Abu Dhabi property sales rose 105 percent year-on-year to AED 119.33 billion ($32.5 billion) in the first nine months of 2026, Arabian Business reported, citing figures released by the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC).
Total real estate transactions across the emirate reached AED 171.26 billion ($46.6 billion) across 38,483 deals between January and September 2026. This marked a 76.1 percent rise in transaction value and a 32.8 percent increase in volume compared to the same period in 2025, when 28,977 transactions worth AED 97.19 billion were recorded.
Foreign investment in Abu Dhabi's investment zones increased 131 percent year-on-year to AED 86.11 billion ($23.4 billion) during the nine-month period, with foreign buyers accounting for 81 percent of total investment value in those zones. In addition, real estate foreign direct investment by non-resident individuals reached AED 17.22 billion ($4.7 billion), more than double the AED 8.2 billion recorded across the entire year of 2025.
ADREC registered 54 new real estate development projects during the first nine months of 2026 and issued 3,677 professional licences, representing a 32 percent annual increase. The authority also introduced the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Broker Transformation Course as a mandatory licensing curriculum to enhance regulatory knowledge and professional standards.
Separately, the report noted that Abu Dhabi was named the world's most improved market in JLL's 2026 Global Real Estate Transparency Index, advancing eight positions from 41st in 2024 to 33rd globally with a score of 2.42, moving into the 'Transparent' category.
Sources
- Arabian Business · 2026-11-10
