Market Pulse: Dubai

Dubai is one of the hottest short-term rental markets in the Middle East. As a major hub for international transportation, business, and tourism, millions of people come in and out of the city every year—all of whom require a place to rest their heads at night.

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Recently, we took a look at the short-term rental market in Dubai to see how it’s performing.

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Key Takeaways:

Booking pace is returning to pre-pandemic patterns as guests are booking similar to 2019’s pace
65% or more of bookings are confirmed within 10 days of arrival. At this same time in 2019, more travelers were booking 5 or more weeks out.
Overall occupancy levels look promising as travel continues to be on the rise

The chart above displays all bookings that have been made over the past 21 days by their check-in week. Additionally, the same values for 2019 are included to provide pacing context for the entire market.

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In the near term, average booking lead time for the Dubai market exceeds 2019, with more guests booking closer to their arrival dates in 2021, and at least 65% of bookings coming within 10 days of arrival. At this same time in 2019, more guests were booking 5 weeks out. This is likely due to high post-covid travel demand and eased vaccination access.

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The Dubai market is booking up over the next several weeks, with additional bumps in the beginning of October. We can see that this is a regular pattern compared to a “normal” year like 2019.

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That being said, property managers that haven’t seen an increase in bookings for the second half of October this year need not worry as the market is pacing well in line with 2019 data.

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In general, the Dubai market continues to recover in 2021 with occupancy levels finishing ahead of 2020 totals April through September. For a more detailed look at your properties against the market, check out our Insights tool today.

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