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  • 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.

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Pre-approved home financing in Dubai

Pre-approved home financing in Dubai picked up a new route this month for anyone eyeing an Ellington Properties home. The boutique developer has partnered with Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank to offer financing that follows a buyer from reservation through handover, whether the unit is still under construction or ready to move into today.

Instead of applying for a mortgage after signing a sales agreement, an eligible buyer secures approval first. That approval travels with them through the milestone payments, construction updates and eventual handover that come with buying property in Dubai. Simple, in theory.

This is not an isolated move. ADCB struck a similar arrangement with Emaar Development in July, bundling mortgage approval directly into that developer’s off-plan sales process. Pairing with Ellington extends the same model to a second major Dubai developer, and signals a bank betting that pre-approved home financing in Dubai will keep pulling buyers toward developments where the paperwork is already half done.

Business Intelligence & News

  • UAE passport ranks first globally in 2026, recording a Mobility Score of 182 and worldwide access of 91.9 percent, per Passport Reports’ September ranking.
  • The score covers 128 visa-free destinations, 44 visa-on-arrival or simplified-entry destinations, and 10 reachable through an eTA.
  • Europe, the Gulf, and the Middle East each show 100 percent overall access for UAE passport holders.
  • Only 16 destinations remain visa-required, and the UAE itself ranks 91st out of 199 for inbound travel.

How pre-approved home financing in Dubai works

Under the arrangement, ADCB and Ellington Properties Dubai buyers share a single digital application built for both off-plan and completed units. A dedicated relationship manager stays attached to the file from start to finish. Buyers are not shuffled between departments every time a payment milestone lands.

Off-plan purchases follow a specific structure. Eligible buyers can secure pre-approved financing covering up to 50% of a property’s value. That approval holds for 12 months and renews annually until the keys change hands. Dubai mortgage pre-approval usually means reapplying as construction milestones pass. This structure compresses that into one approval that carries a buyer through, year after year, until the building is complete. Construction timelines can stretch, and a tower meant to top out in 18 months sometimes takes 24. Annual renewal means a buyer’s financing plan does not lapse simply because a project runs long.

What the rates mean for buyers

Rate uncertainty is the usual complaint with early financing offers, since many are pegged to benchmarks that shift with the market. ADCB home loan rates on this program start at 3.49% per annum, fixed for three years. The bank is also waiving processing and valuation fees for a limited time, trimming the upfront cost of getting approved before construction even begins.

Three years of fixed pricing is a meaningful stretch in Dubai real estate financing. Buyers juggling handover payments alongside rent, or an existing mortgage, gain one less variable to plan around. A rate locked at signing does not move if the market tightens later.

A wider shift in Dubai property lending

Developers and banks across Dubai have leaned into bundled financing through 2026, pairing sales offices with in-house mortgage desks rather than leaving buyers to shop separately. The logic is consistent across these tie-ups. Get buyers pre-approved early, then keep them financed through a construction cycle that can run several years.

Ellington Properties, founded in Dubai in 2014, has built its reputation on design-led residential projects across Jumeirah Village Circle, Downtown Dubai and Palm Jumeirah. Linking that portfolio to ADCB’s mortgage arm gives the bank a direct channel into an active off-plan pipeline. It gives Ellington a financing partner its buyers can lean on instead of shopping the open market for a separate lender.

Pre-approved home financing in Dubai used to feel like a separate errand from choosing a unit. Off-plan property financing in Dubai buyers once treated as a background task, now sits inside the same conversation as picking a floor plan. For anyone weighing a reservation on an Ellington unit, the practical move is to ask about pre-approval before signing anything. A rate locked today, at 3.49% for three years, could look considerably better than whatever the market offers by the time a project reaches handover.

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