Abu Dhabi City was scheduled to deliver 8,000 new residential units by the end of 2025, with an additional 12,800 on the way in 2026, according to new research by leading property consultancy, Cavendish Maxwell.

Some 2,700 apartments, townhouses and villas came to the market in the UAE capital during the first nine months of the year, with sustained demand among end-users and investors, the company said.

While another 12,400 units are in the pipeline for 2027, and 21,400 for 2028, actual deliveries may fall short of initial predictions, it stated. 

Andrew Laver, Associate Director, Cavendish Maxwell Abu Dhabi, said: “Based on recent handover trends, we could see fewer-than-planned properties being delivered in the next couple of years.  This staggered approach – which is historically typical for Abu Dhabi – allows the market to absorb new supply gradually and prevents sudden increases in available stock.”

Abu Dhabi saw strong sales performance in Q3, with more than 6,400 residential unit transactions across apartments, villas and townhouses, dominated by the off-plan segment. Apartment sales accounted for 5,100 of all transactions, driven by investor interest and robust demand from young professionals and smaller families.

Sales of villas and townhouses rose 8.3 per cent compared to Q2, and 0.3 per cent year-on-year, with limited new launches pushing buyers towards apartments.

Residential unit sales values surged to AED20.5 billion ($5.5 billion) between July and September, with off-plan purchases accounting for AED16.3 billion of the total.