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Emirate · United Arab Emirates

Buying property in Abu Dhabi, United Arab EmiratesIn Abu Dhabi, most of what is being sold has not been built yet.

Homes sold before completion made up 89% of home sales by value in the first half of 2026, and apartment prices rose 20% in a year. Foreigners may own only inside the investment zones, so check the zone first and the developer's protected buyer account second.

6-minute read · checked 9 October 2026

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Share of home sales by value that was off-plan (sold before completion)
89%
Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC), first half of 2026
Rise in apartment prices in a year, measured on repeat sales
+20%
ADREC, first half of 2026
Extra homes projected by 2030, on top of about 409,000 now
71,000
ADREC market report, first half of 2026
Fee to register a sale, worked out on the contract value
2%
DARI, sale registration service

Can foreigners buy property in Abu Dhabi?Foreigners own freely, but only inside the investment zones.

What this means for youBefore paying anything, get written confirmation that the property is inside an investment zone and, for an unbuilt home, that the developer has opened the project's escrow account.

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Abu Dhabi's ownership law (Law 19 of 2005, as amended in 2019) lets people and companies from outside the United Arab Emirates own property, and sell it freely, within areas called investment zones. A transfer takes effect only once it is registered. Documents signed abroad must be legalised through a United Arab Emirates mission and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

There were 50 investment zones by mid-2026, after eight were approved in the first half of the year. No official list of all 50 is published. The report of the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC), the emirate's property regulator, maps Saadiyat Island, Al Reem Island, Al Maryah Island, Yas Island, Al Raha, Zayed City, Al Shamkhah and parts of Khalifa City as investment-zone districts.

An off-plan sale (a home sold before it is finished) must be registered within 21 days of signing. The buyer receives a registration certificate, not a title deed. A developer may not sell off-plan before opening an escrow account, a bank account that holds buyers' money for that project. No money may leave it before 20% of construction is done, unless bank guarantees cover it.

From: Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC); Abu Dhabi Media Office; DARI; Hague Conference

Abu Dhabi property market in 2026Prices are rising fast, and 71,000 more homes are projected.

What this means for youAsk what else is due for delivery in the same district by 2028, and compare the asking price with recent resales nearby. Price movements differ sharply from one island to the next.

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Home sales reached AED 70.4 billion in the first half of 2026, against AED 25.3 billion in the first half of 2025. Off-plan homes made up 89% of that value and 82% of the transactions, and ten developers made 90% of first-hand off-plan sales. Resident expatriates and foreign buyers living abroad accounted for 70% of sales by value.

ADREC measured price growth over the year of 20% for apartments and 12% for villas, on repeat sales (the same home sold again). Knight Frank reports that villa prices moved very unevenly in the year to June 2026: up about 40% on Al Jubail Island and down 22% on Al Reem Island. It puts apartments on Al Saadiyat Island at an average of about AED 43,100 a square metre, without stating how the area is measured.

The emirate held about 409,000 homes in the first half of 2026. ADREC projects about 71,000 more by 2030, with deliveries peaking at about 21,800 homes in 2028. Six districts, Saadiyat, Al Reem, Yas, Zayed City, Khalifa City and Hudayriyat, account for 77% of the extra supply it projects from the second half of 2026 to 2030.

From: Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC); Knight Frank, an independent analyst, not a government figure

Fees and taxes when buying property in Abu DhabiA 2% registration fee, and no tax on personal income.

What this means for youSettle in the contract who pays the 2% registration fee. The rule splits it equally unless agreed otherwise, but DLA Piper reports that the buyer commonly pays all of it.

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Registering a sale costs 2% of the contract value plus an AED 875 electronic fee. Seller and buyer pay it in equal shares unless they agree otherwise. An off-plan sale is registered at 2% plus an AED 450 electronic fee. DLA Piper reported in 2025 that registering a mortgage costs 0.1% of the amount the mortgage secures.

PwC reports that the United Arab Emirates has no personal income tax, that capital gains tax is not imposed on national or resident individuals, and that there are no inheritance, estate or gift taxes on individuals. It also reports that real estate investment income does not count towards the AED 1 million business turnover above which an individual pays corporate tax at 9%.

Value-added tax (VAT, a tax added to the price of goods and services) is 5% in general. PwC reports that the first supply of a residential property is taxed at 0% and later supplies are exempt. A tenant, not the owner, pays a municipality housing fee of 5% of the rental value or of the rental index figure, whichever is higher, collected through the water and electricity bill.

From: DARI; Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC); UAE Government portal (u.ae); PwC; DLA Piper

Renting out property in Abu Dhabi: leases and holiday letsEvery lease is registered, and holiday lets need a licence.

What this means for youCheck the official Rental Index for the area before trusting a quoted rent. If the plan depends on short stays, confirm the holiday-home licence terms and cost with the Department of Culture and Tourism.

