Apartments hit an all-time high and off-plan projects dominate 81 percent of transactions as the capital’s property momentum stays intact despite regional uncertainty.
Abu Dhabi’s residential property market has opened 2026 with one of its strongest quarters on record, showing that investor appetite in the capital remains firmly intact even against a backdrop of regional geopolitical disruption.
More than 7,200 residential transactions were recorded in Abu Dhabi City during the first quarter of the year, according to the latest Savills market report, making it the second-highest quarterly total ever registered after the record-breaking Q4 of 2025.
The quarter was driven largely by a surge in apartment demand and continued enthusiasm for off-plan launches, underscoring how buyers are still prioritising long-term entry positions in Abu Dhabi’s growth corridors.
Off-plan transactions accounted for 81 percent of all residential sales in Q1, slightly higher than the 80 percent share seen at the end of last year, while apartment transactions reached a record 5,200 deals — representing nearly three-quarters of all market activity.
Several major launches helped sustain this pace, including high-profile branded developments and new inventory on key residential islands, while resale off-plan transactions also climbed sharply in March, indicating stronger investor reassignment activity inside the secondary pipeline.
Pricing moved upward as well.
Savills said average off-plan sales rates jumped 39 percent quarter on quarter to AED23,067 per square metre, while ready home values posted a more moderate rise to AED15,480 per square metre.
The report noted that January and February carried much of the quarter’s momentum, while March activity became more measured as regional tensions, airspace disruptions, Ramadan, Eid holidays and school spring breaks affected transactional movement. Even so, the emirate managed to preserve near-record volume.
That resilience mirrors broader official data released earlier this month by the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre, which showed the emirate’s total real estate transaction value climbing to AED66 billion across 13,518 deals in Q1 2026 — the highest quarterly performance on record.
Analysts say the consistency suggests that Abu Dhabi is no longer being viewed simply as a slower, lower-density alternative to Dubai, but as a maturing investment destination with its own distinct long-term demand narrative built around infrastructure expansion, regulated business growth and premium waterfront inventory.
About 20 residential projects launched during the quarter, bringing roughly 4,000 additional units to market, 80 percent of them apartments, as developers continued to bet on sustained buyer confidence.
Savills expects the coming quarters to offer a clearer reading of how external geopolitical pressures affect buyer behaviour, but says the capital’s medium-term fundamentals remain firmly supportive thanks to ongoing institutional expansion, cultural investment on Saadiyat Island and a continuing influx of global wealth.
For now, Abu Dhabi appears to be doing what the UAE property market has increasingly become known for in 2026 — slowing in sentiment occasionally, but not in structural ambition.
