Abu Dhabi property transactions jump 76% to AED171bn

Abu Dhabi property transactions reached AED171.26 billion ($46.6 billion) in the first nine months of 2026, up 76.1% on a year earlier, the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC) said on Saturday.

The regulator recorded 38,483 transactions between January and September, a 32.8% rise on the 28,977 deals worth AED97.19 billion logged in the same period of 2025. Both sales and mortgages grew, but sales accounted for most of the increase.

Sales transactions more than doubled in value to AED119.33 billion ($32.5 billion) across 23,749 deals, up 105% by value and 49.2% by volume. Mortgage activity rose 30.2% by value to AED45.92 billion ($12.5 billion) across 14,390 transactions, a 13.2% increase in number.

Sales now make up roughly 70% of Abu Dhabi property transactions by value, compared with about 60% a year earlier, based on the ADREC figures. The shift reflects faster growth in outright sales than in bank-financed deals.

Foreign investment more than doubles in the Abu Dhabi real estate market

Foreign investment in the emirate’s investment zones climbed 131% year on year to AED86.11 billion ($23.4 billion), or 81% of total investment value in those zones, according to ADREC. Direct investment by non-resident individuals reached AED17.22 billion ($4.7 billion), more than double the AED8.2 billion recorded for the whole of 2025.

Buyers came from 121 nationalities over the nine months. The UK, China, Russia, the US, France and Germany were the leading sources of foreign investment in Abu Dhabi by value, the centre said.

Rashed Al Omaira, Director General of ADREC, said the scale of investment showed how many people and businesses were “making a long-term commitment to Abu Dhabi”. He added that the centre’s task was to ensure market rules matched buyers’ expectations on project delivery and on how developments are managed after handover.

Al Reem and Al Hudayriyat lead Abu Dhabi property transactions by value

Al Reem Island was the most active district, with AED29.86 billion in transactions, followed closely by Al Hudayriyat Island at AED28.62 billion. Al Saadiyat Island recorded AED18.69 billion, Yas Island AED13.4 billion and Zayed City AED5.36 billion.

ADREC expects six districts, namely Al Saadiyat, Al Reem, Yas, Zayed City, Khalifa City and Al Hudayriyat, to account for 77% of new supply through 2030. The centre registered 54 new development projects during the period and issued 3,677 licences to real estate professionals, up 32% year on year.

Smaller categories also grew in value. Musataha and long-lease deals totalled 268 transactions worth AED5.57 billion, a 52.9% rise in value even as volumes fell 18.7%. Gift transactions numbered 76, up 145%, with their value rising 389% to AED0.44 billion.

Why it matters for investors

The surge stands out against slower headline growth in the wider economy. UAE GDP grew 0.4% in the first half of 2026, led by the non-oil sector, which makes real estate one of the more visible sources of momentum in the capital this year.

Transparency is improving too. In JLL’s 2026 Global Real Estate Transparency Index, Abu Dhabi rose eight places to 33rd with a composite score of 2.42, making it the world’s most improved market. Institutional investors tend to weigh such rankings when deciding where to allocate capital.

The mortgage figures also point to deeper bank participation in the Abu Dhabi real estate market, with 14,390 mortgage transactions recorded, up from 12,706 a year earlier. Across the UAE, listed developers are reshaping as well: a board-backed AED15-a-share cash offer for Emaar Development would delist the Dubai-listed developer.

What happens next

ADREC said it has introduced the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Broker Transformation Course, a mandatory licensing curriculum that replaces the previous broker programme.

Full-year data will show whether the fourth quarter sustains the pace, and whether non-resident investment keeps running ahead of 2025 levels. The complete figures are set out in the Abu Dhabi Media Office statement.