Aldar has become the first developer in Abu Dhabi to complete mortgage financing on an off-plan property through Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre’s (ADREC) newly launched framework that enables the financing bank to be formally named on the mortgage registration certificate before property handover.
The framework allows a customer who has paid 50 percent of the purchase price to arrange a mortgage against their off-plan property, with the bank funding the remaining installments and the final handover payment.
This gives customers certainty over their financing terms in advance, preserves liquidity throughout the construction period and removes the need to arrange a mortgage at completion. It also provides an alternative to traditional financing arranged at handover, giving customers a wider range of financing options and greater choice over rates and terms.
Setting a new precedent for the Abu Dhabi market, Aldar has completed the first registration under the new framework, with Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) supporting the initial transactions as the mortgage bank, in line with the UAE Central Bank regulation which requires customers to have paid 50 percent of the property price to be eligible for off-plan mortgage financing.
“The completion of this registration demonstrates ADREC’s off-plan mortgage registration service in live market use. By enabling mortgage interests in eligible off-plan real estate units to be recorded in the Initial Real Estate Register, the service strengthens transparency and provides greater clarity and protection for buyers, developers and financial institutions,” said Ghazi Saeed Alateibi, Executive Director – Real Estate Transaction Sector at ADREC.
“The service is available on a market-wide basis to participating institutions that meet the relevant requirements, supporting a secure and well-regulated off-plan market in Abu Dhabi,” he added.
Aldar customers can access off-plan financing through ‘Home Finance by Aldar’, an in-house mortgage advisory service available to customers without fees. It provides a simple way to explore options from a broad panel of participating banks and identify the most appropriate financing solution.
“As Abu Dhabi continues to develop as a leading global business and lifestyle destination, its real estate market is growing in both appeal and sophistication. The new off-plan mortgage framework introduced by ADREC marks an important step in further enhancing the transparency and accessibility of the market,” said Faisal Falaknaz, Chief Financial and Sustainability Officer at Aldar.
The move comes as Abu Dhabi real estate transactions doubled to $31.86 billion in the first half of 2026, with off-plan sales accounting for 89 percent of total residential sales value. The new framework addresses a key financing gap in the emirate’s rapidly growing off-plan market, where buyers previously had to wait until handover to secure formal mortgage registration.
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