Published 2026-08-28
The UAE property market closed the first half of 2026 with growth in every emirate that has published figures, according to a nationwide roundup released by the Emirates News Agency (WAM) on 2026-08-28. Abu Dhabi recorded AED 117 billion in real estate transactions (+112% year on year) and AED 13.8 billion in foreign direct investment (+309%, more than the whole of 2025), Dubai completed 104 projects worth AED 111 billion (+52% in value), Sharjah registered AED 29.5 billion in transactions (+9.3%) from 121 investor nationalities, Ajman AED 10.8 billion across 6,815 transactions, and Ras Al Khaimah AED 2.89 billion. This article puts the five emirates side by side, explains what each headline number actually measures, and shows where the foreign money went.
Five emirates in one table
The land departments of the emirates report on different bases, so the numbers below are not directly additive. Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah publish the value of registered transactions (sales, mortgages and transfers). Dubai’s figure in the WAM roundup is the investment value of projects completed in the period, which is a supply measure rather than a sales measure. We flag the basis in each row.
| Emirate | Headline figure H1 2026 | What it measures | Change vs H1 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi | AED 117 billion | All registered transactions (sales AED 86.1 billion + mortgages AED 26.7 billion + other) | +112% value, +61.7% count |
| Dubai | AED 111 billion | Investment value of 104 completed projects, 24,537 units | +52% value, +38.7% projects, +36% units |
| Sharjah | AED 29.5 billion | 59,460 registered transactions incl. AED 7.6 billion mortgages | +9.3% value, +23.7% count |
| Ajman | AED 10.8 billion | 6,815 transactions: AED 7.64 billion trading + AED 1.88 billion mortgages | n/a in roundup |
| Ras Al Khaimah | AED 2.89 billion | Sales AED 1.353 billion + mortgages AED 1.160 billion + transfers AED 380 million | n/a in roundup |
Source: WAM roundup of 2026-08-28, compiling H1 2026 reports of the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC), Dubai Land Department, Sharjah Real Estate Registration Department, Ajman Department of Land and Real Estate Regulation and the Lands and Properties Sector of Ras Al Khaimah Municipality.
Abu Dhabi: AED 117 billion and a 309% jump in foreign capital
Abu Dhabi delivered the largest absolute growth. Total transaction value reached about AED 117 billion in January to June 2026, up 112%, while the number of transactions rose 61.7%. Sales alone came to AED 86.1 billion through 16,838 transactions, an increase of 163.7%, and mortgage transactions added AED 26.7 billion.
Foreign direct investment in Abu Dhabi real estate reached about AED 13.8 billion in six months, up 309% and already above the full-year 2025 total. The number of nationalities among non-resident foreign investors rose to 116, and the emirate’s designated investment zones, the areas where foreigners can hold freehold or long-lease title, attracted about AED 75 billion. ADREC’s half-year report also puts residential unit sales at AED 70.4 billion, with off-plan properties accounting for 89% of sales value and 82% of transactions. Resale prices rose 20% for apartments and 12% for villas. On the rental side, roughly 233,000 residential tenancy contracts were active with a combined value of AED 9.3 billion, up 8% year on year.
We covered the ADREC report in detail when it was released in July, including the 8 new investment zones and the leading investor countries: see Abu Dhabi Real Estate Hits Record AED 117 Billion in H1 2026. The consultant view of the same half-year, with district-level prices and rents, is in our article on the Cavendish Maxwell H1 2026 residential report.
Dubai: 104 completed projects, 24,537 new units, land costs up 135%
Dubai’s contribution to the roundup is about supply. The emirate completed 104 real estate projects in H1 2026 with a total investment value above AED 111 billion, compared with 75 projects worth AED 73 billion in H1 2025. That is 38.7% more projects and 52% more value. The number of new units delivered rose to 24,537, up more than 36%, and completed, ready-for-handover construction space grew 23.4% to 1.95 million square metres from 1.58 million.
The cost of land allocated to projects jumped more than 135% to AED 19.46 billion from AED 8.27 billion, and the area of land under completed projects more than doubled to about one million square metres from 484,000. For tenants and buyers this is the number to watch: 24,537 new units in six months is the supply that eventually cools rents. The full breakdown, including what the delivery wave means for the second half, is in Dubai Completes 104 Projects and 24,537 Units Worth AED 111 Billion.
Sharjah: AED 29.5 billion, 59,460 transactions, 121 nationalities
Sharjah’s real estate transactions reached about AED 29.5 billion in the first half of 2026, up 9.3%, while the number of transactions grew 23.7% to 59,460. Residential properties took the largest share of sales with 13,501 deals, and mortgage transactions amounted to AED 7.6 billion. Eleven new real estate projects were registered in the period.
The investor mix is the interesting part. Sharjah attracted buyers from 121 nationalities, more than Abu Dhabi’s 116. UAE nationals invested about AED 14.9 billion, Arab investors about AED 5 billion and other nationalities about AED 8.2 billion. In other words, roughly 45% of the value came from non-Emirati buyers in a market that opened freehold ownership to all nationalities only in recent years. The Sharjah Real Estate Registration Department’s own half-year release, published 2026-07-15, named Muwaileh Commercial (2,385 transactions, AED 2.8 billion), Al Belaida (2,171 transactions, AED 1.4 billion) and Al Khan (1,077 transactions, about AED 1.3 billion) as the most active districts.
Ajman: AED 10.8 billion in 6,815 transactions
Ajman’s Department of Land and Real Estate Regulation recorded 6,815 transactions worth more than AED 10.8 billion in H1 2026. Of that, AED 7.64 billion came from trading (sales) transactions and AED 1.88 billion from mortgages. The department’s own release adds that the single largest sale was AED 215 million in the Al Amera area and the largest mortgage AED 123.5 million in Liwara 1, while Emirates City, City Towers and Ajman One were the most actively traded developments.