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Landlords must register each lease in Tawtheeq, the emirate's register of tenancy contracts. ADREC publishes a Rental Index of indicative quarterly rents by area. There were 233,000 active residential leases in the first half of 2026, and rented homes made up 69% of occupied homes in the Abu Dhabi Region, the capital and its surroundings.

ADREC puts rents on new leases up 17% for apartments and 9% for villas in the first half of 2026, and up 21% and 16% inside the investment zones. Its release does not state the period these are compared with. An ADREC notice of 3 June 2026 temporarily changed the annual rent-increase percentage from 5% to 0% until further notice; how long this lasts is not confirmed.

Letting a home to holidaymakers for short stays needs a holiday-home licence from the Department of Culture and Tourism, a requirement in force since 2021. An owner of several homes needs one licence for each. The application includes the owner's passport or Emirates identity card, an insurance certificate for the home and its title deed.

From: Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC); UAE Government portal (u.ae); Abu Dhabi Media Office

Living in Abu Dhabi: schools, hospitals and weatherInspected schools and capable hospitals, with a severe summer.

What this means for youLook up each school's inspection rating and fees on TAMM, the government services website, before choosing a district. Arrange health insurance, and see the home once between June and September.

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The Department of Education and Knowledge inspects every private school once every two years and publishes a rating. At October 2025, 13 private schools were rated Outstanding, 51 Very Good, 93 Good, 42 Acceptable and 5 Weak. Schools rated Acceptable or lower may not add places until they show verified improvement, which can limit choice in a given district.

The Department of Health lists emergency departments at seven hospitals, among them Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City and Sheikh Khalifa Medical City. The United Kingdom's travel advice describes healthcare in the United Arab Emirates as similar to that in the United Kingdom, and warns that a patient who cannot pay a medical bill may be prevented from leaving the country.

Heat and humidity are most severe from June to September, according to Canada's travel advice, and the ThinkHazard screening tool rates extreme heat as a high hazard. The same travel advice says heavy rain is rare but falls from December to March and can cause flooding. In the government's 2025 Quality of Life Survey, answered by 115,801 people, 94.1% said they feel safe walking at night.

From: Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge; Department of Health Abu Dhabi; Abu Dhabi Media Office; GFDRR ThinkHazard; travel advice of the governments of Canada and the United Kingdom

Questions buyers ask

Buying property in Abu Dhabi: short answers.

Can foreigners buy property in Abu Dhabi?

Yes, inside the investment zones. Abu Dhabi Law 19 of 2005, as amended in 2019, lets non-nationals own property there and dispose of it freely. The Abu Dhabi Media Office reports 50 investment zones by mid-2026, though no official list of all 50 is published.

How much have property prices risen in Abu Dhabi?

The Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC) reported year-on-year price growth of 20% for apartments and 12% for villas in the first half of 2026, measured on repeat sales.

What are the fees for buying property in Abu Dhabi?

Registering a sale costs 2% of the contract value plus an AED 875 electronic fee, according to DARI. Executive Council Resolution 49 of 2018 splits the fee equally between seller and buyer unless they agree otherwise.

Is there income tax or capital gains tax on property in Abu Dhabi?

PwC reports that the United Arab Emirates has no personal income tax and that capital gains tax is not imposed on national or resident individuals. A tenant pays a municipality housing fee of 5% of the rental value or the rental index figure, whichever is higher, according to the UAE Government portal.

Can I rent out my Abu Dhabi apartment for short stays?

Only with a holiday-home licence from the Department of Culture and Tourism, required since 2021. Since August 2023 an owner of several homes may hold one licence for each, according to the Abu Dhabi Media Office.

Does buying property in Abu Dhabi give a Golden Visa?

The Abu Dhabi Residents Office lists a 10-year Golden Visa for property worth at least AED 2,000,000 bought with the owner's own capital. The federal government portal gives 5 years for real estate, so the sources differ and the term should be confirmed before relying on it.

The areas

Choose an area, and see what is being built there.

In the developers’ own words, as they publish them. NITARYA checks a project only inside Acquire & Own, for the client who chooses it, and every project here stands on the same footing.

Saadiyat Cultural DistrictMore about Saadiyat Cultural District: getting there, living there, the map →

See how these areas compare on price, rent and running costFree. Every figure there carries its source and date.

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The evidence

What this guide rests on.

