Abu Dhabi Real Estate Surges to AED 70.4 Billion in H1 2026 Residential Sales as ADREC Releases Market Report

The Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC), operating as the official custodian and regulatory body of Abu Dhabi's real estate sector under the Department of Municipalities and Transport (DMT), has officially published its comprehensive Real Estate Market Report for the first half of 2026. The data confirms an unprecedented surge in market velocity, with total residential unit sales reaching AED 70.4 billion ($19.2 billion) during the six-month period—representing a 178 percent increase compared to the AED 25.3 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2025. The remarkable growth across the capital’s property market was propelled by an extraordinary surge in off-plan residential transactions. Off-plan sales represented 89 percent of total residential sales value and 82 percent of all completed transactions during H1 2026. According to ADREC's analytics, primary market activity remained highly concentrated among premier institutional master developers, with the top ten developers generating 90 percent of off-plan primary sales valued at AED 51 billion. Demand was heavily anchored across the emirate’s designated freehold investment zones, particularly world-class coastal and island destinations: Al Hudayriyat Island: Led the market by securing AED 19 billion in sales, capturing 27 percent of total residential sales value on the back of luxury master launches. Saadiyat Island: Generated AED 13.3 billion in residential transactions, driven by sustained global appetite for…