Foreign investors poured further into UAE real estate during the first half of 2026, with transaction volumes climbing across Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah and developers reporting some of their strongest sales figures to date.
Dubai recorded approximately AED419.9 billion in total real estate transactions during H1 2026, including AED286.4 billion in property sales. The emirate had already logged AED148.35 billion in foreign real estate investment in the first quarter alone, up 26 percent year-on-year.
Abu Dhabi's transactions more than double
Abu Dhabi's total transactions reached AED117 billion, a rise of 112 percent year-on-year, while sales transactions increased 163.7 percent to AED86.1 billion. Foreign direct investment into Abu Dhabi real estate reached AED13.8 billion, up 309 percent annually, with non-resident investors from 116 nationalities taking part in the market.
Sharjah recorded AED29.5 billion in transactions, an annual growth rate of 9.3 percent, and attracted investors from 121 nationalities. Since introducing its updated ownership framework, the emirate has approved fifty developments for ownership by non-UAE and GCC nationals, including six approved during H1 2026 alone.
Developers post strong sales
Abu Dhabi-based Modon recorded AED23 billion in sales within the emirate during H1 2026 and AED26 billion in total real estate sales across Abu Dhabi, Egypt and Spain. Its Hudayriyat Golf Estates project generated more than AED13 billion in sales within days of launch. Modon also secured AED14.1 billion in construction and consultancy contracts and ended June with a revenue backlog of AED65.4 billion.
Emaar Development recorded AED22.4 billion in property sales during H1 2026, with a revenue backlog of AED127.7 billion, 8 percent higher than a year earlier. The developer holds approximately 287 million square feet of land bank, more than 51,000 homes under development, and has unveiled a new AED200 billion master plan.
Aldar reported AED12.1 billion in group development sales, of which AED9.4 billion came from the UAE. Overseas and expatriate buyers accounted for AED7.6 billion, or 80 percent, of Aldar's UAE sales. The company's development backlog stands at AED71.6 billion, including AED59.9 billion in the UAE.
Investment zones and visa incentives
Abu Dhabi approved eight additional investment zones during H1 2026, bringing its total to 50. Those zones attracted AED75 billion in investment during the period, an increase of 181 percent year-on-year. Through the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre's Madhmoun platform, more than 41,200 advertising permits had been issued by the end of H1 2026.
For individual investors, real estate purchases meeting the AED2 million threshold may qualify buyers for the UAE's Golden Visa, a pathway that continues to feature among the incentives drawing foreign capital into the market.
Together, the figures from Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah point to a real estate sector where foreign participation, developer activity and government-backed investment zones expanded in tandem during the first half of the year, with each emirate posting gains in transaction volumes, sales, or investor nationalities represented in the market.