Nearly 190,000 homes planned as Abu Dhabi approved 75 million sqm of development in 2025
Industry, tourism and data centres drove development surge
ABU DHABI – The Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) approved nearly 75 million square metres of gross floor area for development across Abu Dhabi in 2025, marking a 137 percent increase compared with the previous year.
The approvals reflected a major acceleration in construction and urban expansion across the emirate. Officials said the scale of approved projects was equivalent to building the entire developed capacity of Yas Island seven times over, underscoring Abu Dhabi’s growing position as a global investment destination and rapidly expanding capital.
The projects span multiple sectors, including residential communities, industrial developments, tourism infrastructure and advanced technology facilities, supporting the emirate’s broader economic diversification strategy.
Focus on housing
Housing initiatives accounted for the largest share of development approvals during the year. Nearly 190,000 residential units were planned across new and existing neighbourhoods across the emirate.
More than 158,000 of the homes were designated as market units, while approximately 30,000 were allocated for UAE Nationals.
Plans for communities
The residential projects were designed as integrated communities supported by a broad range of public services and facilities. These include schools, healthcare centres, community majlis and retail destinations aimed at supporting growing populations in expanding districts.
Eng Abdulla Mohamed Al Blooshi, Director General of the Urban Planning and Permits Centre at DMT, said the milestone highlighted Abu Dhabi’s growing momentum as a global destination for investment and development.
He noted that forward-looking planning approaches and streamlined regulatory frameworks were enabling the development of diverse mixed-use districts that strengthen economic diversification, attract international talent and enhance quality of life across the emirate.
Industrial drive
Industrial and technology sectors also played a significant role in the surge in planning approvals during 2025.
Projects approved during the year included developments across industrial zones, large-scale data centres and advanced manufacturing facilities designed to support the emirate’s growing digital economy.
Officials said these developments are expected to strengthen logistics capabilities while supporting emerging technology-driven industries.
Tourism growth
The hospitality and tourism sector also recorded significant expansion.
Projects delivering nearly 5,000 new hotel keys were approved across several destinations, alongside new waterfront attractions, beaches and cultural experiences designed to enhance Abu Dhabi’s tourism offering.
Faster approvals
To support the pace of development, DMT introduced several initiatives aimed at accelerating planning approvals and facilitating project delivery.
The department reduced the approval cycle for master developers by 60 days, enabling major projects to move forward more quickly while maintaining strict compliance standards.
Mansour Saleh Al Harbi, Acting Executive Director for the Activation and Development Control Sector at DMT, said the shorter evaluation timelines demonstrated the department’s commitment to enabling rapid and high-quality construction across the emirate.
AI platform
A key factor behind the faster approvals was the launch of BINAA, the region’s first artificial intelligence-driven permits platform.
Introduced in June 2025, the system reduced the average time required to issue a residential villa building permit by 57 percent. It also cut permit resubmissions by 53 per cent by automating complex technical reviews.
Permit growth
The surge in development approvals was reflected in overall construction activity across the emirate.
More than 11,000 building permits were issued in 2025, representing a 15 percent increase compared with the previous year.
DMT also organised upskilling workshops for more than 7,000 consultants and contractors, helping industry professionals adapt to evolving regulatory requirements and digital submission systems as development activity continued to expand across Abu Dhabi.