Abu dhabi: Dubai Residential REIT reported net profit before changes in the fair value of investment property of AED716.5 million for the first half of 2026, up 15.1 percent from AED622.3 million in the corresponding period last year, driven by higher rental income, increased occupancy, and disciplined cost management.
According to Emirates News Agency, revenue rose 8.1 percent year-on-year to AED1.0357 billion from AED957.8 million in the first half of 2025, while adjusted EBITDA increased 14.6 percent to AED822.6 million. The adjusted EBITDA margin expanded to 79.4 percent from 74.9 percent a year earlier.
The REIT announced that its board had approved an interim cash dividend of AED573.2 million, equivalent to 4.4 fils per unit, representing 80 percent of H1 2026 net profit before changes in the fair value of investment property. This implies an annualised dividend yield of approximately 8.0 percent based on the IPO price and 7.1 percent based on the closing price as of 30th June 2026.
The property portfolio continued to deliver strong operational performance, with average occupancy reaching 98.6 percent, up 0.5 percentage points year-on-year, while the tenant retention rate improved to 94.1 percent from 93.8 percent in the same period last year.
Gross Asset Value (GAV) increased to AED25.2 billion at the end of June 2026, up 6.9 percent from the end of 2025, primarily driven by the addition of 56 Garden View Villas and the acquisition of 220 units in Jebel Ali Village. Net Asset Value (NAV) rose to AED22.6 billion, while NAV per unit increased to AED1.74 from AED1.70 at the end of December 2025.
Ahmed Al Suwaidi, Managing Director of DHAM REIT Management, stated that Dubai Residential REIT's performance in the first half of 2026 underscores the quality of their portfolio, the depth of demand for their communities, and the discipline with which they are executing their strategy. The firm delivered double-digit net profit growth, maintained near-full occupancy, and continued to grow rental income across one of Dubai's largest and most diversified residential leasing portfolios.
Looking to the future, the REIT plans to continue managing the portfolio with discipline, capturing value through active asset management, and evaluating further value-accretive opportunities within the Dubai Holding and Dubai Holding Asset Management pipeline. Their focus remains on leveraging the differentiated residential platform to deliver stable income and create long-term value for unitholders.
The REIT also announced that it had submitted Expressions of Interest for the acquisition of three medium-term residential projects comprising 448 premium and 107 community units.