The UAE Capital Review 2026.

Arnaud Monaco has published the first edition of The UAE Capital Review, a 70-page evidence-led report asking whether capital moving to the Emirates merely arrives or genuinely settles.

The central finding

Official transaction registers describe one country running two property cycles. Dubai enters 2026 from an exceptional peak, with transaction value growing faster than volume. Abu Dhabi accelerates from a narrower base, with volume following value more closely. The publication treats the two emirates as distinct positions rather than stages of the same market.

Five findings available for citation

Dubai registered AED 917 billion of transactions in 2025. Abu Dhabi registered AED 142 billion in 2025 and AED 117 billion in the first half of 2026. DIFC reported 8,844 active companies at the end of 2025. ADGM reported 44,339 people employed by its businesses. Credible forecasts for Dubai residential deliveries in 2026 range from 49,700 to 120,000 homes.

A registration proves that a structure exists. It does not prove how much capital passes through it.

Editorial position

The report separates observed figures, third-party estimates and the author’s calculations. Missing series remain visible rather than being reconstructed. Every central conclusion includes the evidence that would invalidate it. The report names no property, developer or financial product and does not constitute investment advice.

About the author

Arnaud Monaco is a Dubai-based real estate executive and business builder. He works across prime and off-plan property, private clients and international investors, and publishes independent research on private capital and the UAE property market.