Is Abu Dhabi's property market slowing down?
Fewer deals, bigger ones, and 2026 already ahead of last year's record.
Not by value. By the end of September, deals were worth Dh175.7 billion, well past the Dh142 billion for all of 2025. 3 In Q3, home sales were Dh21.5 billion, up 32% on a year earlier, but the number of deals fell 19% from Q2. Fewer buyers spent more each. 2
Why fewer deals but more money?
Number of deals
6,085 in Q3, down 19% on Q2 and 7% on a year earlier.
Average off-plan deal
Dh5 million, against Dh2.8 million for a ready home.
Deals over Dh10 million
582, up 104% on a year earlier, and 95% of them off-plan.
What are prices doing?
Rising, but more gently than the deal totals. 2
| Home type | Average price | Change in a year |
|---|---|---|
| Apartments | Dh22,700 per sq m (about Dh2,110 per sq ft) | +9% |
| Villas and townhouses | Dh18,200 per sq m (about Dh1,690 per sq ft) | +8% |
| Saadiyat apartments | Dh43,100 per sq m (about Dh4,000 per sq ft) | +21% |
What about rents?
Busy. There were 50,500 rental deals in Q3, up 29% on Q2, and 68% of them were renewals. 2
How much is being built?
About 409,000 homes stood in mid-2026, with around 71,000 more due by 2030 and the most, about 21,800, landing in 2028. 1
What's the catch?
Read these before you sign anything.
Big totals hide fewer buyers.
Deal numbers fell while values rose, so the market leans on a smaller group of large purchases.
2028 is the big handover year.
If the expected supply arrives, rents in the busiest areas could come under pressure.
Sources differ.
The Dh175.7 billion is the official registry total. The Q3 figures come from Savills research, which counts home sales only.
Sources
- Khaleej Times: Abu Dhabi property deals top Dh155 billion, beat 2025's full-year total in 8 months (September 2026)
- Gulf News: Abu Dhabi records Dh21.5 billion in residential property sales in Q3 2026 (October 2026)
- Zawya: IREIS 2026 returns to Abu Dhabi as real estate transactions top $48bln (October 2026)
What should you read next?
Three guides that follow on from this one.
All market updates
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