Abu Dhabi property market report: the first nine months of 2026

In the first nine months of 2026, the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC) registered 38,483 real estate transactions worth AED 171.26 billion. That is up 76.1% in value and 32.8% in number on the same period of 2025, and already more than the AED 142 billion registered in all of 2025.

ADREC is the emirate's property regulator, part of the Department of Municipalities and Transport. It registers sales, mortgages and other property transactions and publishes the totals through the Abu Dhabi Media Office. The nine-month figures in this guide were released on 7 November 2026. For how ADREC works and what it regulates, see our guide to ADREC.

This report is updated as each new period is released. It covers the whole emirate; for prices and projects in each community, see our Abu Dhabi areas page.

Sales led the growth. ADREC registered 23,749 sales worth AED 119.33 billion, up 105% in value and 49.2% in number. Mortgages reached AED 45.92 billion across 14,390 transactions, up 30.2% in value and 13.2% in number.

What the transaction types mean

Sales are transfers of ownership: off-plan sales registered on the interim register and sales of ready property and land.

Mortgages are loans registered against property. They include new purchase loans and refinancing, so they overlap with sales rather than adding to them.

Musataha and long lease are long-term rights to use and build on land without owning it, common for commercial and development land. Our guide to leasehold and freehold explains the difference between ownership and long-term rights.

Gifts are transfers without a sale price, usually between family members.

ADREC's half-year release put January to June at AED 117 billion, and its nine-month release puts January to September at AED 171.26 billion.

For the residential market alone, Savills Middle East's report on the quarter recorded 6,085 residential transactions worth AED 21.5 billion, down 19% in number on the second quarter and 7% on the third quarter of 2025, while value was up 32% on a year earlier.

ADREC's sales figures cover all property, including land and commercial property, so they are larger than residential-only totals.

Al Reem Island recorded the highest transaction value in the first nine months of 2026, at AED 29.86 billion. Al Hudayriyat Island was close behind at AED 28.62 billion, followed by Al Saadiyat Island, Yas Island and Zayed City.

Where new supply is planned

ADREC projects that six districts will account for 77% of the emirate's new real estate supply to 2030: Al Saadiyat Island, Al Reem Island, Yas Island, Zayed City, Khalifa City and Al Hudayriyat Island. Four of the five busiest districts this year are on that list, so the areas with the most deals are also where most new homes are planned.

For a buyer, that means more choice of launches in these districts over the next few years, and more completed homes coming to market. Ask any developer what else is planned nearby and when it is due.

Most of it, in the residential market. Savills Middle East's report on the third quarter of 2026 put off-plan homes at 81% of Abu Dhabi residential transactions, and at 95% of the 582 sales above AED 10 million.

The average off-plan deal is larger than the average ready one. That reflects what is being launched: many of the new projects are on the islands and at the upper end of the market, including branded residences and large villas.

An average is not a price list. Prices vary widely by community, unit type and floor; for the projects we track and their published starting prices, see the live table below or our Abu Dhabi off-plan guide.

Mortgage numbers grew more slowly than sales. ADREC registered 14,390 mortgages worth AED 45.92 billion in the first nine months of 2026, up 13.2% in number and 30.2% in value, while sales grew 49.2% in number.

Part of the reason is how off-plan buying works. Many off-plan buyers pay the developer in instalments during construction and borrow, if at all, at handover, when a mortgage can be registered on the completed home. A strong year of off-plan sales shows up in mortgage numbers later, as those homes are handed over.

If you plan to borrow at handover, our guide to off-plan mortgages in the UAE explains loan-to-value limits and timing, and our guide to EIBOR explains how variable rates are set. Our mortgage calculator shows monthly repayments for a given loan, and our payment plan calculator shows what you pay during construction.

International buyers, increasingly. ADREC recorded investors from 121 nationalities in the first nine months of 2026, and foreign direct investment by non-resident individuals reached AED 17.22 billion, against AED 8.2 billion in the whole of 2025.

Investment zones are the areas of Abu Dhabi where all nationalities can buy. ADREC counted 50 zones by mid-2026. Our guide to buying property in Abu Dhabi as a foreigner explains which rights you get in each kind of zone.

