Emirati investors in Sharjah led the property market in H1 2026

July 27, 2026
3 min read

Emirati investors bought AED14.9 billion in property, or 50.6 percent of Sharjah’s AED29.5 billion total trade value.
9,655 UAE investors owned 22,599 properties, ranking first among all investor groups.
Emirati women made up 28 percent of traded properties and 24.7 percent of sales transaction value.
The report tracked activity across three age bands, showing wider participation among younger nationals.

The department’s specialised report placed UAE nationals at the top of every investor segment. Their AED14.9 billion covered 22,599 properties held by 9,655 investors. That share came to 50.6 percent of the total, a figure that frames the rest of the data. Sharjah real estate transactions H1 2026 reached AED29.5 billion across all buyers.

The department linked the result to confidence in the emirate’s investment environment. It pointed to advanced legislation, sustainable urban development and quality projects as the drivers. Each factor, the report said, adds to the emirate’s competitiveness.

Sharjah’s real estate market drew a wide investor base this year, and Emirati buyers set the pace on both value and volume.

Women’s share of the market

The report gave close attention to Emirati women in the property market. Male investors accounted for 72 percent of traded properties. Women held the other 28 percent.

Ownership distribution told a similar story. Emirati male owners made up 59.3 percent of sales transactions, against 40.7 percent for female owners. On value, men accounted for 75.3 percent of total sales transaction value and women 24.7 percent. The department read these figures as a sign of the growing economic role of Emirati women and their weight as partners in investment and development.

How the age groups compare

The report broke investment activity into three age bands. Among nationals aged 35 and under, men held 65.5 percent of traded properties and women 34.5 percent. Ownership split 57 percent to 43 percent, while sales value ran 72.5 percent to 27.5 percent.

For the 36 to 53 band, men accounted for 71.2 percent of traded properties and women 28.8 percent. Ownership reached 58.2 percent for men and 41.8 percent for women. Sales value stood at 73.3 percent to 26.7 percent. Among investors aged 54 and above, men held 77.6 percent of traded properties and women 22.4 percent. Ownership reached 64.3 percent to 35.7 percent, and sales value 78 percent to 22 percent. The pattern points to stronger female participation at younger ages.

What officials said

Abdulaziz Ahmed Al-Shamsi, Director-General of the Sharjah Real Estate Registration Department, said the UAE Investor Report results reflect the success of the emirate’s development approach and the strength of its market. He tied the achievements to the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and the follow-up of H.H. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler.

Al-Shamsi said the report’s meaning goes beyond investment volumes to the wider participation of young people and women. Emirati investors in Sharjah, he added, continue to find opportunities that reinforce the emirate’s standing as a destination for sustainable property investment. UAE nationals’ property investment across Sharjah, backed by the Sharjah Real Estate Registration Department, keeps drawing steady interest. For anyone tracking Sharjah property investment, the H1 figures set a clear marker on where the demand sits.

Buy Now Pay Later Data From Tabby and Tamara Enters UAE Credit Reports

Buy Now Pay Later records from Tabby and Tamara will enter UAE credit reports from July 2026, changing how lenders read the finances of people who split payments into instalments, WAM announced today. Etihad Credit Bureau, the federal body that oversees credit information in the country, said the accounts of both current and new customers will be covered, along with relevant historical transactions. The move brings a fast-growing corner of consumer finance under the same reporting rules that already apply to loans, cards, and mortgages.

Buy Now Pay Later plans once sat outside the formal record. A shopper could hold several active instalments without any of them showing on a UAE credit report. That gap made it harder for banks to gauge how much a borrower owed. Now the picture becomes fuller.

Who governs the data?

The question behind this shift is not only about spending. It is about who holds the record and who answers for it. Etihad Credit Bureau sits at that centre, and its decision places two of the region’s largest fintech names, Tabby and Tamara, inside a regulated framework rather than beside it.

The Central Bank of the UAE recognised instalment schemes as a form of short-term credit in 2023. Under those rules, providers must check a borrower’s credit report once a total credit limit passes 5,000 dirhams. Late fees on these plans are capped at 30 percent of the purchase under central bank rules, and the plans carry no interest. Adding instalment data to the file makes that check sharper. Lenders and authorised entities can weigh a person’s full set of commitments before they approve more.

