedroom villas: from AED 18 million
• 6-bedroom villas: from AED 21.5 million
• 7-bedroom premium villas: from AED 29 to 43 million

Future Gold Line metro connectivity has also been confirmed for the development.

Is It Worth Investing in Palm Jebel Ali in 2026?

Comparable frond villas on Palm Jumeirah have seen capital values rise significantly since the original handover period, as documented in Dubai Land Department transaction records.

The thesis for Palm Jebel Ali is that it represents the same trajectory, a decade earlier in the cycle, with more beachfront, lower entry points, and a developer who has already proven the model.

4. Dubai Islands: Nakheel Bay Villas and Bay Estates

Two Islands, Two Products

Dubai Islands (formerly Deira Islands) is Nakheel's five-island coastal development in northern Dubai. Two projects are drawing sustained buyer interest: Bay Villas on Island B, and Bay Estates on Island E.

Bay Villas offers 3 to 6-bedroom villas and townhouses starting from AED 4 million. An AED 2.6 billion construction contract has already been awarded, a strong signal of delivery commitment. The community is designed around low density, private pools, beach access, and coastal lifestyle living at a lower entry point than Palm Jebel Ali.

Bay Estates launched its first phase in March 2026, offering 3 to 7-bedroom townhouses and beachfront villas from approximately AED 4.7 million. The ultra-luxury end is explicitly limited in unit count, a deliberate scarcity positioning.

Why Dubai Islands Is Worth Watching

As Dubai's waterfront inventory on established islands tightens, Dubai Islands represents the next generation of coastal address in the emirate. For investors who want beachfront exposure without the Palm Jebel Ali price ceiling, this is where the market is directing attention. If you're weighing rental income potential against capital growth, our 2026 guide to renting out versus buying in Dubai breaks down the numbers by asset type.

5. Hudayriyat Island, Abu Dhabi: The Market Nobody Expected

Developer: Modon Properties

Hudayriyat Island is Abu Dhabi's answer to Dubai's coastal developments, delivered by Modon Properties across 850 hectares in Abu Dhabi Bay. Modon is a government-linked developer with significant public infrastructure across the emirate in its portfolio. Delivery certainty here is high, and the Abu Dhabi regulatory framework provides an additional layer of stability for international buyers.

What the Market Is Saying About Hudayriyat Island

The numbers at Hudayriyat Island tell a clear story. Bashayer, launched in December 2025, generated AED 3 billion in sales on its launch day and sold out immediately. In Q1 2026, Hudayriyat Island outperformed every other location in Abu Dhabi for total transaction value. For a development that most Dubai-focused investors had not tracked six months ago, this is a significant signal.

Available Products and Pricing

• Al Naseem Community: 4 to 6-bedroom villas from AED 7.8 million, handover Q4 2026
• Heights: from AED 19 million
• Nawayef West: from AED 41 million for estate-scale properties
• General villa entry point: from AED 3.3 million

Some Al Naseem units are due for handover as early as Q4 2026, which is rare for an off-plan community and gives buyers a shorter capital lock-up period than most Dubai alternatives.

The Abu Dhabi Diversification Argument

Abu Dhabi's real estate market runs on different fundamentals to Dubai: lower supply, stronger government backing, and increasing international investor attention. Hudayriyat Island gives buyers a foothold in the capital's coastal market at a point where launch pricing is still accessible. For buyers weighing the question of regional stability and investment safety, our piece on whether Dubai real estate is safe during regional uncertainty provides useful context for cross-emirate decision-making.

How These Five Compare at a Glance

Each of these developments targets a different buyer. Here is a side-by-side view:

For a deeper read on the wider market conditions shaping these launches, the Mavrix 2026 Dubai real estate market trends guide covers transaction volumes, yield trends, and what the data says about where capital is moving.