Buying property can also lead to residence. Our guide to the UAE Golden Visa through property sets out the current thresholds and process.

Each ADREC release in 2026 has set a higher total than the one before. By the end of September, the 2026 total of AED 171.26 billion had passed the AED 142 billion registered in the whole of 2025.

These are records of what was registered. They do not tell you where prices or volumes will go next, and a strong total in one period can include a few very large deals. Read each release for what it covers before comparing it with another.

Regulation and supply figures alongside the transactions. ADREC registered 54 new real estate development projects in the first nine months of 2026 and issued 3,677 licences to real estate professionals, up 32% on the same period of 2025.

It also introduced a mandatory Abu Dhabi Real Estate Broker Transformation Course, replacing the previous broker course. In JLL's 2026 Global Real Estate Transparency Index, Abu Dhabi moved to 33rd from 41st in 2024, entering the index's Transparent tier, and ranked second in the Middle East and North Africa.

For buyers, the useful parts are practical: a new project must be registered with ADREC before it is sold off-plan, and brokers must be licensed. Our Abu Dhabi off-plan guide explains what to check before you pay.

Dubai's market is larger by value, but the two are measured differently, so compare like with like. In Dubai, the Dubai Land Department recorded AED 625 billion of real estate transactions through 181,866 deals in the first ten months of 2026, including AED 412 billion of sales.

Two differences matter. The periods do not line up: Abu Dhabi's latest figures end in September and Dubai's in October. And each regulator counts slightly different things in its all-transactions total, so the gap between the two cities is a rough guide, not an exact measure.

For the Dubai side in more depth, see our guide to Dubai land sales in 2026 and our Dubai off-plan market report for H1 2026.

Check the period, the measure and the comparison before you use a number. Three habits help:

1. Match the period. ADREC usually reports the first quarter, the first half, the first nine months and the full year. A nine-month total is not a quarter.
2. Match the measure. "Transaction value" includes mortgages, musataha and gifts as well as sales. If you want to know how much property was bought, use the sales figure.
3. Check the comparison. Percentage changes compare with the same period a year earlier, as stated in the release. Do not set a percentage from one release against a total from another.

District values tell you where money was spent, not what a home costs there. A single large land or building deal can lift a district's total, so read district rankings alongside the projects actually on sale.

They show where buyers are active and how much choice there is, not what you should buy. Use them for context, then judge each project on its developer, location, contract and payment plan.

Busy districts mean choice. Al Reem, Al Hudayriyat, Saadiyat and Yas have the most activity and the most planned supply, so you can compare several launches in the same area.

Off-plan dominance means plan carefully. With most homes bought before completion, the payment plan and handover date matter as much as the price. Check that payments go to the project's escrow account and that the sale is registered on the interim register through DARI.

Rents are a separate question. Savills recorded 50,500 rental transactions in the third quarter, up 29% on the second, with renewals making up 68% of rental activity. For rents by community, see our guide to Abu Dhabi rents by area.

Al Reem Island recorded the highest transaction value in Abu Dhabi in the first nine months of 2026. This table lists the off-plan projects we track there, newest first, and updates as we add them.

For the other busy districts, see Hudayriyat Island, Yas Island, Saadiyat Beach and Zayed City, or all Abu Dhabi areas. For the newest launches across the UAE, see new launches.

ADREC. The Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre, the emirate's property regulator, which registers transactions and publishes market totals.

Transaction value. The total registered value of all transactions in a period, including sales, mortgages, musataha and long leases, and gifts.

Investment zone. An area of Abu Dhabi where all nationalities may own property.

Musataha. A long-term right to use and build on land owned by someone else, for an agreed period.

DARI. Abu Dhabi's digital property platform, used to register sales, including off-plan sales on the interim register.

Foreign direct investment (FDI). In ADREC's figures, investment in Abu Dhabi property by non-resident individuals.

• ADREC explained
• Abu Dhabi off-plan buyer's guide
• Buying property in Abu Dhabi as a foreigner
• Abu Dhabi rents by area
• Developers: Aldar and Modon
• Abu Dhabi areas and all off-plan projects