The Dubai Land Department (DLD) has launched Phase II of its Real Estate Tokenisation Project, introducing a regulated secondary market for tokenised property — a significant development for residents, expats, and investors across the UAE.
What Has Changed
Starting February 20, 2026, holders of tokenised property shares will be able to resell their stakes on an approved secondary market platform for the first time. The move transitions the initiative from its pilot stage, launched in March 2024 under the REES (Real Estate Evolution Space), into full operational execution. Approximately 7.8 million real estate tokens are set to become available for trading under a controlled framework.
What Is Property Tokenisation
Tokenisation converts a real estate asset into digital shares, each representing fractional ownership of a property. These tokens are linked to official title deeds registered with the DLD and recorded on blockchain technology. Investors can enter the market from as low as AED 2,000, significantly lowering the barrier compared to traditional property purchase. In the pilot’s first month alone, over AED 9 million in transactions were recorded through partner platform Prypco Mint.
Why It Matters
The secondary market facility gives investors liquidity and flexibility — the ability to exit a position without waiting for a full property sale. The entire framework operates under oversight from the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority (VARA), with transactions restricted to DLD-approved platforms. Investor protections, governance standards, and transaction integrity safeguards are built into the model.
The Bigger Context
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach AED 60 billion by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions. The initiative supports the Dubai Real Estate Sector Strategy 2033 and aligns with UAE Vision 2071, positioning Dubai as a global benchmark for regulated, technology-driven property investment.
Traditional property purchases remain unchanged. Tokenisation is a parallel investment channel, not a replacement.
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