Abu Dhabi, UAE — Abu Dhabi real estate transactions were worth AED 171.26 billion in the first nine months of 2026. That is 76.1% more than a year earlier. The number of deals rose 32.8% to 38,483, the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC) said.
In rupees, Abu Dhabi real estate transactions came to about Rs 4.49 lakh crore in nine months. India was not among the six largest sources of foreign money, a list led by the UK, China and Russia.
Sales Of AED 119.33bn Lift Abu Dhabi Real Estate Transactions
Sales drove the jump. Buyers completed 23,749 sales worth AED 119.33 billion. A year earlier it was 15,910 sales worth AED 58.20 billion, WAM reported via Zawya. Value rose 105% while the number of deals rose 49.2%.
Mortgages made up a smaller part of Abu Dhabi real estate transactions and grew more slowly. There were 14,390 mortgage deals worth AED 45.92 billion, up 13.2% in number and 30.2% in value.
Al Reem Island led Abu Dhabi real estate transactions by value at AED 29.86 billion. Al Hudayriyat Island followed at AED 28.62 billion and Saadiyat at AED 18.69 billion. Yas took AED 13.4 billion and Zayed City AED 5.36 billion.
Foreign Buyers Put In AED 86.11 Billion
Foreign money played a bigger part in Abu Dhabi real estate transactions this year. Investment by foreigners in the emirate’s investment zones rose 131% to AED 86.11 billion, or 81% of the value traded there. Non-resident individuals alone invested AED 17.22 billion, more than double their AED 8.2 billion for the whole of 2025.
Buyers came from 121 countries. By value, the leaders were the UK, China, Russia, the US, France and Germany. ADREC did not publish India’s share.
Also read: Abu Dhabi Property Sales Jump 30% To AED 12.97bn As Villas Lead
An Average Sale Of Rs 13 Crore Against Rs 1.55 Crore In India
The average Abu Dhabi sale this year was about AED 5.02 million. At 26.2 rupees to the dirham, that is Rs 13.2 crore, by Invest Dubai Today’s calculation. In India’s top seven cities, Anarock counted 1,00,220 homes sold for about Rs 1.55 lakh crore in the July-September quarter. That works out to about Rs 1.55 crore per home.
The comparison is not like for like. ADREC’s sales include land, villas and commercial property, while Anarock counts new homes only. The periods differ too. Still, the gap of more than eight times shows how far Abu Dhabi’s buying has moved to the top end.
Volume tells a different story. MMR alone sold about 31,750 homes in one quarter, and Bengaluru about 16,670, according to Anarock. Abu Dhabi recorded 23,749 sales in nine months.
India Ranks Above Abu Dhabi On JLL’s Transparency List
Abu Dhabi was the most improved market in JLL’s 2026 Global Real Estate Transparency Index, moving from 41st to 33rd and into the “Transparent” tier. India also rose, from 31st to 26th, according to JLL. For an Indian buyer, both markets now sit in the same tier, with India seven places higher.
ADREC director-general Rashed Al Omaira said the investment shows “how many people and businesses are making a long-term commitment to Abu Dhabi.”
Paying For A Rs 13 Crore Home Under LRS
An Indian resident can send USD 250,000 a year under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme. The average Abu Dhabi sale is about USD 1.37 million. One person would need more than five years of the limit to pay for it. A couple pooling two limits would need under three.
Remittances above Rs 10 lakh attract 20% tax collected at source, and Indian banks cannot lend for these transfers. The dirham has also gained about 6.8% against the rupee this year, which raises the rupee cost of every instalment. That helps explain why India is absent from the top-six list. Indian buying at this price level is more likely to come from NRIs already earning in the Gulf.
Three Islands Account For 45% Of The Value
The risk is concentration. Reem, Hudayriyat and Saadiyat together made up about 45% of Abu Dhabi real estate transactions by value. A few large off-plan launches can lift a nine-month total that later periods may not match.
Supply is the second risk. ADREC expects six districts, including Saadiyat, Reem, Yas and Hudayriyat, to deliver 77% of the emirate’s new supply through 2030. Buyers in those areas will compete with a lot of new stock at resale.
ADREC’s Full-Year Count And 2030 Handovers
ADREC’s full-year figures will show whether Abu Dhabi real estate transactions can hold this pace into the fourth quarter. Handover schedules on the islands, and resale prices once homes are delivered, will test the off-plan prices paid this year. In India, Anarock’s fourth-quarter data will show whether rising launches and 6.3 lakh unsold homes start to weigh on prices.
A Capital Market Built On Big-Ticket Foreign Money
For investors, Abu Dhabi real estate transactions now show scale and fast-growing foreign demand, but the money is concentrated on a few islands. End-users have more new stock to choose from than at any time in recent years. For Indian buyers, the average deal is about eight times an Indian home sale and needs years of LRS remittances. Abu Dhabi suits those who already hold money abroad more than those buying from Mumbai, Bengaluru or Gurugram.
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