29 September 2026
Abu Dhabi’s Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT) launched the Government Assets Investment Opportunities Portal on TAMM on 29 September 2026, the opening day of the LIVEX 2026 exhibition. The portal lets private investors find government-owned land and built assets across the emirate and take a deal through one digital process: discovery, expression of interest, bidding, investor selection, award and contracting. The deals rest on defined requirements for participation and investor approval, Musataha and lease arrangements, standardised contract templates and land-pricing mechanisms, while AI highlights assets that match each investor’s profile. The announcement does not state how many assets are listed or what they are worth.
What the new portal does
According to the Abu Dhabi Media Office, the service is a centralised gateway to government investment opportunities across all sectors. It covers the full lifecycle of an opportunity, from initial identification and structuring to offering and engagement with investors. For an investor, the process runs in six stages:
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| Discovery | Browsing government land and built assets open for investment, with AI recommendations based on the investor profile |
| Expression of interest | The investor registers interest in a specific asset |
| Bidding | Submitting an offer for the asset |
| Investor selection | Selection under the defined participation and investor approval requirements |
| Award | The opportunity is awarded to the selected investor |
| Contracting | Signing a Musataha or lease agreement based on standardised contractual templates |
DMT describes the framework as transparent and cohesive and says it was developed in close coordination with the relevant stakeholders. Potential investors can explore the available projects through the portal on TAMM.
The rules behind the deals
The release lists four elements that sit under the portal and are meant to make the process consistent from one deal to the next:
- defined requirements for participation and investor approval;
- Musataha and lease arrangements for government land and assets;
- standardised contractual templates and agreement structures;
- land-pricing mechanisms.
The published text does not set out the approval criteria, the pricing formula, any fees or the time each stage takes. Investors should read the terms attached to each opportunity on TAMM before submitting an expression of interest.
What Musataha means
Musataha is a real right under which the holder may build on and use land owned by another party for an agreed term, while the land itself stays with the owner, in this case a government entity. A lease gives the right to use a plot or a building for a fixed term in return for rent. In both cases the investor acquires a right of use for a period, not freehold ownership of government land.
AI matching and location data
The portal personalises the list of assets with AI: it highlights opportunities that match an investor’s profile, interests and preferences. Location-based insights build on these recommendations with a closer look at each asset’s surroundings, including nearby parks, public facilities, bus stops and other amenities, to help assess whether a site suits the planned investment.
What DMT said
His Excellency Nasser Saleh Farah, Director General of Financial Affairs at DMT, said the portal creates “a clear pathway to explore competitive real estate investment opportunities across the emirate” and “establishes a single, transparent and digitally enabled process for engaging with opportunities aligned with Abu Dhabi’s long-term development priorities”. He described government land and built assets as “enablers of economic activity, urban development, liveability, and quality of life”.
Where the portal sits: TAMM and LIVEX 2026
TAMM is Abu Dhabi’s single digital gateway to government services. According to the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), it was launched in 2018, brings more than 30 Abu Dhabi entities onto one platform and is already used by investors for licences, company registration and title and lease registration. The new portal adds government land and built assets to the services investors already use there.
The launch took place at LIVEX 2026, Abu Dhabi’s first Liveability and Investment Exhibition, hosted by DMT at ADNEC Centre Abu Dhabi from 29 September to 1 October. The exhibition covers six themes: liveability, culture, education, economy, energy and health. Our report on the opening covers the AED 100 billion of projects presented at LIVEX 2026 and the AED 55 billion PPP pipeline for 2026-2027. For the scale of development in the emirate, see also our note on 43.6 million square metres of GFA approved in Abu Dhabi in H1 2026.
What it means for companies and investors in the UAE
The announcement says nothing about changes to land ownership rules or fees, and no prices have been published. What changes is the procedure: government land and built assets are offered through one channel, with a fixed sequence of steps, standard contract templates and defined land-pricing mechanisms.
- Developers and real estate investors. Government plots and buildings can now be screened, bid for and contracted on TAMM under standard Musataha and lease terms.
- Businesses that need a site for their own operations. A Musataha or a lease on government land is a way to secure a site without buying land outright. The location data on parks, public facilities and bus stops helps screen sites before an expression of interest.
- Foreign investors. DMT has introduced participation and investor approval requirements for these deals. The release does not list them, so eligibility, including for foreign-owned companies, has to be checked on the portal for each opportunity.
The release names Musataha and lease as the contract forms, not a freehold sale. If you are buying completed freehold property with bank finance instead, our guide to mortgages in the UAE for residents and non-residents explains the rules. If a UAE company will submit the bid, settle its structure and licence activities first: our guide to company formation in the UAE compares the mainland and free zone options.
Checklist before an expression of interest
- Open the Government Assets Investment Opportunities Portal on TAMM and review the land and built assets on offer.
- Keep your investor profile accurate: the AI recommendations are based on your profile, interests and preferences.
- For each asset, read the participation and investor approval requirements before bidding.
- Check whether the opportunity is offered under Musataha or a lease, and the term and payment structure in the template.
- Test the location data on parks, public facilities and bus stops against your planned use of the site.
- Decide which entity will sign: an existing UAE company, a new company or a holding structure.
- Prepare corporate documents (trade licence, memorandum of association) and a corporate bank account in advance.
How Atlant Capital can help
We help founders and investors put the right structure in place before they bid for a government asset in Abu Dhabi or elsewhere in the UAE:
- Company formation on the mainland or in a free zone, with licence activities matched to the planned project.
- Corporate bank account opening for the company that will sign the contract.
- Work visas and residency for managers and staff of the project company.
The bottom line
Since 29 September 2026, government land and built assets in Abu Dhabi have a single digital entry point on TAMM, with a fixed sequence from discovery to contract and standard Musataha and lease terms. The number of assets, their locations and prices have not been published, and the announcement does not disclose the investor approval criteria. For companies that need a site or plan to develop government land, the first practical steps are an accurate investor profile on TAMM and a company ready to sign.
Source: Abu Dhabi Media Office.
FAQ
What is the Government Assets Investment Opportunities Portal in Abu Dhabi?
It is a service on TAMM launched by the Abu Dhabi Department of Municipalities and Transport on 29 September 2026 at LIVEX 2026. It lets private investors find government-owned land and built assets across the emirate and move through discovery, expression of interest, bidding, investor selection, award and contracting in one digital process.
Can investors buy government land in Abu Dhabi through TAMM?
The announcement names Musataha and lease arrangements as the contract forms, not a freehold purchase. Under a Musataha the investor gets the right to build on and use government land for an agreed term, while ownership of the land stays with the government. Contracts follow standardised templates and defined land-pricing mechanisms.
Who can bid for government assets on the Abu Dhabi portal?
DMT has introduced defined requirements for participation and investor approval for these deals. The launch announcement does not list the criteria, so eligibility, including for foreign-owned companies, should be checked on TAMM for each opportunity before submitting an expression of interest.
How does AI help investors on the portal?
The portal uses AI-powered personalisation to highlight assets that match an investor’s profile, interests and preferences. Location-based insights show each asset’s surroundings, including nearby parks, public facilities, bus stops and other amenities, to help assess whether a site suits the planned investment.
