A.SREENIVASA REDDDY (ABU DHABI)
The UAE is among the leading global hubs for branded residences, with the country accounting for 19% of projects in the global pipeline in the luxury real estate sector, according to Knight Frank’s Global Branded Residence Survey 2026.
The Middle East has emerged as the sector’s biggest growth engine, accounting for 20% of all live and pipeline branded residence projects globally and 25% of the global pipeline, the survey showed. Dubai remains the world’s leading city market, while Abu Dhabi and Al Marjan Island in Ras Al Khaimah are attracting a growing share of future development activity.
Knight Frank’s survey covered nearly 1,800 live and pipeline schemes from more than 200 brands across 90 countries.
Dubai topped the global ranking with 175 branded residence schemes, comprising 68 operational projects and 107 in the pipeline. Abu Dhabi ranked eighth globally with 24 schemes, of which five are operational and 19 are in the pipeline. Al Marjan Island ranked ninth with 23 projects, all of them in the pipeline.
Knight Frank described Abu Dhabi as the Gulf’s “rising star”, saying its emergence as a global wealth hub was driving demand for luxury residential property even as geopolitical tensions affected property markets elsewhere in the Middle East.
During the summer of 2026, Modon sold 1,700 homes at its Hudayriyat Golf Estates development within days of launch, generating about Dh13 billion ($3.5 billion) in sales. Around 15% of buyers were non-UAE residents, according to Modon.
Knight Frank said the sales came during a period of renewed regional tensions and demonstrated continued wealth flows into Abu Dhabi despite greater caution among investors elsewhere in the region.
The report linked Abu Dhabi’s rise as a global wealth centre to the emirate’s broader financial ecosystem. It said Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth funds manage about $1.85 trillion, while ADGM has also expanded rapidly.
“Abu Dhabi is a mature market built around beachside living and golf courses, and is less of a party scene than Dubai, which has been a factor in attracting family offices and other Wall Street institutions,” Henry Faun, Head of Knight Frank’s Private Office in the Middle East, said.
Hudayriyat Golf Estates forms part of the wider Hudayriyat Island masterplan, a residential-led development covering about 51 million square metres and planned to include sports, leisure and hospitality facilities.
The project “is freehold, high quality and government-backed, all of which gives buyers confidence to commit,” Faun said.
Knight Frank also highlighted Fahid Island, being developed by Aldar, as another major Abu Dhabi residential project benefiting from similar trends. The $11 billion development covers 2.7 million square metres and is planned to include 6,000 homes, 4.6 kilometres of beachfront and Berm Park, a 10-kilometre wellness and fitness corridor.
The report said Abu Dhabi’s growing international connectivity was also supporting its emergence as a luxury residential destination. International flight volumes to Abu Dhabi increased 37% between 2023 and 2026, placing the emirate among the strongest-performing major branded residence markets in terms of connectivity.
Al Marjan Island recorded an even larger 44% increase over the same period, helped by new international routes, rising tourism demand and expanding connectivity through Ras Al Khaimah International Airport.
Dubai, meanwhile, continued to dominate the branded residence market globally.
The emirate also led global prime residential price growth over the five years to the first quarter of 2026, with prices rising 180.7%, according to Knight Frank.
However, new residential launches in Dubai slowed in the second quarter of 2026. Developers launched 41 projects comprising 10,138 units during the quarter, compared with 93 projects and 32,000 units in the first quarter, according to REIDIN data cited by Knight Frank.
Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah are at very different stages of maturity, said Clare Moukabaa, Partner and Head of Residential Consultancy.
“Dubai’s branded residence sector already has significant operational depth, while Abu Dhabi and Al Marjan Island are much more heavily weighted towards future delivery,” she added.
Despite the slowdown, Knight Frank said Dubai remained the world’s leading city market for branded residences and was likely to retain a sizeable share of future development activity in the region.
Globally, the branded residence sector has almost tripled over the past decade, from 354 schemes in 2015 to 903 at the end of 2025. Knight Frank expects the market to reach about 1,088 developments and more than 170,000 units by the end of 2026.
Based on projects already in development, the number of schemes is projected to increase by more than 60% over the next five years, approaching 1,800 schemes and more than 300,000 units by 2031.