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Home›The Journal›Abu Dhabi Luxury Real Estate: Q3 Sales

The Journal · Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi Luxury Real Estate: Homes Above $2.7 Million Double in the Third Quarter

Abu Dhabi Luxury Real Estate had a remarkable summer. New figures from Savills Middle East show residential sales worth Dh21.5 billion in the third quarter, and 582 purchases of homes priced above Dh10 million, about $2.7 million, more than twice the number a year earlier.

At a glance

Abu Dhabi Luxury Real Estate: Q3 Sales at a glance

Q3 2026 residential sales
Dh21.5 billion (about $5.9 billion) across 6,085 transactions
Homes above Dh10 million
582 sales, up 104% on Q3 2025
Value growth
Up 32% year on year
Saadiyat apartments
About Dh43,100 per sq m, up 21%
Conversion
AED 3.67 to US$1

Abu Dhabi Luxury Real

Abu Dhabi Luxury Real Estate in the third quarter

The latest Market in Minutes report from Savills Middle East, reported by Gulf News on October 21 and Khaleej Times on October 22, describes a capital where buyers are reaching for the finest homes. Between July and September, Abu Dhabi recorded 6,085 residential transactions worth Dh21.5 billion, about $5.9 billion. The value of those sales rose 32 percent on the same quarter of 2025.

The headline belongs to the top of the market. Homes priced above Dh10 million, roughly $2.7 million, changed hands 582 times in the quarter, 35 percent more than in the spring and 104 percent more than a year earlier. Ninety-five percent of those purchases were off-plan, bought from the developer before completion, which tells you where the most coveted new addresses are being created.

Off-plan homes and rising values

Off-plan homes made up 81 percent of all residential transactions. The average off-plan purchase reached about Dh5 million, some $1.36 million, up 40 percent on a year earlier, while the average ready home traded at about Dh2.8 million. Savills' research team describes a clear shift toward higher-value purchases, particularly in the off-plan and luxury segments.

Prices moved steadily upward. Apartments averaged about Dh22,700 per square meter, up 9 percent year on year, and villas and townhouses about Dh18,200, up 8 percent. On Saadiyat Island, home to the Louvre Abu Dhabi and some of the capital's finest beaches, apartments averaged about Dh43,100 per square meter, close to $1,090 per square foot, a rise of 21 percent.

Saadiyat Island property

Saadiyat Island property, Yas and the other favored addresses

Saadiyat, Hudayriyat, Yas and Jubail were named as the islands most favored by wealthy buyers. Each offers something different: Saadiyat's beaches and museums, described in our guide to Saadiyat Island; Yas Island's theme parks, marina and Formula 1 circuit, covered in our Yas Island guide; and the quieter, nature-led settings of Jubail and Hudayriyat.

Over the first nine months of the year, residential sales reached about Dh96.8 billion, roughly $26.4 billion, according to figures cited by Khaleej Times from the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre. Villas accounted for about 55.6 percent of that value and apartments for 44.4 percent. Foreign buyers made up 70 percent of residential sales value in the first half of 2026, up from 64 percent two years earlier.

Rentals and what comes next

Tenants were busy too. Abu Dhabi registered about 50,500 rental transactions in the quarter, 29 percent more than in the second quarter, and renewals made up 68 percent of them, a sign of residents choosing to stay. Savills notes that the pace of new supply will be an important factor in the years ahead, with large new communities planned for Saadiyat, Al Reem, Yas and Zayed City.

Two practical points help international buyers read these numbers. The UAE dirham is pegged to the US dollar, so prices in dirhams translate steadily into dollars, and much of the luxury market is off-plan, where developers usually spread payments over the construction period. Ask any developer for the full payment plan, the expected handover date and the service charges before you commit.

For anyone weighing Abu Dhabi Luxury Real Estate investment, the next date in the diary is the International Real Estate and Investment Show, IREIS, at ADNEC from November 10 to 12, 2026. Our Abu Dhabi Luxury Real Estate guide explains freehold areas, fees and indicative prices, and a qualifying purchase can open the door to the UAE's 10-year golden visa. For the wider picture, see our earlier piece on Gulf property in numbers.

These figures are reported market data, not investment advice. Speak to a licensed adviser before you buy.

Questions readers ask

How many luxury homes were bought in Abu Dhabi in the third quarter of 2026?

According to Savills Middle East, 582 homes priced above Dh10 million, about $2.7 million, were bought between July and September, up 104 percent on a year earlier.

Which Abu Dhabi islands do wealthy buyers favor?

Savills and the reports on its findings name Saadiyat, Hudayriyat, Yas and Jubail as the islands most favored by high-end buyers.

Can Americans buy property in Abu Dhabi?

Yes. Foreign nationals can buy freehold in designated investment zones, including Saadiyat Island, Yas Island and Al Reem Island.

When is IREIS 2026?

The International Real Estate and Investment Show runs from November 10 to 12, 2026, at ADNEC in Abu Dhabi.

Sources

Checked on 10/26/2026. Prices and dates are approximate and can change. See our standard.