Foreign Investment In UAE Real Estate Jumps As Indians Lead Sharjah

Dubai, UAE — Foreign investment in UAE real estate rose sharply this year, with non-resident buying in Abu Dhabi doubling and Indians leading foreign buyers in Sharjah, official data showed.

Non-resident individuals invested AED 17.22 billion in Abu Dhabi in the first nine months of 2026, more than twice their AED 8.2 billion for all of 2025. The figures come from a round-up of emirate data by state news agency WAM, published on Zawya. Foreign investment in Abu Dhabi’s designated investment zones rose 131% to AED 86.11 billion.

The figures show foreign investment in UAE real estate spreading beyond Dubai, the largest market. For Indian buyers, the data adds a detail often missed in Dubai-focused coverage. In Sharjah, Indian investors traded more than AED 6.8 billion of property in nine months, second only to Emiratis.

Abdul Aziz Ahmed Al Shamsi, director general of Sharjah’s real estate registration department, attributed the arrival of nearly 10,000 new investors to regulatory reforms, wider ownership rights and economic stability. He was speaking in October, Arabian Business reported.

Abu Dhabi Draws Non-Resident Investors From 121 Nationalities

Abu Dhabi’s transaction value rose 76.1% to AED 171.26 billion in the nine months, the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre said. Its non-resident investors came from 121 nationalities, led by value by Britain, China, Russia, the United States, France and Germany, Gulf News reported.

Foreign investment accounted for 81% of the money in the emirate’s designated zones, where non-Emiratis can buy freehold. Resident expatriates and overseas investors together made up more than 70% of residential sales value in the first half, Khaleej Times reported. Indians were among the main resident buyer groups.

India did not feature among the leading non-resident nationalities named by the centre. Foreign investment in UAE real estate through Abu Dhabi is led by Western, Chinese and Russian buyers. In Dubai, Indians were the largest group of buyers in 2025 with a 22% share, according to Anarock.

Also read: UAE Property Market 2026: Dubai Deals Near AED 625bn In 10 Months

Indians Trade AED 6.8 Billion In Sharjah

Sharjah recorded AED 46.8 billion of transactions in the first nine months, up 5.6%, and drew 9,891 new investors from 130 nationalities. Of the new investors, 4,526 came from outside the Arab world and the Gulf.

Emiratis led with AED 22.4 billion across 31,250 properties, the Sharjah Real Estate Registration Department said. Indian investors followed with more than AED 6.8 billion across 2,914 properties, about Rs 17,400 crore by Invest Dubai Today’s calculation. Syrians were third with close to AED 2 billion, and Pakistanis fourth with AED 1.56 billion.

Sharjah opened more projects to foreign ownership in 2022. It has approved 52 projects for freehold ownership by non-citizens since then, eight of them this year.

Dubai Remains The Largest Market For Foreign Money

Dubai recorded about AED 625 billion of transactions across 181,866 deals in the first 10 months, including about AED 412 billion of sales, Dubai Land Department data showed.

For Indian buyers, the three emirates offer different entry points. Sharjah’s freehold list is shorter and newer. Abu Dhabi limits foreign ownership to designated zones. Dubai has the widest choice and the most supply.

The costs of foreign investment in UAE real estate from India are the same in each emirate. The dirham has gained about 4.7% against the rupee this year. Transfers fall under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme, capped at USD 250,000 per person a year, with 20% tax collected at source on amounts above Rs 10 lakh.

Totals Without Prices And Uneven Reporting

The data has limits. The emirates report over different periods, and the totals include mortgages and gifts as well as sales. None of the releases give prices, so the rise in foreign investment in UAE real estate may reflect bigger deals as well as more buyers.

Supply is also rising in Dubai, where Cavendish Maxwell expects 136,100 homes to be completed in 2027. CBRE put Dubai rents 7% lower in the third quarter than a year earlier.

Full-year figures from Abu Dhabi and Sharjah will show whether non-resident buying keeps pace after a strong 2026. Sharjah’s next nationality breakdown will show whether Indian investment holds its second place.

For investors, foreign investment in UAE real estate is now spread across three emirates, with Abu Dhabi growing fastest from a smaller base. End-users gain more freehold options outside Dubai, especially in Sharjah. For Indian buyers, the data shows Indian money already ranks second in Sharjah, while in Abu Dhabi it comes mainly from residents rather than overseas investors.