#1
Hudayriyat Island
AED 19.0bn
27.0% of total≈8×
Areas
Where to buy matters as much as what.
Where the money is going, and how each area is moving against last year. Dubai and Abu Dhabi measured the same way, from official records. What it means for a specific unit comes from me.
Top areas by sales value · Abu Dhabi
Jan to Jun 2026 vs Jan to Jun 2025
Both emirates show Jan to Jun 2026: the latest period ADREC publishes by area, so Dubai and Abu Dhabi stay comparable. Both move to a newer period together as soon as ADREC publishes it.
#2
Saadiyat Island
AED 13.3bn
18.9% of total+63%
#3
Al Reem Island + Al Maryah Island
AED 10.5bn
14.9% of total+153%
#4
Yas Island
AED 7.3bn
10.4% of total+91%
#5
Al Ramhan Island
AED 2.9bn
4.1% of totalchange n/p
#6
Al Fahid Island
AED 2.9bn
4.1% of totalchange n/p
#7
Ghadeer Al Tayr
AED 2.4bn
3.4% of totalchange n/p
#8
Zayed City
AED 1.9bn
2.7% of totalchange n/p
Change vs last year · Abu Dhabi
| # | Area | Sales value | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hudayriyat Island | AED 19.0bn | ≈8× |
| 2 | Al Reem Island + Al Maryah Island | AED 10.5bn | +153% |
| 3 | Yas Island | AED 7.3bn | +91% |
| 4 | Saadiyat Island | AED 13.3bn | +63% |
ADREC did not publish a year-on-year change for 4 of the top areas (n/p = not published). They are left out of this ranking rather than estimated.
Source: Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC), H1 2026 market report (published 18 Aug 2026). Residential sales value.
Area guides · Dubai
Downtown Dubai
Emaar's city centre around Burj Khalifa and The Dubai Mall, with high-rise apartments, a busy boulevard and Metro access, where most of today's sales are ready homes.
Dubai Marina
Emaar's waterfront district of towers around a man-made marina, with a promenade, tram stops and a mature resale market where most sales are ready homes.
Dubai Hills Estate
Emaar and Meraas's green master plan around a championship golf course and Dubai Hills Park, with villas, townhouses and apartments in a family-led community.
Dubai Creek Harbour
Emaar's waterfront district on Dubai Creek beside Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary, close to Downtown and the airport, where most sales are off-plan and phases are still rising.
Dubai Islands
Nakheel's island master plan off Dubai's northern coast near the airport, with beaches, resorts and marinas planned, where every recorded sale this year has been off-plan.
Palm Jumeirah
Nakheel's palm-shaped island of beachfront villas, apartments and resort hotels, linked by monorail and tram, and one of Dubai's most resilient areas by sales this year.
Palm Jebel Ali
Nakheel's second palm island on Dubai's southern coast, much larger than Palm Jumeirah, now under construction, where every sale so far has been off-plan.
Dubai Maritime City
A government-backed maritime peninsula next to Mina Rashid, mixing maritime business, homes and leisure, where nearly all recent sales have been off-plan.
Area guides · Abu Dhabi
Hudayriyat Island
Modon's sport and leisure island off Abu Dhabi's southwest coast, open to all nationalities, and the emirate's biggest area by sales value in the first half.
Saadiyat Island
Abu Dhabi's cultural island, home to Louvre Abu Dhabi and new national museums, with beachfront communities in an investment zone and the emirate's second-largest sales value.
Al Reem Island and Al Maryah Island
Abu Dhabi's financial district, home to ADGM, and the high-rise residential island beside it, both investment zones, with sales well ahead of last year.
Yas Island
Abu Dhabi's leisure island of theme parks, Yas Marina Circuit and Yas Mall, with Aldar-developed communities in an investment zone and sales well up on last year.
Al Ramhan Island
Eagle Hills' low-density island of bays and mangroves between Yas and Saadiyat, a newer master plan and one of Abu Dhabi's leading areas by sales value in the first half.
Al Fahid Island
Aldar's wellness-led island between Yas and Saadiyat, with beachfront on one side and mangroves on the other, a recent master plan already among Abu Dhabi's leading areas.
Ghadeer Al Tayr
A coastal area in Ghantoot, about halfway between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, where IMKAN is building a wellness-led beachfront master plan.
Zayed City
A planned mainland district between Mohammed Bin Zayed City and Zayed International Airport, with several developers and a large share of Abu Dhabi's future home supply.