BCD Global reports nearly 24% drop in Q1 transactions due to slower deal velocity
Developers say demand intact; end-users still active despite investor caution
Firm sticks to AED 300 million target, pivots to disciplined, long-term strategy
Dubai’s red-hot property market is losing momentum due to ongoing geopolitical tensions around the Iran conflict. However, developers are calling the shift a “pause” rather than a downturn, even as the West Asia war weighed on investor sentiment.
In an interaction with Outlook Business, Dr Angad Singh Bedi, chairman of Dubai-based real estate developer, BCD Global, said it has seen a nearly 24% decline in transaction volumes in the first quarter of calendar year 2026. According to him, it reflects a slowdown in deal velocity rather than a collapse in demand.
“This is less about demand disappearing and more about certain categories of buyers stepping back temporarily. End-users, particularly in well-located and well-designed projects, are still active,” said Bedi.
1 April 2026
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This comes at a time when Dubai’s real estate market is facing fresh pressure after a post-pandemic boom, with recent data also indicating the first signs of price softening. However, the developer maintained that the current phase does not resemble a distressed market.
“Pricing hasn't been corrected meaningfully yet, which tells you that this is not a distressed environment. It’s more of a pause in velocity. The direction hasn’t changed. The pace has. We’re not pulling back from Dubai,” he said.
The company, the international arm of India’s BCD Group, is targeting around AED 300 million in revenue, though it acknowledged that timelines could shift amid slower transaction closures.
“Revenue is not just about demand, it’s about how quickly transactions move. And right now, that velocity has slowed. We are not looking to chase numbers at the cost of discipline,” Bedi added.
Instead, the developer is recalibrating its strategy with a sharper focus on capital discipline and selective project executive. While it remains committed to the Dubai market, the company is preparing for a more gradual recovery.
“We are working with a more realistic window of a couple of quarters for normalisation”. The company also flagged that global uncertainty, including geopolitical tensions, is influencing capital flows, with some temporary shift towards India.
However, it dismissed the idea of a structural diversion. “India right now is a structural growth story… Dubai, on the other hand, is more of a liquidity and global access market. Capital typically returns once uncertainty eases”.
“And if you look at companies that have lasted across decades, including ours, the common thread is that they optimise for sustainability, not just upside down in a single cycle,” he added.
Going ahead, BCD Global said it will continue to prioritise end-users and long-term investors over speculative demand, particularly in premium and mid-premium segments.
“The real challenge in a rising market is not speed, its restraint,” he said, while adding that the need to avoid over-leveraging and aggressive expansion even during strong inflow cycles.
