When Million Dollar Listing: UAE debuted last year, few expected it to become one of STARZPLAY’s biggest-ever hits. But the first regional spin-off of the Emmy-nominated US franchise topped streaming charts and gave viewers a rare look inside Dubai’s fast-rising luxury property market.
Now, as the show returns on December 10, reality TV stars Ben Bandari and Rami Wahood say Season 2 will take things to a whole new level.
“We have much bigger and better properties this time,” Wahood, executive partner at fam Properties and one of Dubai’s top one per cent agents by sales volume, told Arabian Business.
“The production has levelled up. Season 1 broke all records, but this time we’re showing deals worth hundreds of millions. One property I personally sold was around AED 61.5 million, fully registered and transacted.”
That sale ranks among the most expensive ever featured on a Middle East reality show, as Dubai’s prime housing market continues to outpace global peers. The city has become a magnet for global wealth, with nearly 9,800 millionaires expected to relocate in 2025, more than anywhere else in the world.
The influx of high-net-worth buyers has fuelled record-breaking activity at the top end of the market. Last year alone, 435 homes priced above $10 million (AED 36.7 million) changed hands in Dubai, worth over $7 billion in total. Prices for luxury homes climbed by more than 19 percent, driven largely by demand for waterfront villas on Palm Jumeirah, which accounted for nearly a third of all such sales.
As a result, prime brokers like Bandari and Wahood are operating in a market unlike any other, where competition is fierce, listings are scarce and deals routinely reach into the tens of millions.
“It’s never been better for us,” said Bandari, the show’s executive producer and one of Dubai’s best-known brokers. “Season 1 gave us exposure and credibility. Season 2 will elevate that even further.”
Bandari said the new season expands beyond Dubai.
“We’ve switched up the cast, brought in Sara Serhan from Dubai and Mai Khaled from Abu Dhabi,” he explained. “And yes, there’s more drama, but it’s real-estate drama. It’s business tension, not trash TV. Viewers will see the negotiations, the rivalries, the personalities, but it’s all rooted in the business.”
The series also crosses borders for the first time. “A sneak peek for the fans: we actually fly to London this season,” Bandari revealed. “You’ll see us selling and showing properties there. We’re not just local brokers anymore; we do business across the US, Europe and the UAE.”
For Wahood, the show offers more than entertainment. “If you want to understand how this market really works, the hustle, the pressure, the lifestyle, this is the show for you,” he said. “It’s reality TV, but it’s also education for anyone who loves real estate.”
Produced by Image Nation Abu Dhabi and STARZPLAY and licensed from NBCUniversal Formats, Million Dollar Listing: UAE returns with 12 new episodes and partnerships with developers Aldar and DAMAC.
Season 1 was later picked up by international streaming platforms Hayu and Roku, giving Dubai’s real estate scene a global audience.
With record-breaking sales, international listings and the promise of “real-estate drama done right”, Million Dollar Listing: UAE Season 2 is shaping up to be its most ambitious chapter yet.
The series premieres December 10 exclusively on STARZPLAY.
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