Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Residents move to upgrade as rents further drop in Sharjah and Ajman

Residents move to upgrade as rents further drop in Sharjah and Ajman

Residents living in the Northern emirates espcially in Sharjah and Ajman are upgrading their residential units as rentals in the areas are recording considerable drops.

Realty experts reckon the numbers will drop further towards the end of this year and that there is likely to be a paradigm shift of people moving for better rental prospects and bigger spaces. Additional supply of new units in the Northern Emirates is not helping strengthen rental rates. It is only increasing the negotiating power of tenants to get a better deal in the market, they say.

Families look to upgrade living


According to John Stevens, managing director, director of Asteco, said in the last one year (second quarter 2020 vs second quarter 2019), families have looked to upgrade within the emirate they are living for bigger residential units. “Single people, on the other hand, who have less commitment in the emirate they live in, are looking at other emirates for bigger spaces and units at competitive rates.”

He said residential rentals in Ajman have dropped a massive 17 per cent. Sharjah’s high-end and other affordable middle-level rentals have taken a hit too, with prices softening 13 per cent. “Ajman’s high-end units fared better, declining by only 9 per cent in the last one year. Rents in Ras Al Khaimah fell 11 per cent, and its high-end units 9 per cent.

Rents continue to soften


“Overall, apartment rentals in the Northern Emirates continued to soften, with average quarterly and annual declines of 3 per cent and 10 per cent respectively. The downward pressure on rates is expected to continue with the supply coming,” said Stevens.

He added: “The falling rental rates and increased competition from Dubai’s rental drops is adding pressure on units in Northern Emirates. What we are seeing now is a ripple effect of a rental decline.”

Niraj Masand, CEO of Artha Realty, noted the paradigm shift as well. “We are seeing trends of people moving across emirates. As rentals get competitive in Dubai, some Sharjah residents working in Dubai are hoping to get some good deals on the other side so they can be closer to work. Similarly people living in affordable middle-level units in Ajman are looking to upgrade to better units in Sharjah.”


Rental forecast


Stevens of Asteco said: “Further drops in residential rentals in Northern Emirates is expected. The vacancy levels in the emirates is also likely to increase.”

He said overall, in the Northern Emirates, the most notable decreases have been for high-end apartments in Sharjah and affordable middle-level units in Ajman.

“The ‘work from home’ culture, resulting from the COVID-19 movement restrictions, has increased demand for larger units. However, salary cuts and job losses have tempted any potential rental increases with many tenants ultimately being forced to reduce expenses or leave for their home countries altogether,” he said.


Ajman’s high-end units fared better, declining by only 9 per cent in the last one year.


Attractive destination


“In Dubai, the rental drops have tempted Sharjah residents to move to the emirate. In Dubai, we have seen an average, villa rents have fallen 10 per cent year-on-year (June 2019 vs. June 2020) and 13 per cent for apartments from the beginning of this year (Jan 2020 vs. June 2020).”

Stevens said Sharjah is becoming a more attractive destination to live in. “There are a number of retail developments planned and which will be ready. The Avenue Mall Al Seyough Community Mall and Nasma Square Mall are all earmarked for handover next quarter. This will add to the interest of residents living here and for those looking to move from other emirates into Sharjah.”

Sharjah average rent range




Ajman average rent range



Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
×