Foreign direct investment poured into Abu Dhabi’s real estate market at an unprecedented pace in the opening six months of 2026, climbing 309% year-on-year to AED13.8 billion. That figure alone surpassed the total foreign investment logged across all of 2025, according to verified data from the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC), the emirate’s real estate regulator and custodian.
The appetite came from a widening pool of investors. Non-residents from 116 nationalities placed money in the emirate’s property market during the period, up from 82 nationalities a year earlier. Buyers from the United Kingdom, China, the Russian Federation, the United States, Germany and France stood among the largest contributors of foreign capital.
Overall transactions across Abu Dhabi reached AED117 billion between January and June, with total value up 112% and the number of deals rising 61.7% against the same stretch of 2025.
Sales led the activity, generating AED86.1 billion across 16,838 transactions, a jump of 163.7% in value. Mortgage deals contributed AED26.7 billion through 8,876 transactions, a gain of more than 33%. Musataha and long lease agreements added AED4 billion, while gift transactions accounted for AED311.5 million.
Rashed Al Omaira, Director General of ADREC, tied the momentum to the information available to buyers before they commit. “Investment decisions begin long before a transaction takes place. They begin with a clear understanding of the market, its direction and the rules that govern it. Our focus at ADREC is to provide that visibility from the outset through transparent regulation and reliable, up-to-date data, giving investors a stronger basis on which to assess opportunities and make long-term decisions,” he said. He added: “As Abu Dhabi’s real estate sector evolves, what matters is not only how much it grows, but how it grows. This requires a regulatory environment that responds to changing needs while supporting the sector’s long-term direction.”
Much of the foreign money flowed into designated investment zones, which permit ownership regardless of nationality. Those zones drew AED75 billion during the half, up 181% from AED26.7 billion a year earlier. ADREC signed off on eight new zones over the same window, lifting the emirate’s total to 50, and registered 28 new projects, a 16% increase.
The regulator also expanded the professional side of the market, issuing 2,040 licences to real estate practitioners, a 34% rise that brought the count of licensed brokers to 3,302. Its Madhmoun platform has cleared more than 41,200 regulated advertising permits since launching, a measure ADREC credits with sharpening the reliability of property listings.
