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PressDubai Turns to Medium-Term Rentals as War Cuts Short-Term Demand
Published: September 30, 2026
Bram Gallagher
ARTICLE SUMMARY
When the 2026 US-Iran conflict reached the Gulf, Dubai’s short-term rental market lost more than two thirds of its April revenue year over year. Hosts responded within weeks by re-listing for stays of 28 nights or longer, pushing medium-term rentals to 45.5% of market revenue, the highest share since the pandemic. Using AirDNA data through August 2026 plus forward pacing to January 2027, Bram Gallagher shows what the pivot recovered, what it could not, and why rates rather than occupancy are the constraint.
Bram Gallagher
AirDNA Director of Economics and Forecasting
Bram Gallagher is an Economist at AirDNA, specializing in uncovering insights that drive smarter short-term rental decisions. He put his Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Georgia to work researching and forecasting hotel data with CBRE prior to joining AirDNA, as well as teaching economics at a number of universities. In his spare time, Bram enjoys making wooden furniture with hand tools.