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United Arab Emirates · AED

Abu Dhabireal estate

Abu Dhabi is the UAE capital: slower than Dubai, more villa communities, and a different transfer-fee and planning regime. Not a Dubai clone.

DubaiSharjahRas Al Khaimah
Freehold zones
RERA escrow
3D map
4% / 2%transfer fee: Dubai vs the other emirates
0%annual property tax — the service charge is the carry
RERA escrowwhere off-plan money is legally required to sit
Ejaritenancy registration that makes a lease enforceable
What a purchase really costs

AED 1,500,000 home in Abu Dhabi

Land Department transfer fee (2%)
AED 30,000
Trustee office & title issuance
AED 2,250
NOC and developer admin
AED 1,500
Agency, buyer side (2% + 5% VAT)
AED 31,500
Cash needed at the trustee office
AED 1,565,250

≈ +4.4% over the price. Dubai charges 4% at the Land Department; Abu Dhabi and the northern emirates charge 2%. There is no annual property tax, which is why the service charge — quoted in dirhams per square foot and revised yearly — is the number that actually decides a yield. Off-plan money belongs in a RERA escrow account; if there is no escrow, there is no deal.

Rentals run on rules

The rent side, in three lines

  • Every tenancy must be registered on Ejari — an unregistered contract has no standing at the rental dispute centre.
  • The RERA rental index sets how far a landlord may raise on renewal, and 90 days’ written notice is required to change any term.
  • Rent is still commonly paid in one to four cheques, and DEWA plus district cooling sit outside the quoted rent.

Service charge is the second mortgage nobody quotes. Ask for the per-square-foot figure and the last two years of revisions.

Cities

Four emirates, four rulebooks

Freehold is granted zone by zone and the transfer fee changes at the emirate border. Dubai’s DLD is not Abu Dhabi’s DMT, and a Sharjah title is a different instrument again.

Neighborhoods

Areas in Abu Dhabi

Premium districts with price anchors, walk and transit scores.

Al Reem, Saadiyat, Yas and the Corniche are distinct books. Government and energy employers dominate demand more than tourism.

Title and fees go through Abu Dhabi’s land authority, not Dubai’s DLD. sivrce keeps a separate page so the two cities do not share a canonical URL.

FAQ

Is Abu Dhabi cheaper than Dubai?
Often for comparable villas; trophy Saadiyat and Corniche stock is not a bargain bin. Compare communities, not the emirate average.
Foreign freehold?
Yes in designated investment zones. Confirm the plot’s designation before you pay a reservation fee.

All markets: sivrce.com · Georgia marketplace: sivrce.ge · Prices and availability are published only when a verified listing exists. Market currency: AED.