Dubai remains the world’s largest branded residence market, with 175 live and pipeline projects, according to Knight Frank’s newly released The Residence Report 2026/27. The city has more than twice the number of schemes recorded in second-placed Miami, while growth is increasingly extending across the UAE. Abu Dhabi and Al Marjan Island now rank among the world’s ten largest branded residence markets, with the UAE accounting for 19% of the global development pipeline.
Original article: Dubai remains world’s largest branded residence market as UAE share hits 19 percent of global development pipeline by Economy Middle East.
Key Insights:
Dubai Leads Global Branded Residence Market
Dubai currently has 175 branded residence projects, comprising 68 live developments and a further 107 in the pipeline. This places the city at more than twice the scale of Miami, which has 73 live and pipeline schemes, and almost six times the size of London’s market, with 30.
The findings form part of Knight Frank’s Global Branded Residence Survey 2026, which identified nearly 1,800 live and pipeline developments from more than 200 brands across 90 countries. Globally, the sector is projected to approach 1,800 schemes and more than 300,000 units by 2031.
UAE Branded Residence Pipeline Expands Beyond Dubai
Growth in the UAE is increasingly extending beyond Dubai. Abu Dhabi ranks eighth globally with 24 live and pipeline branded residence schemes, including 19 currently in development. Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah ranks ninth with 23 schemes, all of which remain in the pipeline.
Together, the UAE accounts for 19% of the global branded residence development pipeline. The wider Middle East represents 25% of the global pipeline and 20% of all live and planned projects, highlighting the region’s growing role within the sector.
The nature of branded residences is also evolving. Non-hotel brands account for 42% of schemes in Dubai, 38% in Abu Dhabi and 52% on Al Marjan Island, as fashion, automotive and lifestyle brands take a greater share of the market alongside traditional hotel operators.
Location and Lifestyle Become Key Differentiators
As the number of branded developments increases, Knight Frank said buyers are looking beyond the brand name itself and placing greater emphasis on the quality of the property, location, services and overall lifestyle proposition.
Louis Harding, Partner and Head of Residential, UAE at Knight Frank, said increasing choice across the Middle East is changing buyer expectations, with stronger developments likely to be those where the brand adds to an already compelling real estate proposition.
The report also highlights differences between the UAE’s emerging branded residence markets. Abu Dhabi’s pipeline is developing alongside the emirate’s growing wealth and financial sectors, while Ras Al Khaimah’s expansion is being supported by tourism and improving international connectivity. International flight volumes into Ras Al Khaimah increased by 44% between 2023 and 2026, the strongest growth among the world’s ten largest branded residence markets, while Abu Dhabi recorded a 37% increase.
UAE Strengthens Its Position in the Global Branded Residence Market
Dubai’s established lead, combined with growing pipelines in Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah, has positioned the UAE as a major center for global branded residence development. With almost one-fifth of the worldwide pipeline now located in the country, the sector is expanding both geographically and across a wider range of hospitality, lifestyle and non-hotel brands.
As competition increases, Knight Frank’s findings suggest that brand recognition alone is becoming less of a differentiator, with location, design, service and the overall residential proposition playing a greater role in determining how individual developments stand out.
