Ask anyone selling property in Abu Dhabi what buyers want right now, and you’ll hear the same answer: homes that haven’t been built yet. The official numbers back it up. In the first half of 2026, off-plan made up 89% of residential sales value, according to ADREC. At Gravity Real Estate, we’ve been following this shift closely, so here’s what the data says, what’s behind it, where the money is going, and what to check before you sign.
Off-plan took 89% of Abu Dhabi’s residential sales value and 82% of deals in H1 2026, in a market that jumped from AED 25.3 billion to AED 70.4 billion in a year. The demand comes from more nationalities, more investment zones, and a few very large launches, with Hudayriyat Island out in front. Every off-plan project must have its own escrow account, but ten developers hold 90% of primary sales, so who you buy from matters as much as what you pay.
How big is Abu Dhabi’s off-plan market in 2026?
Big enough that it’s now the main way people buy. ADREC’s H1 2026 report puts residential unit sales at AED 70.4 billion, against AED 25.3 billion a year earlier. A few numbers from the report stand out:
- Off-plan accounted for 89% of sales value and 82% of deals.
- The top 10 developers took 90% of off-plan primary sales, worth AED 51 billion.
- The top 10 projects alone made up 43% of residential sales, about AED 30 billion.
- In the ready market, 61% of purchases were paid in cash.
A quick warning if you plan to quote these. ADREC also reported AED 86.1 billion in total registered sales for the half, a broader figure than the AED 70.4 billion for residential units alone. Don’t mix the two up.
Why are people buying off-plan?
ADREC tells us what happened, not what buyers were thinking, so treat the next part as our own reading of the numbers.
The buyer pool is simply wider. Non-resident investors from 116 nationalities bought in H1 2026, up from 82 the year before. There’s also more land open to them. ADREC approved 8 new investment zones in the period, which brings the total to 50, and those zones pulled in AED 75 billion, up 181%. Then there are the big launches. Ten projects delivered AED 30 billion between them, which suggests large master-planned communities are carrying a lot of the volume.
Where is the money going?
Mostly to a handful of islands:
- Hudayriyat Island: AED 19 billion, or 27% of residential sales value
- Saadiyat Island: AED 13.3 billion
- Al Reem and Al Maryah combined: AED 10.5 billion
- Yas Island: AED 7.3 billion
Hudayriyat leading the list is the standout. Saadiyat remains the luxury and cultural pick, Reem and Al Maryah work for people who want to be close to the business districts, and Yas keeps attracting buyers who care about lifestyle.
Who is actually buying?
Both locals and foreigners, and in large numbers. Emirati buyers committed AED 21.0 billion in H1 2026, compared with AED 8.9 billion a year earlier. Resident expats and non-resident foreign buyers together made up 70% of residential sales value.
Foreign direct investment alone hit AED 13.8 billion, which is already more than the whole of 2025. ADREC lists the UK, China, Russia, the United States, Germany and France among the leading sources.
Is off-plan safe in Abu Dhabi?
It’s regulated, and that’s different from risk-free. With this much money going into unfinished buildings, the rules deserve a look. According to law firm analyses and press reports on Abu Dhabi’s framework:
- Each project needs its own escrow account with an approved bank before units go on sale.
- The developer can’t withdraw from it until at least 20% of construction is complete.
- Earlier access needs ADREC’s approval plus an unconditional, irrevocable bank guarantee for at least 20% of total construction cost.
- Money a developer collects outside the escrow account must be refunded to the buyer within 30 days of ADREC’s cancellation notice.
- Decision 165 of 2025 covers cases where a buyer defaults. It sets how much the developer can keep, on a sliding scale tied to construction progress, and the timeframes for refunds.
- New launches register expressions of interest through ADREC’s Madhmoun platform, and the funds sit in a government-managed escrow account.
What should buyers keep an eye on?
Supply, mainly. Abu Dhabi has around 409,000 homes today, and ADREC expects another 71,000 by 2030, with deliveries peaking in 2028 at roughly 21,800 units. Nobody can say for sure how the market absorbs that wave. The other thing is concentration. When ten developers control 90% of primary sales, a builder’s track record tells you more than a glossy brochure ever will.
What should you check before you buy?
- Ask for the escrow account details and confirm which bank holds it.
- Confirm the project is registered with ADREC.
- Look up the developer’s licence and past handovers.
- Read the payment schedule and cancellation terms carefully.
- Get the handover date in writing.
- Book a snagging inspection once the keys are ready.
Thinking about buying off-plan in Abu Dhabi?
Launches move fast, and payment plans and handover dates change from one project to the next. Talk to the Gravity Real Estate team before you reserve anything. We’ll go through what’s available and run the checks above with you, so you know exactly what you’re signing.