Marwan Ahmad Lutfi, Director General of Etihad Credit Bureau, said the Bureau wants credit reports to reflect the way consumer finance now works, with a broad view of what a person owes. His framing puts governance first. Better data, he argued, supports steadier decisions across the system.

Does BNPL affect credit score?

A common question among shoppers, does BNPL affect credit score, now has a firmer answer. Missed instalments could lower a score, while steady repayment could help build one. The UAE credit score runs from 300 to 900, and the report behind it is what lenders read to explain the number.

Hosam Arab, CEO and Co-founder of Tabby, said responsible lending starts with a clear view of a person’s money, and that customers who pay on time can now let that record count toward their wider standing. Sagar Shah, General Manager for Tamara in the UAE, tied the step to trust, saying it widens the door for more people to take part in the financial system.

What it means for the BNPL UAE market

The buy now pay later UAE market has expanded quickly as shoppers reach for interest-free instalments on everyday purchases. Bringing that activity into the credit file rewards discipline and exposes strain earlier. For new-to-credit customers, a clean instalment history can open a path toward loans and cards that once stayed out of reach.

Etihad Credit Bureau framed the addition as part of a longer effort to work with banks, fintech firms, and other data providers. The aim, in its account, is a credit system that sees more and misses less.

By Mariam Al-Yazidi
3 min read

Mohamed Salah

Besiktas’ offer for Mohamed Salah could exceed €40 million over two years

Besiktas’ offer for Mohamed Salah now rests on a single decision, with the Istanbul club setting a 24-hour window for the Egyptian forward to reply. The proposal runs across two seasons and reflects a level of spending rarely seen in the Turkish Super Lig. According to a report carried by beIN Sports, the club put forward a guaranteed annual salary of €15 million, along with performance bonuses of around €4 million. The agreement is also said to include clauses covering image rights. These figures come from Turkish media, and neither side has confirmed them in public.

What do the numbers show?

If every incentive triggers, Salah’s yearly income could climb to between €19 million and €20 million. Across the full term, that would take the total Mohamed Salah Besiktas contract commitment past €40 million. Reports describe the guaranteed figure as a net €15 million, a request Salah’s side raised early in the talks. The Salah salary on the table would place him among the highest earners in the league by a wide margin. Besiktas appears ready to absorb that cost to bring in a forward of his standing.

The Mohamed Salah Liverpool departure earlier in the summer sent one of the game’s most productive forwards onto the open market. His nine-year spell at Anfield brought more than 250 goals and a full set of domestic and European honors. That record explains the interest that followed his exit. Salah’s free agent status removed any transfer fee from the picture, which widened the field of possible destinations and shaped the terms now under review.

Rival interest in the background

Before the Turkish talks advanced, Salah drew interest from the Saudi Pro League and from clubs in Major League Soccer, according to widely reported accounts. Those options let the 34-year-old weigh location, level of competition, and long-term plans against the Istanbul proposal. For now, reports place Besiktas as the most concrete of the suitors. Besiktas’ offer for Mohamed Salah reaches a deadline.

After the financial package landed, attention shifted to Salah and his agent, Ramy Abbas, as Besiktas waited for a final answer. Journalist Sercan Dikme reported the two sides had moved forward on several points before the club asked for a clear response within 24 hours. Club president Serdal Adali framed the proposal as the club’s final offer and said Besiktas weighed each requested change against its own interests. Besiktas’ offer for Mohamed Salah carries a firm timeline, and Adali told Turkish media the decision now sits with the player. That deadline points to Monday evening.

What the Besiktas transfer means

For a club measuring itself against Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, adding Salah would signal clear intent. The latest Besiktas transfer news suggests the gap between the two sides narrowed through repeated rounds of talks. Besiktas has worked to build a stronger front line, and a forward with Salah’s output would change the club’s attacking shape. Whether Besiktas’ offer for Mohamed Salah closes will depend on how the forward reads the choice in front of him. A response is expected soon.

By Adnan Al-Jaziri
3 min read

Real Estate