Middle East
Abu Dhabi property transactions rise 76 per cent to Dh171 billion in the first nine months of 2026
By Staff Writer | 8 November 2026
The Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre recorded 38,483 deals between January and September, with sales more than doubling in value to Dh119.33 billion.
Real estate transactions in Abu Dhabi reached Dh171.26 billion in the first nine months of 2026, the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre announced on 7 November. The figure is 76.1 per cent higher than the Dh97.19 billion recorded in the same period of 2025.
The number of transactions rose by 32.8 per cent to 38,483, from 28,977 a year earlier. Transaction values rose in every category the centre reports.
Sales accounted for Dh119.33 billion across 23,749 transactions, a rise of 105 per cent in value.
Sales and mortgages
Sales were the main source of growth. The 23,749 sales compare with 15,910 sales worth Dh58.20 billion in the first nine months of 2025, an increase of 49.2 per cent in the number of deals. Mortgage activity also grew: 14,390 mortgage transactions were valued at Dh45.92 billion, up 30.2 per cent in value and 13.2 per cent in number on the 12,706 transactions worth Dh35.26 billion a year earlier.
Gift transactions rose by 145 per cent in number to 76, and their value rose by 389 per cent to Dh0.44 billion. Musataha and long-lease transactions reached 268 deals worth Dh5.57 billion, a rise of 52.9 per cent in value, although the number of those deals fell by 18.7 per cent.
Where the money went
Al Reem Island recorded the highest transaction value at Dh29.86 billion, followed by Al Hudayriyat Island at Dh28.62 billion, Al Saadiyat Island at Dh18.69 billion, Yas Island at Dh13.4 billion and Zayed City at Dh5.36 billion. The centre expects six districts, namely Al Saadiyat Island, Al Reem Island, Yas Island, Zayed City, Khalifa City and Al Hudayriyat Island, to account for 77 per cent of new real estate supply in the emirate through 2030.
Foreign investment in the emirate's investment zones rose by 131 per cent year on year to Dh86.11 billion, which is 81 per cent of the total investment value within those zones. Foreign direct investment by non-resident individuals reached Dh17.22 billion in the nine months, more than double the Dh8.2 billion recorded for the whole of 2025, and came from investors of 121 nationalities.
The scale of investment shows how many people and businesses are making a long-term commitment to Abu Dhabi. That commitment extends well beyond the transaction itself.
Rashed Al Omaira, Director General, Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre
Al Omaira said buyers expect projects to be delivered, businesses need space to grow and residents want communities that work well over time. He said the centre's responsibility is to make sure the rules governing the market reflect those expectations, from how property is sold to how developments are managed after handover.
New projects and licences
During the nine months the centre registered 54 new real estate development projects and issued 3,677 licences to real estate professionals, 32 per cent more than in the same period of 2025. It has also introduced a mandatory licensing course for brokers, which replaces the previous broker course.
For contractors and consultants, the supply figures are worth more attention than the sales total. Six districts are expected to carry most of the new building to 2030, and 54 newly registered projects in nine months is a pipeline of work that will have to be designed, built and handed over.