Emaar has announced that the board of the Dubai property giant has approved a special cash dividend of AED 4.4 billion for shareholders, equivalent to about $1.19 billion and 50 fils per share.

The board of Emaar Properties approved the one-off special dividend on Wednesday, September 16. The payment is separate from the company’s regular annual dividend and remains subject to shareholder approval at a general meeting and the necessary regulatory clearances.

Emaar has yet to announce the record date for shareholder eligibility or the exact payment date, saying the details will be disclosed in due course.

The decision comes several months after Emaar shareholders approved a cash dividend of about AED 8.8 billion for the 2025 financial year in March, equivalent to AED 1 per share. The dividend was paid to shareholders in April.

If the new special dividend is approved, the combined value of Emaar’s annual dividend and proposed special payout will reach about AED 13.2 billion, equivalent to approximately AED 1.5 per share.

The announcement follows another strong financial performance by Emaar in the first half of 2026. Revenue rose 21 per cent to AED 23.9 billion, while net profit before tax increased 23 per cent to AED 12.8 billion. The group’s total property sales during the period stood at AED 26.6 billion.

The value of contracts and booked sales to be recognised as revenue in future years reached AED 164.9 billion by the end of June, providing significant visibility over Emaar’s future revenue.

At its latest meeting, Emaar’s board also reviewed proposals to leverage various parts of the group’s business to create additional shareholder value and requested further legal and financial assessments of some of the plans.

The market reacted positively to the news, with Emaar shares rising 3.3 per cent in Wednesday’s trading to close at AED 11.74. The Dubai Financial Market General Index also gained about 0.7 per cent that day.