UAE: Abu Dhabi

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...

Currently, the construction industry is the largest employer by sector in Abu Dhabi, accounting for 29.5% of the employed population in the emirate in 2014 according to the Statistics Centre - Abu Dhabi (SCAD), up from 22% in 2013.

Real estate development in Abu Dhabi is dominated by large, mostly local government-backed companies, several of which are responsible for the master development of various emerging areas of the city. These developers include Aldar Properties, which has acted as the lead developer on Yas Island. Other major developers include Mubadala Real...

Activity and opportunities in the Abu Dhabi construction market appear to have slowed in 2015, due in part to a fall in the international price of oil. However, a wide range of large projects are currently being built, including a major airport terminal, nuclear power plants and a local branch of the Louvre museum. A number of construction and...

The emirate is home to nine non-oil ports, all of which are managed by Abu Dhabi Ports, though the container terminal within Khalifa Port is operated under a 30-year concession signed in 2012 by Abu Dhabi Terminals (ADT), a joint venture between Abu Dhabi Ports, Abu Dhabi-based investment and development company Mubadala Development Company,...

With passenger numbers at Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) rising rapidly and its main customer, Etihad Airways, in the midst of a major expansion drive, work is under way to significantly increase capacity at the airport through the construction of a new terminal. The project, known as the Midfield Terminal Building (MTB), is scheduled...