Stay informed with our newsletter.
.webp){kind=spacer}
EN
Abu Dhabi’s real estate market is gaining momentum as investors increasingly view property as a stronger wealth-building opportunity than traditional assets such as gold. Yas Island and Saadiyat Island are emerging as standout investment destinations, driven by rising demand, premium developments, lifestyle attractions and strong rental potential. With attractive returns, infrastructure growth and long-term value prospects, both islands are strengthening Abu Dhabi’s position as a global real estate investment hub for local and international investors.
“You cannot compare real estate with gold,” says Tariq Zekra, with confidence.
With 25 years of experience in the UAE property sector, Zekra has built a strong reputation through selling, advising on and promoting Abu Dhabi’s real estate market.
Today, he is also a powerful social media voice for Abu Dhabi property, using his platforms to guide buyers and investors on where to invest and, more importantly, why.
With more than 400,000 Instagram followers, Zekra believes Abu Dhabi real estate offers investors something gold simply cannot, flexibility.
While gold can be bought and sold quickly, property offers a different investment proposition. According to Zekra, when it comes to return on investment (ROI), real estate significantly outperforms gold.
His reasoning is straightforward: property can be held, rented, sold and leveraged as part of a broader investment portfolio.
When asked where investors should consider putting Dh3 million into Abu Dhabi property, Zekra has a clear favourite.
For that budget, his preferred destination is Yas Island, particularly for buyers looking to own a home in Abu Dhabi.
The island’s attraction, he explains, goes beyond individual properties. Its growing lifestyle, entertainment, infrastructure and investment ecosystem are adding to its long-term appeal.
If Yas Island represents one side of Abu Dhabi’s property story, Saadiyat Island represents another — one shaped by culture, museums, luxury and international appeal.
For investors with a Dh10 million budget, Zekra places Saadiyat Island at the top of his list, pointing to its ultra-luxury positioning and the potential for exceptionally strong ROI.
His enthusiasm for Yas and Saadiyat Islands reflects a broader trend in Abu Dhabi’s residential property market, where both destinations have become prominent choices for investors.
It is an unmistakably bullish view from someone who has spent more than two decades immersed in Abu Dhabi real estate. Yet for Zekra, the emirate represents far more than simply a market for property buyers.
He believes the island-led development strategy is delivering results for major developers, whether the focus is Yas, Saadiyat or Al Gurm.
“Abu Dhabi will always remain my number one,” Zekra says, extending that belief beyond real estate.
He points to the emirate’s leadership and its ambitious development strategy, arguing that Abu Dhabi’s transformation has placed the capital firmly in the global spotlight.
That conviction has shaped almost every part of Zekra’s professional journey. He says 99 per cent of his career has been centred on Abu Dhabi, and he has increasingly turned to social media to introduce the capital’s property opportunities to a much wider audience.
For Zekra, however, the role is about much more than selling homes or showcasing luxury properties online.
His philosophy is to demonstrate expertise by providing potential buyers and investors with genuine value and useful market knowledge.
He believes that means helping people understand how the market works, where opportunities exist and why particular investments may make sense.
Zekra readily acknowledges Dubai’s extraordinary global reputation in real estate, but he believes Abu Dhabi is following its own path, guided by different priorities and a more measured pace of development.
At the same time, he sees the two cities as complementary rather than competing markets, describing Dubai’s property sector as operating on an entirely different scale.
For Zekra, however, Abu Dhabi does not need to copy Dubai to establish itself as a major global real estate destination.
Part of the distinction, he believes, comes down to pace, planning and leadership.
He says Abu Dhabi’s real estate sector closely follows the emirate’s leadership and its long-term development vision, particularly under Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
Rather than rushing growth, Abu Dhabi is taking a deliberate and carefully managed approach, allowing the market to develop sustainably.
For Zekra, a measured approach should not be mistaken for a lack of ambition.
He believes Abu Dhabi is increasingly focused on becoming a global leader across multiple sectors, with real estate playing an important role in that transformation.
Zekra’s own social media journey mirrors the evolution of Abu Dhabi’s property story.
Around 13 years ago, he began using social media to increase visibility for Abu Dhabi’s real estate sector — an approach inspired largely by Dubai.
At the time, he says he was simply an ordinary property professional looking for a way to reach a wider audience.
He noticed a significant gap between Dubai’s powerful social media presence and the comparatively limited online exposure surrounding Abu Dhabi real estate.
There were fewer influencers, bloggers and industry voices explaining the market or helping investors understand the opportunities available in the capital.
That gap created an opportunity, and Zekra stepped into it.
His earliest milestone was far removed from today's enormous following.
He recalls celebrating when his account reached just 250 followers, even calling friends personally and asking them to like and share his posts.
What began modestly has since developed into a significant digital platform for Abu Dhabi real estate.
Today, social media is central to Zekra’s efforts to place Abu Dhabi property in the global spotlight.
With 25 years of UAE real estate experience, he positions himself not simply as a property seller but as a representative and educator within Abu Dhabi’s property sector.
For Zekra, there are two ways to approach property-focused social media: selling properties or creating value.
He deliberately chose the second route.
His content focuses on the fundamentals investors need to understand - why to invest, how to invest and what the potential benefits are.
Abu Dhabi remains the centre of that conversation because of his deep professional and personal connection to the emirate.
Having spent 99 per cent of his career in Abu Dhabi, Zekra says he understands the market, its opportunities and the dynamics that shape property investment decisions.
His advice to others entering the increasingly crowded property-content industry is equally direct: simply selling will not be enough.
Today’s buyers are more informed, more sophisticated and less willing to respond to sales pitches alone.
Zekra believes the modern property buyer is far more discerning than previous generations.
The UAE property market has become intensely competitive, with Abu Dhabi and Dubai attracting attention from investors around the world.
In this environment, he argues that being realistic, transparent and informed is more important than ever.
Emotions still influence property decisions, but Zekra believes they now account for only a relatively small part of the investment equation.
The reason is simple: buyers want evidence, not just promises.
The way people consume information has changed dramatically. Today's audiences increasingly want to see properties, experience spaces virtually and examine the details for themselves rather than relying solely on verbal sales pitches.
That transformation is also visible in the UAE's luxury property market.
A Dh35 million villa may sound extraordinary, but properties at this level are becoming increasingly accepted within Abu Dhabi’s premium real estate landscape.
Zekra points to the 1,500-square-metre Dh35 million villa where the interview took place as an example of how luxury property is increasingly being positioned around more than size and price.
The value, he argues, lies in the lifestyle, design, amenities and overall experience that the property delivers.
For today's affluent buyers, luxury real estate is increasingly about creating a complete lifestyle rather than simply owning a large home.
Yet for Zekra, the transaction itself is only the beginning.
His long-standing philosophy is that success in real estate should not be measured simply by the number of homes sold, but by the ability to build lasting relationships and create clients for life.
And in his view, Abu Dhabi provides one of the strongest environments in the world for doing exactly that.
For questions or comments write to contactus@bostonbrandmedia.com
Source: gulfnews
-v3.jpg)
-v3-02.jpg)
