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Abu Dhabi off-plan homes can now be mortgaged before handover, once 50% is paid: how it works

A framework from the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (ADREC) lets a buyer who has paid half the price of an eligible off-plan home take a bank mortgage for the rest while the building is still going up. Aldar and ADCB registered the first one in September 2026.

Al Mithaq news desk · Published · Source: Khaleej Times
Sei Saadiyat, Aldar homes on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi
Sei Saadiyat, Aldar homes on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi. Picture: Aldar
50%of the price paid before a bank can lend
6banks named in the framework
89%of H1 2026 home sales value was off-plan

The rule in one minute

Under the framework launched by ADREC, a buyer who has paid 50% of an eligible off-plan unit can mortgage the amount still owed before construction is finished. The bank can then pay the remaining instalments during the build and the final payment due at handover. The 50% threshold follows the UAE Central Bank regulation for off-plan mortgage financing. The mortgage is written into the Initial Real Estate Register before completion, so the bank is named on the registration from the start.

Who is in it

Aldar completed the first registration under the framework, with Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank (ADCB) as the lender, as reported on 4 September 2026. The participating banks named were ADCB, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Dubai Islamic Bank, Emirates NBD, Emirates Islamic and First Abu Dhabi Bank. The service is open to developers and banks that meet ADREC's requirements, so it applies to eligible units, not to every off-plan home automatically.

Step by step for a buyer

  1. Pay the first half

    Reach 50% of the price through the developer's payment plan.

  2. Apply to a participating bank

    Check the unit is eligible and agree the terms.

  3. Registration

    The mortgage is recorded in the Initial Real Estate Register.

  4. Build and handover

    The bank pays the remaining instalments and the handover payment.

Why it mattersUntil now most off-plan buyers paid every instalment in cash and only looked for a mortgage at handover, without knowing the bank's terms in advance. Now, after the halfway point, the rest can be financed and the terms fixed early, so your cash is not tied up for the whole build. Our view: plan the first 50% as your own money, and before you sign, ask the bank in writing whether it lends to a buyer living in Kuwait, because each bank decides that for itself.

Why the market cares

Off-plan is most of the Abu Dhabi market. In ADREC's first-half 2026 report, off-plan made up 89% of the value of AED 70.4 billion in residential unit sales. ADREC said recording the mortgage in the register adds transparency and protection for buyers, developers and banks; Aldar said it gives buyers more financing flexibility.

What Al Mithaq adds

We sell Aldar homes in Abu Dhabi, including Yas Riva Reserve and Sei Saadiyat. Tell us the home and budget you have in mind and we will show you where the 50% point falls in its payment plan, so you know when bank financing could start.

Sources

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