[REVISION HISTORY]

UAE real estate market growth and shifting trends

Updated 3 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-10-03 15:43 UTC → 2026-10-06 07:33 UTC · added ~~removed~~

The United Arab Emirates real estate market has demonstrated significant growth and high transaction volumes throughout 2026. In the first half of the year, Dubai completed 104 projects with an investment value exceeding AED 111 billion, while Abu Dhabi reported a 112% year-on-year increase in transactions, reaching AED 117 billion. International interest has been a primary driver of this expansion. Data from mid-2026 indicates that Indian investors hold the largest share of digital search interest in Dubai at 16.3%, followed by the United States at 13% and the United Kingdom at 10.7%. Activity has also been noted in Sharjah and Ajman. By late 2026, the UAE solidified its position in the global branded residences market. Dubai hosts 175 projects, making it the world’s largest market for branded residences—a scale more than double that of Miami and nearly six times larger than London. The UAE accounts for 19 percent of the global branded residence development pipeline, with Abu Dhabi ranking eighth globally and Al Marjan Island ranking ninth. As the year progresses, the Dubai market is undergoing a transition toward increased investor selectivity. Following a record-breaking 2025, recent data shows a slowdown in transaction volumes; CBRE’s Q2 2026 review indicates residential transaction volumes fell 29% year-on-year, with ready-property transactions declining by 42% and off-plan transactions by 23%. The market is diverging into three tracks: a broad residential market sensitive to supply, an off-plan market driven by flexible payment plans, and a luxury segment influenced by global wealth flows. Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi has improved its market clarity, rising eight places to 33rd in the 2026 Global Real Estate Transparency Index. This is linked to digital transformation initiatives by the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC), which aims to place In the ~~emirate among~~ third quarter of 2026, Dubai recorded 37,429 sales transactions totaling AED 92.9 billion. Primary market sales led this activity with 25,441 transactions valued at AED 52.6 billion, while resales accounted for 11,988 transactions worth AED 40.3 billion. In the ~~world’s 25 most transparent markets by 2030.~~ secondary market, over 67% of Q3 transactions were conducted in cash.

Versions

Only revisions since CLSTR began indexing content versions appear here. Select a version to see what changed compared to the one before it.