Abu Dhabi's residential rental market posted its strongest first-half performance on record in 2024, with documented contracts more than doubling in a single year, according to official data from the Emirates News Agency (WAM) and the Statistics Centre—Abu Dhabi.
49,135 Rental Contracts Registered in H1 2024
The Statistics Centre—Abu Dhabi recorded 49,135 signed residential rental contracts between January and June 2024, a 102% increase compared with the 24,324 contracts registered in the same period of 2023. The figures reflect a broad-based surge in rental activity across the emirate's three main regions.
Abu Dhabi City Leads with 104.9% Growth
Abu Dhabi city accounted for the bulk of activity, registering 43,985 contracts — a 104.9% year-on-year increase from the 21,465 contracts recorded in H1 2023. The sharp rise reflects sustained demand from an expanding expatriate and professional population drawn to the capital.
Al Ain and Al Dhafra Also Post Strong Gains
Growth was not confined to the capital. Al Ain city recorded 4,819 rental contracts in H1 2024, up 77% from 2,715 in the same period of 2023. Al Dhafra region also improved, with 331 contracts compared with 144 in the prior year.
June Records Second-Highest Annual Growth
On a month-by-month basis, June 2024 posted the second-highest annual growth in documented rental contracts for the year, behind only the spike recorded in March. The consistent monthly momentum through the first half of 2024 points to structural demand rather than a one-time spike.
