Flats in the corresponding DLD community sold well above the Dubai median, and the anchor is open. Compare recent sales of the same layout before paying for the name.
How to read these figures. Sales are for the corresponding Dubai Land Department community, which is used here as a proxy for the named master plan. The boundaries may not match exactly. Flat prices mix buildings, ages and off-plan with completed homes. A price difference is not evidence that the master plan or its anchor caused it.
Prices and sales: BUY DUBAI facts cube from Dubai Land Department registrations (registration basis, every sale procedure), 12 months to 28 October 2026. Flat price per sq ft is a median; the Dubai median uses the same filters. Cube c2c1f2e1bffc.
The Downtown Dubai master plan
Emaar started Burj Khalifa on 21 September 2004 and sold most of the tower's homes that year, many within two days.
Dubai Mall opened on 4 November 2008, four years after launch, and drew 111 million visitors in 2024.
Emaar's chief Mohamed Alabbar said the $180m Dubai Fountain paid for itself ten times over in higher prices for homes that look onto it.
Anchor: Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Fountain. Opened: Dubai Mall 4 November 2008; Burj Khalifa 4 January 2010.
Sources: Christian Science Monitor, Burj Dubai short on tenants, 4 Jan 2010; CairoScene, Dubai Mall 111 million visitors in 2024, Feb 2025; Arabian Business, Dubai Fountain has paid for itself 10-fold, Feb 2015; Gulf News, Burj Khalifa towers over local realty.
Prices compared year by year
Flats in the corresponding Land Department community sold at 98% above the Dubai median in 2015 and 74% above in 2025. The chart shows each year as a multiple of the Dubai median (1.0x); the mix of homes sold can also change the median.
Years with fewer than 30 flat sales are left out. Medians move when the mix of homes sold changes.
What to check before you buy
Towers by other developers inside Downtown have traded below Emaar's own; check who built the tower, not only the address.
- Who built the tower: the master developer, or another developer on a plot?
- Is the anchor open, and if not, who delivers it and by when?
- What did the same layout in the same building sell for in the last six months?
More on BUY DUBAI
Questions about Downtown Dubai
Who is the master developer of Downtown Dubai?
Emaar. It built most of the homes itself.
What is the anchor of Downtown Dubai?
Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa and the Dubai Fountain. Dubai Mall 4 November 2008; Burj Khalifa 4 January 2010.
Do homes in Downtown Dubai sell above the Dubai average?
Flats in the corresponding Land Department community sold 77% above the Dubai median price per sq ft in the 12 months to 28 October 2026. The community boundary may differ from the master plan.