Abu Dhabi is consolidating its global leadership in sustainable urban development with qualitative achievements.

Abu Dhabi with qualitative achievements

Abu Dhabi is consolidating its global leadership in sustainable urban development with qualitative achievements.

The Emirate of Abu Dhabi has established its global position as a leading model for sustainable urban development and quality of life, through an integrated package of quality projects and initiatives in the fields of urban planning, infrastructure, smart mobility and enhancing the competitiveness of the real estate sector, which embodies the vision of the UAE to build future cities based on innovation, sustainability and smart government services.

The year 2025 marked a strategic turning point in the institutional development journey led by the Department of Municipalities and Transport – Abu Dhabi, with the completion of the comprehensive institutional transformation program, which contributed to raising the efficiency of services and operational processes across the municipalities of Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and Al Dhafra, and establishing a more integrated and flexible work system in managing municipal projects and services.

As part of improving the quality of life, the “Lifestyle” strategy succeeded in raising the average integration of residential neighborhoods to 81%, through the implementation of more than 60 development projects worth AED 12 billion, which included the establishment of more than 200 parks and sports fields, 24 schools, 21 mosques, and 28 community councils, in addition to the development of 120 kilometers of walking paths, 283 kilometers of bicycle paths, and 220 kilometers of road lighting, as well as the implementation of about 200 projects to beautify and plant trees in neighborhoods and roads.

The department allocated an additional budget of 42 billion dirhams to implement new projects aimed at enhancing infrastructure, raising asset quality, and expanding recreational, health, educational, community and service facilities according to the highest international standards, in addition to opening new community facilities, including 16 parks in the Al Shamkha area of ​​Abu Dhabi.

In the urban planning sector, the department approved approximately 75 million square meters of floor areas for development, with an annual growth of 137%, including approximately 190,000 housing units, of which more than 158,000 are allocated to the real estate market, and about 30,000 homes for citizens.

The department also enhanced the efficiency of regulatory procedures by launching the AI-powered “Binaa” digital platform, which contributed to reducing the time required to issue residential villa licenses by 57%, through the use of building information modeling and virtual and augmented reality technologies.

In the context of digital transformation, the department adopted live tracking systems, telematics technologies, and AI-powered smart cameras in 100% of its vehicles, which contributed to raising the efficiency of operational processes, rationalizing fuel consumption, and reducing operational accidents.

On the sustainable transport front, the Department’s Integrated Transport Centre “Abu Dhabi Mobility” continued to develop environmentally friendly transport solutions by converting bus service No. 65, which transports about 6,000 passengers daily between Marina Mall and Reem Island, to a service that operates with hydrogen and electric technologies, as part of a plan that aims to transform Abu Dhabi Island into a green public transport zone by 2030.

Abu Dhabi achieved a qualitative milestone by launching the commercial operation of fully autonomous Level 4 vehicles, a first of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa region.

Within the framework of the circular economy, the department succeeded in diverting 94% of non-liquid operational waste away from landfills and including it in the recycling system, in addition to recycling 100% of maintenance oils, which enhanced the efficiency of resource management and reduced the risks of environmental pollution, while material recovery programs contributed to recovering 22% of its value as an operational return.

 In an indicator reflecting the growing momentum of the real estate sector, the Abu Dhabi real estate market recorded transactions worth AED 142 billion during 2025, a growth of 44%, through the execution of 42,814 real estate transactions, an increase of 52%, including sales and purchase transactions worth AED 99.4 billion, and mortgages worth AED 42.7 billion.

Foreign direct investment in the real estate sector reached AED 8.2 billion, a growth of 13%, with investors from more than 100 nationalities, reflecting the attractiveness of the real estate market in Abu Dhabi and confirming the confidence of global investors in the emirate’s investment environment.