Abu Dhabi, Dubai lead UAE property boom with billions in transactions and new projects
Foreign investors expand their presence as development activity gathers pace
DUBAI – The UAE real estate sector maintained strong momentum during the first half of 2026, with rising investment demand, expanding development activity and a widening international investor base supporting activity across several emirates.
Property markets benefited from continued demand for residential and commercial assets, alongside a growing pipeline of new projects and investment opportunities. The performance also reflected the UAE's continued efforts to strengthen its regulatory and legislative framework and reinforce the attractiveness of its property sector to local and international investors.
Data released by real estate authorities showed substantial activity between January and June, with Abu Dhabi and Dubai recording particularly strong growth, while Sharjah, Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah also posted notable transaction volumes.
Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi recorded one of the strongest performances, with the total value of real estate transactions reaching around Dh117 billion in the first half of 2026, an increase of 112 percent compared with the same period last year. The number of transactions rose by 61.7 percent.
Sales accounted for the largest portion of activity, reaching Dh86.1 billion through 16,838 transactions, representing growth of 163.7 percent. Mortgage transactions amounted to Dh26.7 billion.
Foreign direct investment in Abu Dhabi's real estate sector reached around Dh13.8 billion during the six months, soaring 309 percent and exceeding the total recorded for the whole of 2025. The number of nationalities represented among non-resident foreign investors increased to 116, while investment zones attracted around Dh75 billion.
According to the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre's first-half report, residential unit sales reached Dh70.4 billion. Off-plan properties accounted for 89 percent of sales value and 82 percent of the total number of transactions.
Resale prices increased by 20 percent for apartments and 12 percent for villas. Meanwhile, the number of active residential tenancy contracts reached around 233,000, with their combined value standing at Dh9.3 billion, up eight percent year-on-year.
Dubai
Dubai's real estate sector completed 104 projects during the first half of 2026, with a combined investment value exceeding Dh111 billion. This compares with 75 projects worth Dh73 billion during the corresponding period of 2025, representing growth of 38.7 percent in project numbers and 52 percent in investment value.
The number of new real estate units climbed to 24,537, an increase of more than 36 percent. Completed and ready-for-handover construction space also expanded by more than 23.4 percent to 1.95 million square metres, compared with 1.58 million square metres during the first half of 2025.
Land allocated to projects recorded an even sharper increase. Its cost jumped by more than 135 percent to Dh19.46 billion, from Dh8.27 billion a year earlier. The area of land allocated to completed projects more than doubled to around one million square metres, compared with 484,000 square metres during the same period of 2025.
Sharjah
Sharjah recorded around Dh29.5 billion in real estate transactions during the first six months of 2026, up 9.3 percent year-on-year. The number of transactions increased by 23.7 percent to 59,460.
Residential properties represented the largest share of sales activity, with 13,501 transactions, while mortgage transactions reached Dh7.6 billion.
The emirate attracted investors from 121 nationalities during the period. UAE nationals accounted for around Dh14.9 billion in investment, followed by Arab investors with around Dh5 billion and investors from other nationalities with approximately Dh8.2 billion. Eleven new real estate projects were also registered.
Ajman
Ajman's real estate market recorded 6,815 transactions worth more than Dh10.8 billion during the first half of 2026. Trading transactions accounted for Dh7.64 billion, while mortgage transactions reached Dh1.88 billion.
The figures reflected continued activity across different segments of the emirate's property market as investment opportunities expanded during the six-month period.
Ras Al Khaimah
In Ras Al Khaimah, the value of real estate transactions reached around Dh2.89 billion between January and June 2026.
Sales accounted for Dh1.353 billion through 1,274 transactions, while mortgage transactions totalled Dh1.160 billion across 463 deals. Property transfers contributed around Dh380 million to the emirate's overall real estate activity during the first half of the year.