The Studio vs 1-Bed Demand Dubai 2025 report highlights how compact units drive Dubai’s housing cycle. Studios deliver the highest yields at ~8%, while one-beds anchor stability with over 20,000 transactions in H1, proving their role as the market’s true workhorse.
Studio vs 1-Bed Demand – What Dubai Buyers Are Choosing in 2025
Liquidity engines and the workhorse of rentability
Market Overview
In Dubai’s property market, the glamour of penthouses and beachfront towers often grabs headlines, but it is the compact units, studios and one-beds that keep the city’s housing engine running. Together, they accounted for more than 34,000 transactions in H1 2025, over half of all freehold flat sales.
Yet within this compact spectrum lies a subtle duality:
- The studio is the entry gate, a low-ticket asset that opens Dubai to first-time investors, delivering quick rents and high yields.
- The 1-bedroom apartment is the workhorse, larger, more stable, and often the default choice for investors who want both liquidity and tenant security.
This balance between volume, liquidity, and lifestyle stability explains why these two configurations dominate every market cycle. Studios pull in new capital, while one-beds anchor long-term rentability.
Market Metrics Snapshot – H1 2025
The numbers highlight just how dominant compact units are in Dubai’s freehold landscape.
| Config | Transactions | Total Value (AED) | Median Price (AED/sq.ft) | Median Ticket (AED) | Median Size (sq.ft) | Off-plan Share |
| Studio | 13,841 | 10.02 B | 1,624 | 670K | 421 | 65.7% |
| 1BR | 20,199 | 25.56 B | 1,591 | 1.15M | 748 | 66.0% |
- Sheer volume: Studios and 1BRs together cleared over AED 35B in sales value in just six months.
- Studios: With a median ticket of ~AED 670K, studios are the entry ramp for offshore investors and younger buyers. Their smaller footprint (~420 sq.ft) keeps tickets digestible while sustaining liquidity.
- 1BRs: At 20,000+ sales, the one-bed is the most traded format in Dubai. A median ticket of ~AED 1.15M places it in the sweet spot between affordability and usability, with enough space to attract long-stay tenants.
- Price parity: Despite size differences, per-square-foot values are almost identical (~AED 1,600), showing that the market pays for address and brand, not just size.
- Off-plan bias: Both hover around two-thirds off-plan, proving that compact launches are the fuel for Dubai’s liquidity engine.
Takeaway: Studios open the door, but 1BRs keep the cycle turning. Together, they define the core market bandwidth where Dubai’s housing liquidity is built.
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