Abu Dhabi has been named the world’s leading improver in Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) 2026 Global Real Estate Transparency Index, thanks to its launch of publicly accessible property and market data, interactive maps detailing unit-level transactions and service charges, and open APIs enabling seamless data integration.
The real estate and property investment firm said that Abu Dhabi’s efforts in transparency reflect its sustained progress and growing competitiveness in governance, regulatory maturity and market institutionalisation.
Abu Dhabi rose eight places from 41st in 2024 to 33rd globally with a composite score of 2.42, topping the list of 88 countries and 146 city markets evaluated across 260 distinct factors, the report found.
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The UAE capital’s rise is driven directly by a strategic focus on economic diversification and the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre’s (ADREC)s comprehensive digital transformation, JLL said.
Key initiatives that have elevated the benchmark for clarity in Abu Dhabi’s real estate market include the launch of publicly accessible dashboards for real-time property and market data, interactive maps detailing unit-level transactions and service charges, and open APIs enabling seamless data integration.
Transparent environments more favourable
Transaction volumes in the ‘Highly Transparent’ markets surged 64 per cent over the past two years, James Allan, Country CEO of UAE, Egypt, and Africa at JLL, said, as global investment is increasingly concentrated in transparent operating environments.
Combined with the government’s focus on strengthening regulatory frameworks to safeguard investor interests and digitising services as part of its long-term institutionalisation strategy, Abu Dhabi now ranks among the Gulf region’s transparency leaders alongside Dubai and Saudi Arabia.
“Expanding this data availability and ensuring a secure, structured framework supports a more predictable investment journey, boosting the emirate’s appeal as a prime destination for global capital,” the firm said.
The next stage will continue to focus on access to trusted market information, digital real estate services and transactions, and the areas where Abu Dhabi can make further progress against the global benchmark.
Source: Khaleej Times