Abu Dhabi realty prices show resilience in first half of 2025
According to research by Bayut, the UAE's leading property portal, the emirate has established itself as one of the region's most attractive investment destinations. Budget-conscious property-seekers have focused on affordable areas such as Al Reef, Al Ghadeer, Khalifa City and Al Shamkha. Mid-tier investors have favoured Al Reem Island, Masdar City, Al Raha Gardens and Al Samha. Abu Dhabi's popular island communities, Yas Island and Saadiyat Island, have remained of significant interest to potential high-profile investors.
The mid-tier segment has seen apartment prices appreciate by 6 per cent to 11 per cent. Mid-tier villas reported a listing price increase of up to 2.68 per cent in Al Raha Gardens and a surge of up to 26.7 per cent in Al Samha, highlighting a sustained demand for family homes. Bucking the trend slightly, mid-tier villas in Baniyas have become cheaper by 1.45 per cent.
According to the H1 2025 luxury property sales data, listing prices for luxury apartments in Yas Island and Saadiyat Island have increased by up to 17 per cent, an unsurprising surge when the announcement of Disneyland Abu Dhabi is taken into account. The luxury villa segment has experienced comparatively moderate increases of 5 per cent to 10 per cent. Villa prices in Al Jubail Island have recorded a significant 17.8 per cent decrease, most likely due to investor interest shifting towards Yas Island and Saadiyat Island.
Rental yields
In the affordable segment, Al Reef apartments have delivered lucrative yields of 9.33 per cent, followed by Al Ghadeer at 8.45 per cent. Mid-tier apartments have offered promising returns of 8.41 per cent in Masdar City and 7.59 per cent in Al Reem Island. For luxury apartments, Yas Island has recorded yields of 7.15 per cent, while Al Raha Beach has offered 6.58 per cent.
Affordable villas in Al Reef have provided solid returns of 6.34 per cent. Mid-tier villas have yielded 6.17 per cent in Al Raha Gardens and 5.75 per cent in Al Samha, while premium villas in Yas Island have offered investors a 5.46 per cent return.
Abu Dhabi's diverse off-plan market has continued to attract significant interest from both local and international investors.
For affordable off-plan apartments, Al Reeman 1 in Al Shamkha and Bloom Living in Zayed City have garnered significant investor interest. Those looking for off-plan apartments in the mid-tier range have focused their interest on Yas Bay, whereas Nawayef Park Views on Hudayriat Island has emerged as the preferred choice in the luxury category.
Investors eyeing villa purchases have favoured Bloom Living in Zayed City, Al Reeman 2 in Al Shamkha and Reportage Village Abu Dhabi in Khalifa City for affordable options. Off-plan villa buyers have shown a preference for Yas Acres and Al Jurf Gardens in the mid-tier segment. Nawayef West in Hudairiyat Island and Saadiyat Lagoons have garnered the most investor interest in the luxury category.
Abu Dhabi's rental market strength has been driven by population growth and consistent demand for quality accommodation from expats:
For affordable rentals, Khalifa City and Al Shamkha have remained popular for both apartments and villas, with tenants also considering Shakhbout City for family homes. In the mid-tier segment, tenants have favoured Al Reem Island and Al Khalidiyah for apartments, while Al Raha Gardens and Al Muroor have been popular choices for villas. Yas Island and Saadiyat Island have remained the top luxury picks for both apartments and villas.
Rents for affordable apartments have increased between 2 per cent and 21 per cent, with the highest rental rises observed for 2-bedroom units in Al Nahyan, signifying growing demand for larger, budget-friendly units. Mid-range apartment rentals have mirrored this trend, with increases ranging from 3 per cent to 68 per cent; studio units in the Tourist Club Area have reported the highest surge following an increased demand for limited inventory.
Asking rents for luxury apartments have reported moderate to major increases of 3 per cent to 14 per cent across popular districts. However, 2 and 3-bedroom units in Saadiyat Island have experienced marginal price reductions of 0.47 per cent and 2 per cent, respectively.
In the affordable category, villa rentals have risen by up to 13 per cent in prominent districts. Asking rents for mid-tier villas have generally risen by up to 7 per cent. Luxury villa rentals have reported a mixed trend with up to 7 per cent price increases for 4-bedroom units in Saadiyat Island and Al Bateen, but a somewhat surprising 6 per cent decrease for 5-bedroom units in Saadiyat Island and Yas Island.
