ع
The UAE real estate sector posted strong growth in the first half of 2026 driven by investment demand, Gulf Today reported citing official data released on August 28. Transaction values and project completions rose sharply in Abu Dhabi and Dubai while Sharjah and other emirates also registered gains. Authorities attributed the performance to a diversified investor base and ongoing regulatory enhancements. The sector entered the second half on solid footing with local and international demand supporting a pipeline of new developments.
In Abu Dhabi the total value of real estate transactions reached Dhs117 billion, a 112 percent increase from the first half of 2025, with the number of transactions up 61.7 percent according to the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre. Sales transactions generated Dhs86.1 billion from 16,838 deals that climbed 163.7 percent while mortgage transactions totalled Dhs26.7 billion. Foreign direct investment in the emirate’s property market jumped 309 percent to Dhs13.8 billion surpassing the entire previous year’s total and attracting buyers from 116 nationalities.
The centre’s report placed residential unit sales at Dhs70.4 billion with off-plan properties making up 89 percent of sales value and 82 percent of transaction count. Apartment resale prices increased 20 percent and villa prices rose 12 percent during the period. Active residential tenancy contracts numbered 233,000 with a value of Dhs9.3 billion marking an 8 percent annual rise.
Dubai completed 104 real estate projects in the first half valued at more than Dhs111 billion compared with 75 projects worth Dhs73 billion in the same period of 2025, data from the emirate’s real estate department showed. The advance represented 38.7 percent more projects and 52 percent higher value. New unit deliveries increased more than 36 percent to 24,537 while completed built area grew 23.4 percent to 1.95 million square metres.
Land allocation costs for these projects surged 135 percent to Dhs19.46 billion and the land area allocated more than doubled to one million square metres. The strong results reinforced Dubai’s position as a preferred investment hub. Industry projections from Statista Market Insights anticipate the UAE real estate market will reach $811 billion by 2031 building on this momentum.
Sharjah saw real estate transactions rise 9.3 percent to Dhs29.5 billion with the number of transactions increasing 23.7 percent to 59,460 according to local authorities. Residential properties led sales with 13,501 deals and mortgage transactions reached Dhs7.6 billion while investors from 121 nationalities took part including UAE nationals with Dhs14.9 billion. Eleven new real estate projects were registered in the emirate during the period.
Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah also contributed to the national picture with Ajman recording 6,815 transactions worth over Dhs10.8 billion and Ras Al Khaimah posting Dhs2.89 billion in total transaction value that included Dhs1.353 billion in sales from 1,274 transactions. Mortgage activity in Ras Al Khaimah amounted to Dhs1.16 billion from 463 deals with an additional Dhs380 million in property transfers. The collective first-half data points to sustained expansion in the UAE property sector as it heads into the latter part of the year.
