Abu Dhabi's residential property market posted a near-tripling of sales value in the first half of 2026, reaching AED 70.4 billion, with off-plan transactions accounting for 89% of sales value and 82% of all deals, according to the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre's H1 2026 market report.
Repeat-sale prices rose 20% year-on-year for apartments and 12% for villas, while active residential lease contracts reached 233,000, with total lease values up 8% to AED 9.3 billion. Expatriate residents and non-resident foreign buyers together represented 70% of residential sales value, while Emirati buyers committed AED 21 billion – more than double the AED 8.9 billion recorded in H1 2025.
Hudayriyat Island led by location with AED 19 billion in sales, ahead of Saadiyat Island at AED 13.3 billion and Al Reem and Al Maryah Islands at AED 10.5 billion combined. Some 71,000 additional units are expected to be delivered by 2030, with completions projected to peak at around 21,800 units in 2028.
Gulf Economist Staff Writer