Abu Dhabi leads global gains in JLL real estate transparency index

Abu Dhabi, UAE - Abu Dhabi has been named the world’s leading improver in JLL’s 2026 Global Real Estate Transparency Index, climbing eight places from 41st in 2024 to 33rd globally with a composite score of 2.42.

The Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC) has set an ambition to place the emirate among the world’s 25 most transparent real estate markets by 2030. The 2026 index evaluates 88 countries and 146 city markets across 260 factors.

The announcement attributes Abu Dhabi’s improvement to its economic diversification strategy, stronger governance and ADREC’s digital transformation programme.

Public dashboards and property data

ADREC’s initiatives include publicly accessible dashboards for real-time property and market data, interactive maps showing unit-level transactions and service charges, and open APIs that enable data integration.

Alongside these tools, the government has strengthened regulatory frameworks to protect investors and digitised real estate services. The release identifies Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Saudi Arabia among the Gulf region’s leaders in transparency.

The next phase will focus on access to trusted market information, digital services and transactions, and further improvements against the global benchmark.

Rashed Al Omaira, Director General of Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC), said: “Being recognised as the world’s leading improver in real estate transparency is an important achievement for Abu Dhabi and a measure of the progress made across the market. That progress has been built on stronger governance, investor protection and better access to trusted market information. The next phase will be defined by what markets can do with that information. The markets that lead in transparency will increasingly be those that can turn trusted data into earlier insight on demand, risk and performance. At ADREC, our focus is to use advanced analytics and AI to deepen that market intelligence and support better long-term decisions as we work to place Abu Dhabi among the world’s 25 most transparent real estate markets by 2030.”

AI, alternative assets and building standards

The release identifies advanced AI adoption and technology-driven analytics as priorities for Abu Dhabi’s further progress.

It also calls for expanded data coverage across alternative property sectors, including data centres, life sciences and student housing, where transparency remains low. These segments account for 20% of global transaction volumes, increasing the need for comparable data to assess opportunities and manage risk.

Stronger building performance standards and energy transparency frameworks are further priorities. Mandatory disclosures and resilience planning are established features of highly transparent markets.

Mouhammad Takieddin, CEO – Middle East and Africa at JLL, said: “Real estate transparency is crucial to attract foreign investment. Capital flows where there is clarity, strong digital infrastructure, and reliable data. Abu Dhabi’s rapid rise in global competitiveness and market maturity demonstrates the success of an economic vision built on institutional stability, giving global investors the confidence to deploy capital at scale.”

James Allan, Country CEO – UAE, Egypt & Africa at JLL, said: “Abu Dhabi’s progress in enforcing strict corporate governance and leveraging technology for reliable data provides the risk mitigation institutional investors require. This reflects ADREC’s commitment to building a more transparent ecosystem. By enhancing global trust and embracing the advanced tech adoption that defines highly transparent markets, Abu Dhabi’s achievement gives investors the confidence to assess opportunities and make long-term decisions in a rapidly maturing landscape.”

Highly transparent markets attract over 80% of investment

GRETI 2026 found that two-thirds of surveyed markets improved their transparency scores.

Transaction volumes in markets classified as “Highly Transparent” rose 64% over the past two years. These markets captured more than 80% of global direct real estate investment, reflecting the concentration of capital in markets with reliable data and clear regulatory frameworks.

The report also found that more than 90% of occupiers and investors now deploy AI tools to analyse datasets, supporting portfolio analysis, optimisation and capital planning. The release notes that this adoption is also widening the gap between the most and least transparent markets.

Energy resilience and property performance

The release highlights energy resilience and costs as further considerations for commercial property investors and occupiers.

It recommends asset-by-asset energy management plans, supported by retrofits and renovations. For businesses with high power requirements, site selection should account for grid capacity, bottlenecks and constraints. Asset-level data on on-site power generation, battery storage and smart meters can also help owners assess potential income from energy infrastructure.