Abu Dhabi’s Real Deals Valued $6.89 Billion in Q1-25

The Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC), an affiliate of the Department of Municipalities and Transport – Abu Dhabi, has reported that the total transaction value grew by 34.5%, the highest in the GCC region, to $6.89 billion across 6,896 deals in the first quarter of 2025 in the Emirate, compared with $5.12 billion from 5,773 transactions in the same period of 2024.

Buy and sell transactions totalled $4.22 billion through 3,819 transactions, reflecting a 26.7% increase in value and an 11% rise in volume compared with the first quarter of 2024. Mortgage transactions also recorded strong growth, reaching $2.67 billion through 3,077 transactions — a 49%y-o-y increase, according to Abu Dhabi Media Office (ADMO).

Saadiyat Island was the leading area for real estate transactions, recording deals amounting to $1.52 billion. It was followed by Yas Island, with $980 million, and Mohammed Bin Zayed City, with $570 million. Al Reem Island and Al Hudayriyat Island recorded over $270 million in transactions.

It also highlighted continued activity in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI), with 384 transactions valued at $430 million concluded by investors from 68 nationalities, up from 58 nationalities during the same period last year.

This demonstrates growing confidence in Abu Dhabi’s real estate market, driven by regulatory policies and government initiatives that enhance its local and global appeal, the report said.

Strong Market

ADREC Acting Director General Rashed Al Omaira said that ADREC continues to advance a more efficient, competitive, and sustainable real estate ecosystem, driven by digital transformation, reliable data, and continuous collaboration with strategic partners.

He said that these results highlight the strength of Abu Dhabi’s property market and its enduring attractiveness as a regional and international hub for real estate investment. The notable growth in transaction value and volume, alongside the rise in foreign investment, underscores the effectiveness of our regulatory frameworks and reinforces investor confidence in the market.

“We will continue to enhance our legislative and digital tools and promote transparency to establish a more flexible and sustainable real estate environment aligned with Abu Dhabi’s long-term vision,” he added.

GCC Real Estate Deals

Meanwhile, the total real estate transactions across the GCC region reached as much as $78.2 billion in the first quarter of 2025, growing between 20.5% and 22.3%, according to latest estimates by Kuwait-based real estate services provider Sakan. This strong performance follows a 25% increase in transactions last year to over $383 billion.

Dubai has once again emerged as the leading market in the GCC, posting $38.7 billion in sales and accounting for nearly half of the region’s total real estate transaction value. Dubai’s real estate transactions were 23.4% higher than the same period last year.

In second place came Saudi Arabia, the second-largest real estate market in the GCC, with deals totalling at least $20.3 billion, capturing 26% of the region’s market share.

The UAE, as a whole, UAE as a whole, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, and Ajman, collectively accounted for 65% of the GCC region’s total estimated real estate transaction value, highlighting the country’s importance in the growth of the region’s property market.

While Abu Dhabi registered the largest y-o-y growth at 34.5%, it was followed by Sharjah at 31.9%, Ajman at 29%, and Kuwait at 24%, Sakan said.