Abu Dhabi authorities approved nearly 75 million square metres of new development in 2025, a 137 per cent jump from the previous year, as the emirate accelerates construction of housing, tourism projects and technology infrastructure.
The approvals granted by the Department of Municipalities and Transport represent a scale of development equivalent to building out the entire capacity of Yas Island seven times over, officials said.
A major share of the pipeline will go toward housing. Plans approved during the year include close to 190,000 residential units, comprising about 158,000 market homes and around 30,000 units for UAE nationals, alongside supporting community facilities such as schools, healthcare centres and retail spaces.
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Officials said the surge in approvals reflects strong investor demand as Abu Dhabi expands its real estate and infrastructure pipeline.
“This milestone reflects Abu Dhabi’s growing momentum as a world destination for investment and development,” said Abdulla Mohamed Al Blooshi, Director General of the Urban Planning and Permits Centre at the department.
Industry, tourism projects expand
Beyond housing, approvals also covered a broad mix of projects aimed at strengthening the emirate’s economic diversification plans.
These include industrial facilities, data centres and advanced manufacturing sites, which are expected to support Abu Dhabi’s logistics sector, digital economy and technology industries.
In tourism and hospitality, developments delivering nearly 5,000 additional hotel rooms were approved across multiple destinations, along with waterfront attractions, beaches and cultural projects.
Faster approvals for developers
Authorities said planning processes were also streamlined to speed up project delivery.
The evaluation period for master developers was reduced by 60 days, helping accelerate major developments across the emirate.
Digitalisation has also played a key role. Since the launch of the AI-driven Binaa platform in June 2025, the average time required to issue a residential villa building permit has fallen by 57 per cent, while resubmissions have dropped by more than half.
The platform was introduced to simplify construction approvals and bring developers, consultants and contractors onto a single digital system.
Building permits on the rise
Overall, more than 11,000 building permits were issued in 2025, a 15 per cent increase from the previous year.
Authorities also conducted training workshops for over 7,000 consultants and contractors to help them adapt to updated planning regulations and digital processes.
Officials said the next phase will focus on expanding the capabilities of the Binaa system and encouraging wider adoption of digital and AI-enabled submissions to further streamline development approvals.
Source: Khaleej Times