UAE: Abu Dhabi

With Al Gharbia’s population having tripled in the last decade and expected to double its 2010 levels by 2030, the need for accommodation as well as office and residential facilities for new residents has prompted a flurry of real estate development.

Al Gharbia encompasses the western part of the emirate of Abu Dhabi and, at 35,250 sq km (59% of Abu Dhabi emirate), is also larger than any other emirate in the UAE. The region is bound by a 350-km northern coastline, Saudi Arabia to the west and south, the Al Ain region to the east and the Abu Dhabi region to the north-east.

Investing large sums in recent years to both entice locals to spend their hard-earned cash closer to home and to capture higher proportions of tourist dollars, Abu Dhabi’s retail strategy appears to be paying off. Strong expansion in the emirate’s high-quality retail stock with a focus on added entertainment and food and beverage (F&B)...

With proven crude oil reserves of 98bn barrels and an established downstream infrastructure, which has positioned the UAE as the sixth-largest petroleum producer in the world, the country’s industrial landscape is dominated by hydrocarbons activity. The bulk of the nation’s reserves are located in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, and the proceeds...

Boosting downstream industrial activity as a means to further diversify Abu Dhabi’s economy from its hydrocarbons base is not a new concept. The drive to develop downstream is preserved in the Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030 strategy, but dates from an even earlier period.

Following a drafting and consultation process, in June 2015 the Abu Dhabi government promulgated a new real estate law, which officially came into effect on January 1, 2016. The 90-article law contains a wide range of measures, chief among which is the creation of a real estate registry – though some industry figures say that more remains to...