Dubai Land Department advances investor confidence, innovation and Emirati empowerment at IPS 2026, expanding real estate opportunities

• Strategic partnership, leadership participation and an interactive platform showcasing market data and digital solutions to visitors
• Majid Saqr Al Marri: Dubai enables a world-class real estate ecosystem offering diverse opportunities within a trusted investment environment
• Nafis and Jusoor connect Emirati talent and national companies with opportunities across the real estate sector

The 22nd edition of the International Property Show (IPS 2026) opened today at Dubai World Trade Centre, with Dubai Land Department (DLD) participating as a Strategic Partner in the presence of His Excellency Omar Hamad Bu Shehab, Director General of Dubai Land Department. DLD is presenting an integrated programme that reflects its role in strengthening confidence in Dubai’s real estate market, advancing innovation, expanding investment opportunities, and empowering Emirati talent and national companies. The programme combines leadership engagement, digital services and solutions, market data, and strategic partnerships.

DLD’s participation spans all three days of the exhibition, which runs until 9 September, through its stand in Hall 7 and the involvement of its leadership and officials in a series of panel discussions and workshops. It also features initiatives that bring together investors, developers, brokers, national companies, and other stakeholders across the real estate ecosystem.

The Department is also showcasing a range of digital services, solutions, and market data, enabling visitors to gain first-hand insights into how Dubai’s investment environment works, and which services and initiatives support investment, ownership, and doing business in the sector.

This participation reflects DLD’s approach to integrating regulation, data, technology, and strategic partnerships to advance the market and enhance the investor and customer experience, supporting the objectives of the Dubai Real Estate Strategy 2033 and the Dubai Economic Agenda D33.

An Integrated Ecosystem that Strengthens Confidence and Expands Opportunities

During the opening panel discussion, Majid Saqr Al Marri, CEO of the Corporate Support Sector at Dubai Land Department, joined Dawood Al Shezawi, President of IPS, for a conversation moderated by real estate expert Ismail Al Hammadi. The discussion explored developments in the real estate market, the exhibition’s role in strengthening engagement among industry stakeholders, and key initiatives contributing to the advancement of the real estate ecosystem and enhancing Dubai’s competitiveness.

Al Marri emphasised that Dubai brings together a world-class real estate ecosystem offering diverse opportunities within a trusted investment environment built on regulatory clarity, transparency, and efficient services. He said: “Our participation as a Strategic Partner in the event enables investors to gain first-hand insights into this ecosystem, engage directly with its various stakeholders, and turn their interest in Dubai into new opportunities for collaboration and investment. Through the services, data, and digital solutions we provide, we continue to enhance the experience of investors, developers, and customers, while strengthening the market’s ability to meet the needs of diverse investor segments.”

Al Marri pointed to market indicators for the first half of 2026 that show continued investment and development activity. A total of 104 real estate projects were completed, with an investment value exceeding AED 111 billion, adding 24,537 new units to the market. Compared with the same period in 2025, the number of completed projects increased by 38.7%, their investment value grew by 52%, and the number of new units rose by more than 36%.

Al Marri also highlighted the role of the First-Time Home Buyer Programme in expanding access to homeownership. By June 2026, the programme had enabled more than 3,200 residents to purchase their first homes in Dubai, generating transactions worth over AED 5 billion since its launch in July 2025.

How Data and Transparency Support Investment Decisions

DLD’s leadership presence extended to the exhibition’s specialised sessions, with Mohammed Yahya, Director of the Real Estate Transactions Department at DLD, participating in the ‘Leaders Panel: Global Real Estate Market Trends 2026.’ The session explored the shifts shaping buyer and investor behaviour, as well as trends across global real estate markets.

Yahya highlighted the role of open data and real estate indicators in enabling investors to understand market dynamics and compare opportunities. He also addressed the impact of digital transformation on procedures, property rights registration, and access to services. He emphasised the importance of project quality, diverse ownership and investment options, and an efficient investment cycle in strengthening the market’s attractiveness and sustaining investor confidence over the long term.

Regulation and Innovation to Enhance Market Competitiveness

Eng. Mohamad Al Dah, Consultant Real Estate Regulatory at Dubai Land Department, participated in the session titled ‘The Future of Real Estate in the UAE: How Dubai is Leading the GCC’s Real Estate Economy’. He highlighted the role of the regulatory environment in strengthening investor confidence, enhancing market transparency, and supporting the sector’s continued development.

His remarks covered the integration of regulatory frameworks, data quality, service efficiency, and the evolution of emerging investment models and PropTech solutions. He also highlighted the role of the REES Real Estate Innovation Initiative in advancing the real estate innovation and technology ecosystem, as well as the ‘Initial Registration’ platform, which connects project and transaction registration with escrow account management in a single digital journey, improving procedural efficiency and the developer experience.

Empowering Emirati Talent

The exhibition’s first day featured a real estate empowerment workshop organised in collaboration with the Emirati Human Resources Development Council in Dubai, the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation, and the Emirati Talent Competitiveness Council (Nafis). Noura Al Jasmi, Senior Corporate Support Advisor at Dubai Land Department, presented the outcomes of empowerment initiatives implemented over the past two years and their role in increasing Emirati participation in the real estate sector.

The workshop highlighted qualification, employment, and professional development pathways that support Emiratis entering the sector. It also explored collaboration with partners to expand career opportunities for UAE nationals and to link market growth with the development of talent capable of contributing to the sector’s continued advancement.

Jusoor Connects National Companies with Sector Opportunities

The first day’s programme also featured the ‘Jusoor’ Forum in collaboration with the Mohammed bin Rashid Establishment for Small and Medium Enterprises Development (Dubai SME), which links the empowerment of Emirati-owned companies to commercial opportunities in the real estate market.

The forum connected developers, real estate companies, brokers, and owners’ associations with national companies affiliated with the Mohammed Bin Rashid Establishment for SME Development. It provided these companies with a platform to showcase their services and solutions and explore collaboration and procurement opportunities across construction, engineering, technology, marketing, training, consultancy, and other services that address the needs of the real estate sector.

A Platform Bringing the Market and its Services Closer to Visitors

At its stand in Hall 7, Dubai Land Department offers visitors to IPS 2026 an integrated experience through which they can explore Dubai’s real estate market, services, and initiatives, as well as the tools and data supporting investors, developers, brokers, and customers throughout their journeys.

The ‘Real Estate Transactions’ and ‘Real Estate Data’ screens give visitors an interactive overview of market activity and trends through data and indicators that support a deeper understanding of Dubai’s real estate sector. A dedicated screen also highlights real estate brokers registered with the Real Estate Regulatory Agency and their role within the ecosystem of an emerging would be better.

DLD is also showcasing the “Initial Registration” platform, which improves the developer journey by bringing project registration, real estate transactions, and escrow account management into one connected digital process. The platform leverages artificial intelligence to read documents, extract data, and support transaction processing.

The experience also features the First-Time Home Buyer Programme, which has attracted more than 45,000 registrants, alongside the Dubai REST application, an integrated channel for real estate services and information, and ‘Malik’, DLD’s omnichannel customer service assistant, which provides round-the-clock support and answers enquiries.

Through its participation in the exhibition, Dubai Land Department brings together opportunities, data, and services; direct engagement with investors; the empowerment of Emirati talent and national companies; and partnerships with the public and private sectors. This integrated approach reflects the development of Dubai’s real estate market and its ability to meet the evolving needs of investors, developers, and customers. These efforts support the objectives of the Dubai Real Estate Strategy 2033 and the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, further strengthening the emirate’s position among the world’s leading destinations for real estate investment and homeownership.