New Launch - India Real Estate Report 2026.
Abu Dhabi has completed the first registration of a mortgage on an off-plan property under a new framework launched by the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre.
The transaction was completed by Aldar Properties with Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank.
It marks a structural shift in how buyers can access financing before a property is handed over and how banks can formalise their interest in an asset still under construction.
How the Framework Works
The new framework allows buyers who have paid at least 50% of an eligible off-plan unit's value to mortgage the outstanding amount before construction is complete.
The 50% threshold is aligned with UAE Central Bank regulations.
- Banks can fund remaining developer instalments during construction
- Banks can also cover the final payment due at handover
- The financing bank is recorded on the mortgage registration certificate before handover
- Mortgage interests are entered in the Initial Real Estate Register a formal legal record for buyers, developers and lenders
Ghazi Saeed Alateibi, executive director of the real estate transaction sector at ADREC, said recording mortgage interests in eligible off-plan units in the Initial Real Estate Register strengthens transparency and provides greater clarity and protection for buyers, developers and financial institutions.
The service is available across the market to participating institutions that meet the relevant requirements.
Also Read: Abu Dhabi to See 53,000 New Homes by 2028
What It Means for Buyers
For off-plan buyers, the change addresses one of the most persistent financial uncertainties in a pre-completion purchase.
Securing financing before handover gives buyers earlier certainty over borrowing costs.
It reduces the need to keep cash tied up through the full construction period. And it removes the risk of arriving at handover without confirmed financing in place.
Buyers no longer need to wait until keys are in hand to know how the remainder of the purchase will be funded.
Also Read: Abu Dhabi Opens Bookings for 1,500 West Baniyas Homes
Aldar's In-House Mortgage Route
Aldar is offering the framework through Home Finance by Aldar, its in-house mortgage advisory service.
The service is free to customers and connects buyers with more than six conventional and Islamic banks.
Participating lenders include ADCB, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Dubai Islamic Bank, Emirates NBD, Emirates Islamic and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Buyers can access the service through the Live Aldar app and request a callback from the Home Finance by Aldar team.
Faisal Falaknaz, Aldar's chief financial and sustainability officer, described the framework as an important step in enhancing the transparency and accessibility of the market.
He said Aldar is proud to have worked with ADREC and ADCB to complete the first transaction, translating the framework into greater financing flexibility for homebuyers.
The first registration comes as Abu Dhabi's off-plan market continues to expand and as developers increasingly depend on pre-completion sales to fund construction at pace.
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