Every time Gulf tension flares, oil jumps and attention turns to pump prices. But for most households here, the number that shapes the monthly budget isn't petrol. It's rent, and residents have felt that for years. The Central Bank of the UAE's June 2026 Quarterly Economic Review confirms it: housing does most of the work in the inflation figures. Abu Dhabi inflation ran at just 1.4% over the year to early 2026, but housing was up 4.7%. Dubai told an even more extreme story, with housing up 7.4%, though the ...