Haider Ali Khan, CEO of Bayut, CEO of Dubizzle Group MENA and Board Member of the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, said: 'Abu Dhabi's real estate market has been on a steady upward path this year, and the interest we're seeing speaks for itself with over 9.3 million visits recorded on Bayut's Abu Dhabi listings in just six months. With strong demand and smart initiatives such as ADREC's Madhmoun boosting transparency, the capital is shaping up to be a really exciting space for both homebuyers and investors. All signs point to Abu Dhabi emerging as one of the most exciting and future-ready real estate destinations in the region.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Etihad
4 hours ago
- Al Etihad
UAE President, Albanian Prime Minister meet in Tirana to discuss bilateral ties
17 July 2025 02:10 TIRANA (WAM) UAE President His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan arrived in Tirana on Wednesday on a working visit to the Republic of Albania, where he held talks with Prime Minister His Excellency Edi Rama to explore ways to further expand bilateral the UAE President and accompanying delegation at the Prime Minister's Office – the Kryeministria – His Excellency Edi Rama expressed his confidence that the visit would help establish new avenues of cooperation and advance the development ambitions of both Highness and the Albanian Prime Minister reviewed the growing partnership between the UAE and Albania and discussed opportunities for further collaboration, especially in priority sectors including the economy, trade, renewable energy, food security, and two sides also exchanged views on a number of regional and international issues of mutual interest and discussed the importance of dialogue and diplomacy in resolving conflicts. They underlined the need for stronger international cooperation to promote peace, stability, and security at both the regional and global Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed reaffirmed the UAE's commitment to building robust partnerships across the Balkans, with Albania considered a key partner. His Highness highlighted the UAE's consistent approach of fostering development-focused relationships based on mutual interests and a shared commitment to peace and sides reiterated their determination to continue advancing bilateral ties in ways that bring lasting benefits to both nations and their the meeting, Prime Minister Rama awarded His Highness the 'Benemerenti' medal, the highest public honour conferred by the Prime Minister of Albania, in recognition of His Highness' pivotal role in strengthening UAE-Albania relations across multiple Albanian Prime Minister praised the UAE President's commitment to enhancing cooperation, describing the award as a mark of the deep respect and appreciation His Highness enjoys in meeting was attended by members of the official delegation, including His Highness Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs; His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Court for Special Affairs; His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan; Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoun Al Nahyan, Adviser to the UAE President; Ali bin Hammad Al Shamsi, Secretary-General of the Supreme Council for National Security; Dr. Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology; Sheikh Shakhboot bin Nahyan Al Nahyan, Minister of State; Dr. Ahmed Mubarak Ali Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the President's Office for Strategic Affairs and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Office; Faisal Abdulaziz Mohammed Al Bannai, Adviser to the UAE President for Strategic Research and Advanced Technology Affairs; Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, Assistant of Minister of Foreign Affairs for Political Affairs; Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of the Executive Affairs Authority; Dr. Ali Obaid Al Dhaheri, UAE Ambassador to Hellenic Republic, Non-resident Ambassador to Albania; and Mohamed Alabbar, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Eagle Hills. Upon his arrival in the Albanian capital earlier in the day, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan was welcomed at Tirana International Airport by Prime Minister Rama along with senior ministers and officials.
Sharjah 24
5 hours ago
- Sharjah 24
UAE, Turkish Presidents witness exchange of agreements and MoUs
Exchanged during His Highness the UAE President's state visit to Türkiye, the agreements aim to expand cooperation, reflecting the two countries' shared commitment to further advancing bilateral relations across various sectors. The agreements and memoranda include: Agreement on the mutual protection of classified information: MoU on the establishment of a joint consular committee MoU on investment in food and agriculture MoU on investment cooperation in the pharmaceutical industry MoU on investment in tourism and hospitality MoU on investment cooperation in the industrial sector MoU on cooperation in polar research The agreements and memoranda were exchanged during a formal ceremony held at the Presidential Palace in Ankara. From the UAE side, the agreements were exchanged by: Dr Sultan bin Ahmed Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi, Minister of Investment Mohamed Mubarak Al Mazrouei, Minister of State for Defence Affairs Khalifa Shaheen Al Marar, Minister of State From the Turkish side, the agreements were exchanged by: Yaşar Güler, Minister of National Defence Nuh Yılmaz, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Ahmet Burak Dağlıoğlu, President of the Investment Office of the Presidency of the Republic of Türkiye Mehmet Fatih Kacır, Minister of Industry and Technology
UAE Moments
6 hours ago
- UAE Moments
Dubai Announces 10-Day Leave for Marriage
Dubai has formally approved a 10-day fully paid marriage leave benefit for UAE national employees working in government departments, under a new decree issued by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President, Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai. This marriage leave initiative allows eligible employees to take 10 calendar days of consecutive or flexible paid leave for their wedding, with the option to combine it with other forms of leave if desired. The move reflects Dubai's commitment to strengthening family cohesion and supporting citizens during one of life's most significant milestones. The directive applies to Emirati employees across Dubai government departments and entities that oversee special development zones and free zones. Who Qualifies? To be eligible for this new benefit, the employee must meet the following criteria: Both spouses must be UAE citizens. The employee must have completed their probationary period. The marriage contract must be certified within the UAE and must have been concluded on or after December 31 of the previous year. A copy of the marriage contract must be submitted once when applying for the leave. Leave Rules and Flexibility The policy provides employees the flexibility to use their 10 days of marriage leave either continuously or intermittently within one year from the date of the marriage contract. During this period, the employee will continue to receive their full gross salary, which includes all allowances and financial benefits. Moreover, government departments are not permitted to summon employees while they are on marriage leave—ensuring uninterrupted time for family bonding— except in the case of military personnel, who may be called in if duty demands. By offering 10 days of paid marriage leave with clear eligibility and flexible use, Dubai reaffirms its commitment to supporting Emirati citizens as they embark on the journey of married life—reinforcing the value of strong families in a progressive, citizen-first society.
