Dubai Metro to reach Al Maktoum airport by 2031: what homes near it sell and rent for now
Published
What happened
On 10 November 2026, Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed, Crown Prince of Dubai, approved a package of strategic projects worth more than AED 11 billion, also approved by Dubai's Executive Council. It includes extending the Dubai Metro to Al Maktoum International Airport City:
- The line: Route 2020, today a 15 km branch of the Red Line from Jebel Ali to Expo City Dubai, will continue to the airport and end at its West Terminal.
- The date: operations are due to start in 2031.
- Not published yet: the length of the new section, its stations and how much of the AED 11 billion goes to the metro.
So nobody can say yet which buildings will be near a station.
What the DLD data says
We looked at the three Dubai Land Department areas at the two ends of the new section: Expo City, where Route 2020 ends today, and Dubai South Residential District and Dubai World Central, around the airport. The figures cover the 12 months to 26 October 2026, before the announcement.
| Dubai South Residential District | Median ready sale | Median new annual rent | Gross yield at the median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | AED 480,000 | AED 40,000 | 8.3% |
| 1 bedroom | AED 740,000 | AED 55,000 | 7.4% |
| 2 bedrooms | AED 1,120,000 | AED 80,000 | 7.1% |
| 3-bedroom villa or townhouse | AED 3,335,000 | AED 160,000 | 4.8% |
| 4-bedroom villa or townhouse | AED 4,200,000 | AED 190,000 | 4.5% |
| Dubai World Central | Median ready sale | Median new annual rent | Gross yield at the median |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2-bedroom apartment | AED 1,575,000 | AED 83,000 | 5.3% |
| 3-bedroom villa or townhouse | AED 2,250,000 | AED 110,000 | 4.9% |
| 4-bedroom villa or townhouse | AED 3,200,000 | AED 145,000 | 4.5% |
- Volume: DLD recorded 796 ready sales in Dubai South Residential District and 213 in Dubai World Central in those 12 months.
- Expo City: no ready sales were recorded. New leases there had a median of AED 98,000 a year for a 2-bedroom flat (223 contracts).
- Trend, 2026 Q3 against 2025 Q3, on our index adjusted for the mix of homes sold:
- Dubai South Residential District: ready-sale prices +4.7%, new-lease rents −1.0%.
- Dubai World Central: prices −5.4%, on only 32 sales in the quarter, and new-lease rents −5.3%.
- Expo City: new-lease rents +1.9%.
Prices near the airport had not jumped ahead of the news: up about 5% in one area and down about 5% in the other. Gross yield is the median rent divided by the median price of the same type of home, before service charges and other costs; it is not the yield of any single unit.
What it means
- For buyers: trains to the airport are due in 2031 and the stations are not known. A listing that says "metro coming" is not, on its own, a reason to pay above recent sales. Compare the asking price with similar DLD sales first: Price Check.
- For investors: apartments in Dubai South Residential District rent for 7% to 8% of their median price before costs. Villas and townhouses near the airport yield closer to 4.5% to 5%.
- Watch for: the station list. Once it is published, sales and rents near each station can be compared with the rest of the area.
Sources
- The National and Khaleej Times, 10 November 2026, for the approval, the route and the 2031 date (links above).
- FairSqft analysis of Dubai Land Department open data (transactions and Ejari rent contracts) published on data.dubai, as of 26 October 2026. Method: https://fairsqft.com/method/