Dubai Enables Trading For 7.8 million Real Estate Tokens In Phase II

TLDR

Table of Contents

Dubai to begin trading 7.8M property tokens on February 20 under Phase II of its tokenization plan.
Property tokens represent fractional stakes and are priced in UAE dirhams, not crypto.
Dubai Land Department leads the project with the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority.
The pilot began in 2025 and aims to boost transparency and global investment in real estate.

Dubai is taking a major step in digital real estate by enabling secondary trading of 7.8 million property tokens. The move signals the start of Phase II of its Real Estate Tokenization Project and aims to assess the market’s efficiency, security, and investor protections within a regulated environment.

Secondary Market Launches on February 20

Dubai has announced the start of Phase II of its Real Estate Tokenization Project. The new phase will allow the secondary-market trading of 7.8 million property tokens from February 20. The tokens represent fractional shares in registered properties and are priced in UAE dirhams.

Dubai has moved closer to integrating digital assets into its property market after the Dubai Land Department announced the launch of Phase II of its Real Estate Tokenisation Project. https://t.co/iCF0M6gSGB pic.twitter.com/IdPA3my0B8
— Gulf News (@gulf_news) February 9, 2026

This move follows the pilot phase launched in March 2025 under the REES Real Estate Innovation Initiative. The pilot tested legal, technical, and regulatory systems for tokenizing property ownership. Authorities will now assess the market’s readiness, trading efficiency, and investor protection in a controlled environment.

Government Collaboration and Regulatory Oversight

The Dubai Land Department (DLD) developed the project in partnership with several agencies. These include the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority, Dubai Future Foundation, and the Central Bank of the UAE.

The program operates under clear regulatory oversight to ensure secure and compliant transactions. DLD confirmed that additional trading platforms may be added in the future, but only after performance reviews and agreement with regulators.

Use of National Currency and Blockchain Technology

Unlike other token projects that rely on cryptocurrency, Dubai’s model uses the UAE dirham as the transaction currency. This keeps the system within the country’s traditional financial network while applying distributed-ledger technology to track and record ownership securely.

In May 2025, Prypco Mint handled the first tokenized real estate sale under this model. DLD stated that this approach offers benefits like transparency, lower costs, and improved access to real estate investment.

Strategic Fit With Dubai’s Urban and Economic Goals

The project supports the Dubai Real Estate Sector Strategy 2033, which aims to grow the sector’s economic role through technology and openness. It also supports the Dubai Urban Plan 2040, which focuses on smart development and better land use to support future population growth.

DLD described the tokenization project as a long-term digital transformation tool for the property market. A DLD spokesperson noted, “This initiative reflects Dubai’s goal to be a global leader in real estate innovation.”

By launching regulated secondary trading, Dubai aims to attract more global investors and make property ownership more accessible to a wider audience.