Gulf News, 9 February 2026: Dubai moves its real estate tokenisation project into a trading phase, allowing resale of property stakes through a controlled secondary market.

Dubai Land Department announces Phase II of its Real Estate Tokenisation Project, shifting the work from pilot testing to operational execution. The new phase will enable resale activity in the secondary market, with trading set to begin on 20 February.

The pilot phase had been launched in March under the REES Real Estate Innovation Initiative and had tested the regulatory, legislative and technical set-up for tokenising real estate assets on title deeds. The pilot had been run with the Virtual Assets Regulatory Authority and other partners, and the department said it confirmed tokenisation could work within a regulated environment.

Under Phase II, around 7.8 million real estate tokens will be made available for trading as part of a controlled framework, while authorities will monitor market functioning, governance, transparency and investor protection under real trading conditions. Dubai Land Department said future expansion will be guided by data and coordination with regulators, and it is working with VARA and technical partners to develop standards for later phases. Authorities are also studying whether they could bring in more participants and onboard additional platforms, subject to regulatory approval and performance reviews.

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