Areas & planning
Investment Zone
An investment zone is an Abu Dhabi area designated by law where expatriates and foreign investors can own property under freehold or other tenures.
Investment zones are the specific areas of Abu Dhabi where non-GCC nationals are permitted to acquire real-estate rights, a framework established under the emirate's property law and broadened by the 2019 amendment that extended freehold ownership to expatriates within these zones. Well-known examples include Yas Island, Saadiyat Island, Al Reem Island, and Al Raha Beach, among others. Outside designated zones, freehold ownership in Abu Dhabi is generally reserved for UAE and GCC nationals.
Related terms
- Freehold Zone — A freehold zone is a designated area where expatriates can hold full freehold title, in Abu Dhabi typically within its investment zones.
- Freehold — Freehold is outright, perpetual ownership of a property and its land, giving the owner the right to use, lease, sell, or bequeath it.
- Usufruct — Usufruct is the right to use and enjoy a property, including collecting rent, for a long fixed term, without owning it.
- Musataha — Musataha is a long-term right, typically up to 50 years and renewable, to build on and use another party's land.
- ADREC (Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre) — ADREC is Abu Dhabi's real-estate regulator, overseeing property registration, brokerage licensing, and the emirate's official transaction data.