Abu Dhabi Buyers Are Staying In the Market – What the Sentiment Data Shows

Selective, Not Absent

Regional geopolitical developments that escalated from February 28, 2026 introduced a measurable shift in how UAE property buyers behave — but not in whether they buy. That is the central finding of Savills Middle East’s latest UAE Residential Investor Sentiment Survey, conducted among investors, end-users, landlords, tenants, and prospective residents across the market. The headline conclusion is unambiguous: demand remains intact. Nearly 45% of market participants still plan to buy a home within the next 12 months. What has changed is the pace and psychology of decision-making — not the underlying intent.

For Abu Dhabi specifically, that distinction carries particular weight. While sentiment across the broader UAE has become more measured, the emirate’s transactional data tells a story that diverges meaningfully from the caution visible in parts of Dubai’s secondary market. Abu Dhabi’s Q1 2026 delivered record transaction values. Its VPI rose 17.8% annually. Its off-plan segment held an 81% market share through the quarter. The question is not whether Abu Dhabi’s market is resilient — the data answers that directly. The question is what the current sentiment environment means for buyers making decisions right now.

What the Savills Survey Found

The Savills UAE Residential Investor Sentiment Survey captures buyer behaviour across the full spectrum of market participants. Its findings for early 2026 are precise and worth examining directly:

The 4% figure for owners considering selling is the most important number in the table. It confirms that the current environment is not generating distressed supply — sellers who entered during the post-pandemic growth cycle are sitting on substantial gains and have no financial pressure to exit during a period of temporary sentiment weakness. That dynamic is keeping the market from turning into a broad discount cycle, even as buyers negotiate more carefully and take longer to commit.

Andrew Cummings, Head of Residential Agency at Savills Middle East, framed it directly: the absence of widespread selling pressure reflects continued confidence among existing property owners, and the market is moving toward a more balanced and sustainable phase rather than experiencing any structural correction.

Abu Dhabi: Where the Data Diverges From Sentiment

The sentiment survey captures mood across the broader UAE market. Abu Dhabi’s transactional reality in Q1 2026 tells a more specific and more positive story — one that Savills itself acknowledged in its dedicated Abu Dhabi Q1 2026 activity report.

Ali Ishaq, Head of Residential Agency Abu Dhabi at Savills Middle East, was explicit in his assessment: Abu Dhabi’s residential market delivered near-record transaction volumes in Q1 despite a complex backdrop, and underlying demand fundamentals remain intact. The March -16% month-on-month decline — the period most directly affected by the February 28 escalation, Ramadan, Eid, and school spring breaks — is best understood as a data registration lag combined with seasonal compression, rather than a demand signal. ValuStrat confirmed no clear evidence that regional geopolitical tensions have materially affected Abu Dhabi’s property market.

The Shift to Ready Properties — and What It Means

The Savills survey’s finding that 60% of buyers now prefer ready properties over off-plan (23%) is the most operationally significant data point for understanding near-term market behaviour. It reflects three concurrent priorities: delivery certainty, pricing visibility, and immediate usability — all of which become more important when external uncertainty is elevated.

For Abu Dhabi’s off-plan dominated market — where 81% of Q1 transactions were off-plan — this preference shift creates a distinction between what sentiment surveys capture and what transaction data shows. Abu Dhabi buyers have continued to transact heavily in off-plan throughout the period, driven by high-profile launches from credible developers with established delivery track records. Manchester City Yas Residences by Ohana Development generated AED 6 billion in sales within 72 hours in Q1 — a figure that does not reflect a market in which buyers are shying away from off-plan commitments.

The ready property preference is more visible in the secondary market, where villa and higher-value enquiries rose 15% year-on-year while apartment enquiries fell 31%. That bifurcation — strong demand for quality, larger assets, weaker demand for smaller secondary apartments — is consistent with Abu Dhabi’s pricing data, where villas grew 13.4% annually and apartments 22.7%, driven by controlled supply rather than speculative momentum. For buyers navigating this environment with expert guidance across both ready and off-plan segments, NAS Luxury Real Estate provides dedicated advisory support across Abu Dhabi’s most active communities.

Supply, Pricing Sentiment, and the Road to Q2

The Savills survey found that over 80% of respondents expect prices to soften or remain stable over the next 12 months — a meaningful shift from the FOMO-driven certainty of 2024. That expectation is producing longer transaction timelines, more negotiation, and a more selective approach from buyers. It is not, however, producing distressed pricing. Abu Dhabi’s April 2026 data confirmed that approximately 90% of listings showed flat or rising asking prices, with corrections where they occurred staying below 10%.

Supply sensitivity is the variable to watch. More than 60% of survey respondents believe a high volume of new units is entering the market — with apartments seen as more exposed than villas and townhouses. Abu Dhabi’s 2026 supply projection of approximately 10,272 new units — a 3.3% increase on existing stock — is modest by any measure and well below the demand levels evidenced by Q1’s record transaction volumes. That controlled supply environment is one of the most credible structural arguments for Abu Dhabi’s continued price resilience through Q2 and beyond.

Conclusion

The Savills UAE Residential Investor Sentiment Survey confirms what Abu Dhabi’s transactional data already shows: buyers have not left the market. They have become more deliberate, more selective, and more focused on quality, location, and delivery confidence. In Abu Dhabi, where record Q1 transactions, an 81% off-plan share, and a 17.8% annual VPI growth rate all coexist with the same geopolitical backdrop affecting sentiment across the region, the case for continued engagement is supported by data rather than optimism alone. The buyers who understand that distinction are the ones best positioned for what Q2 delivers.