Dubai, UAE — In December 2021, Saudi developer Dar Al Arkan and the Italian carmaker Pagani unveiled an 80-home tower on the Dubai Water Canal. Nearly five years later, the first owners are getting their keys. They are moving into a market where Dubai branded residences cost far more than ordinary homes, but sell in smaller numbers than a year ago.
The same question is now being asked in India. Branded homes in Pune and Kolkata carry premiums above 40%. A Trump-branded tower in Gurugram sold out on launch day at about Rs 27,000 per sq ft.
80 Homes On The Canal, Now In Owners’ Hands
Dar Global, the London-listed international arm of Dar Al Arkan, has started handing over homes at DaVinci Tower by Pagani, Arabian Business reported. The building sits near Business Bay and Downtown Dubai, and its interiors use furniture from the Pagani Arte range.
At launch, the developers put the project’s value at about AED 800 million, according to Argaam. That works out to roughly AED 10 million per home on average.
Chief executive Ziad El Chaar called the handover a “defining moment for Dar Global.” The company did not say how many of the 80 homes have been sold or handed over so far.
Dubai Branded Residences Carry A 56% Premium
Branded homes averaged AED 3,662 per sq ft in the first half of 2026, against AED 2,354 for comparable non-branded homes, a premium of 56%, Morgan’s International Realty said in a report covered by Khaleej Times. The global norm is 30% to 35%.
Volumes tell a different story. Dubai branded residences recorded 4,648 sales worth AED 22.2 billion in the half, down 21% in number and 47% in value from a year earlier. Off-plan homes made up 82% of the deals.
Morgan’s counted 64,744 Dubai branded residences across 183 developments at the end of June, up from 50 developments in 2020.
Also read: Dubai Mortgage Market Hits Record AED 21.8bn As Sales Value Falls 47%
Bugatti, Mercedes-Benz And Now Pagani
Car brands are a visible part of the Dubai branded residences market. Binghatti has towers branded by Bugatti in Business Bay and by Mercedes-Benz near Downtown Dubai. Its Binghatti City project, sold as Mercedes-Benz Places, alone accounted for about 26% of branded sales in the first half, Morgan’s said.
The brand licenses a name and a design. Management and resale demand will decide whether owners keep the premium they paid.
Rs 96,000 Per Sq Ft In Dubai, Rs 27,000 At Trump Gurugram
At about 26.2 rupees to the dirham, Dubai’s branded average works out to roughly Rs 96,000 per sq ft. In Gurugram’s Sector 69, the Trump Residences project sold all 298 homes on launch day in May 2025, Business Today reported. It raised Rs 3,250 crore at about Rs 27,000 per sq ft.
The figures are not like for like: Dubai’s is a 2026 average across all branded sales, Gurugram’s a 2025 launch price. Still, Dubai branded residences cost more than three times as much per sq ft.
India’s branded market is growing fast from a smaller base. NOESIS Hotel Advisors values it at about Rs 920 billion, the largest in Asia-Pacific, with supply rising 3.1 times in 2025 to 3,181 units. It puts the average Indian premium at 32%, with 44% in Pune, 42% in Kolkata and 25% in Hyderabad.
An AED 7.5 Million Flat Is Eight Years Of One LRS Allowance
A broker listing for a two-bedroom flat in the tower asks AED 7.49 million for 2,153 sq ft. That is about Rs 19.6 crore, or $2 million.
The Reserve Bank of India’s Liberalised Remittance Scheme lets one person send $250,000 a year. A buyer living in India would need about eight years of one person’s allowance, or four for a couple. Remittances above Rs 10 lakh attract 20% tax collected at source, and Indian banks cannot lend for these transfers. The dirham has also gained about 6.8% against the rupee this year.
So the likely buyers of Dubai branded residences at this price are NRIs, UAE residents and families with money already abroad.
Two-Thirds Of Branded Supply Is Still Being Built
The main risk is supply. About 42,826 Dubai branded residences were still under construction in June, and as they complete, the 56% premium will be tested on resale. Branded homes also carry higher service charges, which cut into rental returns.
Morgan’s founder Elias Hannoush said “the next phase will be a test of execution.”
Resale Prices At DaVinci Will Show Whether The Badge Holds
Once owners in DaVinci and other Dubai branded residences start reselling, Dubai Land Department records will show what buyers pay for a Pagani home on the secondary market. That figure, compared with the launch value, is the one to watch. In India, the test is whether Trump Gurugram’s launch prices hold on resale.
A Car Badge Costs More In Dubai Than In Gurugram
For investors, Dubai branded residences still command a premium even as sales fall. Heavy supply is still to come. End-users who plan to live in the homes worry less about that premium on exit. For Indian buyers, the comparison with Gurugram and Mumbai shows how much more a branded address costs in Dubai. Remittance limits leave projects like DaVinci Tower mostly to NRIs and families with assets already outside India.
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