Every sourced fact we hold on Abu Dhabi (40)
  • The record covers the emirate, one of the seven constituent emirates of the United Arab Emirates.
  • Heat and humidity are most severe in the hot season, from June to September.
  • The emirate had 4,135,985 residents in 2024.
  • Over the first nine months of 2025 the economy grew 5% and the non-oil economy 6.8% against the same months of 2024.
  • The United Kingdom's travel advice describes healthcare facilities in the United Arab Emirates as similar to those in the United Kingdom.
  • The Department of Health lists emergency departments at Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, Sheikh Khalifa Medical City, Tawam Hospital, Al Ain Hospital, Madinat Zayed Hospital and NMC Royal Hospital.
  • The workforce grew 9.1% in 2024.
  • The Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) inspects every private school once every two years under a programme called Irtiqaa and publishes a rating for each.
  • Etihad Rail announced the start of scheduled Fujairah–Abu Dhabi passenger services on 30 June 2026.
  • Passenger trains serve the capital at Mohammed Bin Zayed City Station.
  • Children aged ten and under travel free on public buses.
  • On 28 September 2026 the Dubai Media Office reported that the UAE President rode Etihad Rail to Dubai and the new Dubai station was opened, with passenger trains between Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Fujairah starting on 30 September 2026. The Dubai station joins Jumeirah Golf Estates Metro station by a footbridge. Fares start at AED 39 in Comfort Class, with tickets on the Etihad Rail app, website and station machines. In Abu Dhabi the trains use Mohamed bin Zayed City station.
  • Canada's travel advice describes the crime rate in the United Arab Emirates as low and violent crime as rare, with petty theft possible.
  • Population increased 7.5% between 2023 and 2024.
  • Canada's travel advice says medical services in the United Arab Emirates may be expensive, usually have enough qualified staff who speak English well, and vary in quality from one facility to another outside the large cities.
  • The emirate's economy produced AED 325.7 billion in the third quarter of 2025, its highest quarterly output on record and 7.7% more than a year earlier.
  • A patient who cannot pay a medical bill may be prevented from leaving the United Arab Emirates, so health insurance and ready funds matter.
  • Construction grew 13.9% in the third quarter of 2025 and made up 9.4% of output; real estate activities grew 13.1% and made up 3.7%.
  • Activities other than oil made up 54% of that output, AED 175.6 billion, on preliminary estimates, and grew 7.6% on a year earlier.
  • Emergency departments treat sudden, life-threatening conditions, while separate urgent care centres in licensed public and private facilities deal with minor illness and injury.
  • From 1 July 2024 a Basic Plan holder pays 20% of the cost of tests and scans up to AED 50 a visit, AED 200 for each hospital admission or day procedure up to AED 500 a year, and 30% of the cost of medicines, which are covered up to AED 1,500 a year.
  • The population grew 51% in ten years, from 2.7 million in 2014 to more than 4.1 million in 2024.
  • The Basic Health Insurance Plan, set by the Department of Health and run by the insurer Daman, covers AED 250,000 of treatment a year.
  • People aged 25 to 44 made up 54% of residents in 2024.
  • Schools rated Acceptable or lower are restricted from adding places or year groups until they show verified improvement.
  • At October 2025, 13 private schools were rated Outstanding, 51 Very Good, 93 Good, 42 Acceptable and 5 Weak.
  • ADEK is the regulator of private schools in the emirate: it writes the policies and rules they follow and monitors pupils' progress.
  • Parents can look up each private school and its fees through the Find Schools and Fees search on TAMM, the Abu Dhabi government services website.
  • The Abu Dhabi Media Office reports that Numbeo, an online database built from users' answers, placed Abu Dhabi first on its list of the world's safest cities in 2026, for the tenth year running.
  • In the government's 2025 Quality of Life Survey, answered by 115,801 people, 94.1% said they feel safe walking at night.
  • In the same survey 71.5% were satisfied with their housing and 51.1% with the balance between work and home life, and the average happiness score was 7.88 out of 10.
  • The five airports handled 29.4 million passengers in 2024, 28.1% more than the 22.9 million of 2023.
  • Abu Dhabi Airports runs the emirate's five commercial airports, the main one being Zayed International Airport (airport code AUH).
  • Zayed International Airport served more than 125 destinations in 2024, with 29 new routes and eight new airlines added during the year.
  • Zayed International Airport handled 15.5 million passengers in the first half of 2025, 13.2% more than a year earlier, out of 15.8 million across all five airports.
  • Sixteen new destinations were added in the first half of 2025.
  • The first paying service left Fujairah at 5:34am and reached Mohammed Bin Zayed City Station at 7:19am on 30 June 2026.
  • Six passenger services ran on the opening day, in what Etihad Rail calls an introductory operating phase.
  • A passenger who boards a second bus within 60 minutes of leaving the first does not pay the AED 2 boarding fee again, for up to two changes in one journey.
  • A standard public bus journey in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra costs AED 2 to board plus 5 fils per kilometre, up to a maximum of AED 5 a journey.

UAE Government, The Seven Emirates · Government of Canada · Statistics Centre Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi population in 2024 grows 7.5% to reach 4.14m · Statistics Centre Abu Dhabi · UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office · Department of Health Abu Dhabi · Abu Dhabi Media Office · Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge · Etihad Rail, First National Passenger Rail Service Begins · Etihad Rail · Integrated Transport Centre (Abu Dhabi Mobility) · Dubai Media Office, government news release of 28 September 2026, checked 16 October 2026

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Last checked 17 October 2026. This guide is general: what applies to you depends on your nationality, where you pay tax and the property itself.

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