The sales figures sit alongside a rental market that we reported on earlier in August: 73,472 tenancy contracts worth AED 2.91 billion in the same six months. Both sides of the Ajman market are in Ajman Rental Market Hits AED 2.91 Billion in H1 2026.
Ras Al Khaimah: AED 2.89 billion, mortgages almost equal to sales
The Lands and Properties Sector of Ras Al Khaimah Municipality recorded transactions worth about AED 2.89 billion between January and June 2026. Sales accounted for AED 1.353 billion through 1,274 transactions, registered mortgages for AED 1.160 billion through 463 transactions, and property transfers (waivers) for about AED 380 million. The near-parity between sales and mortgage values is unusual among the emirates and coincides with bank financing for the Al Marjan Island pipeline ahead of the Wynn resort opening in 2027.
What the half-year numbers mean for a company or investor
Three practical points follow from the WAM roundup.
- Freehold access differs by emirate. In Abu Dhabi foreign ownership is tied to the designated investment zones (AED 75 billion of H1 activity), in Dubai to freehold areas, in Sharjah to the freehold projects opened to all nationalities. Before committing to a purchase, confirm the title type the specific project offers.
- Property purchases feed into residency. A residential purchase of AED 2 million or more qualifies the owner for the 10-year UAE Golden Visa, and a purchase of AED 750,000 or more for a 2-year property investor visa. With resale prices up 20% for apartments in Abu Dhabi, many 2024 buyers now cross the threshold on valuation alone. Details are on our UAE Golden Visa page.
- Financing is available to non-residents, but the paperwork runs through a UAE bank account. Mortgages made up AED 26.7 billion in Abu Dhabi, AED 7.6 billion in Sharjah and AED 1.88 billion in Ajman. Banks lend to non-residents at lower loan-to-value ratios, and every mortgage, rental income and service-charge flow needs a local account: see bank account opening in the UAE.
Checklist: buying UAE property through a company
Investors who buy more than one unit, or who want to hold property alongside an operating business, usually do it through a UAE entity. The steps are the same in every emirate:
- Choose the vehicle: a mainland LLC, a free zone company or a holding structure in a jurisdiction the land department accepts as a property owner (not every free zone qualifies).
- Register the company and obtain the licence, then the establishment card and the shareholder’s residence visa. Our company setup service covers the full sequence.
- Open the corporate bank account before signing the sale and purchase agreement so that the deposit and the balance are traceable.
- Obtain the land department’s no-objection letter for corporate ownership where required (Abu Dhabi and Dubai have separate procedures).
- Budget for registration fees, which are 4% of the price in Dubai and 2% in Abu Dhabi, plus the developer’s administration fee.
- Plan the residency of the shareholders: a company-owned property does not automatically qualify an individual for a property visa, so the visa usually runs through the company’s employment or investor quota.
How Atlant Capital can help
Atlant Capital sets up companies in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and the northern emirates, opens corporate and personal bank accounts, and handles investor and Golden Visa applications for clients who buy UAE property. If you are choosing between emirates on the strength of the H1 2026 numbers, we can prepare a comparison of ownership rules, fees and visa routes for the specific projects you are considering.
Conclusion
The H1 2026 roundup shows a market growing on both the demand and the supply side. Abu Dhabi more than doubled its transaction value to AED 117 billion and tripled foreign investment to AED 13.8 billion; Dubai delivered 24,537 units in 104 completed projects worth AED 111 billion; Sharjah, Ajman and Ras Al Khaimah added AED 29.5 billion, AED 10.8 billion and AED 2.89 billion respectively. For investors the numbers to remember are the ownership zones, the AED 2 million Golden Visa threshold and the bank account that every transaction runs through.
FAQ
How much real estate was transacted in the UAE in the first half of 2026?
According to the WAM roundup of 2026-08-28, Abu Dhabi recorded AED 117 billion in transactions (+112%), Sharjah AED 29.5 billion (+9.3%), Ajman AED 10.8 billion and Ras Al Khaimah AED 2.89 billion in H1 2026. Dubai reported 104 completed projects worth AED 111 billion (+52%) and 24,537 new units. The figures are published on different bases by each land department and are not directly additive.
How much foreign investment went into Abu Dhabi real estate in H1 2026?
Foreign direct investment in Abu Dhabi real estate reached about AED 13.8 billion in January to June 2026, up 309% year on year and more than the total for the whole of 2025. Non-resident foreign investors came from 116 nationalities, and the emirate’s investment zones attracted about AED 75 billion of activity. Sales alone reached AED 86.1 billion through 16,838 transactions.
How did Sharjah’s property market perform in the first half of 2026?
Sharjah registered 59,460 real estate transactions worth about AED 29.5 billion in H1 2026, up 9.3% in value and 23.7% in number. Residential properties accounted for 13,501 sales, mortgages for AED 7.6 billion, and 11 new projects were registered. Investors came from 121 nationalities: UAE nationals invested about AED 14.9 billion, Arab investors about AED 5 billion and other nationalities about AED 8.2 billion.
Does buying property in the UAE give residency?
Yes. A residential property purchase of AED 2 million or more qualifies the owner for the 10-year UAE Golden Visa, and a purchase of AED 750,000 or more for a 2-year property investor visa. The property must be in an area open to foreign ownership: designated investment zones in Abu Dhabi, freehold areas in Dubai, freehold projects in Sharjah. Mortgaged property can qualify subject to the bank’s confirmation of the paid-up amount.
