The UAE’s national housing programme aims to eliminate the citizen housing backlog and ensure every Emirati family has access to adequate housing by 2031. The Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme and emirate-level housing authorities have collectively committed over AED 30 billion in residential grants, loans, and land allocations, requiring sustained delivery rates well above historical averages.
Housing Unit Delivery Progress
| Year | Target (Units) | Delivered (Units) | Cumulative Total | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | — (Baseline) | 4,200 | 4,200 | Baseline |
| 2023 | 5,500 | 5,100 | 9,300 | Marginal |
| 2024 | 6,500 | 6,800 | 16,100 | On Track |
| 2025 | 7,500 | 7,200 (est.) | 23,300 | Marginal |
| 2026 | 8,500 | — | — | Pending |
| 2031 | 10,000 | — | — | Target |
Fund Disbursement by Emirate (2024)
| Emirate | Allocation (AED Bn) | Disbursed (AED Bn) | Utilisation (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi | 4.8 | 4.2 | 87.5% |
| Dubai | 2.1 | 1.9 | 90.5% |
| Sharjah | 1.4 | 1.1 | 78.6% |
| Ajman | 0.6 | 0.5 | 83.3% |
| Ras Al Khaimah | 0.5 | 0.4 | 80.0% |
| Fujairah | 0.3 | 0.2 | 66.7% |
| Umm Al Quwain | 0.2 | 0.15 | 75.0% |
Progress Rate Analysis
Delivery accelerated in 2024 following the federal government’s decision to increase housing loan ceilings and streamline land allocation processes. Abu Dhabi’s Musanada programme has driven the strongest completions, with modular construction techniques reducing build times by approximately 30 per cent compared to traditional methods. The northern emirates continue to lag due to contractor capacity constraints and slower municipal approvals.
The citizen housing waitlist has declined from an estimated 25,000 applications in 2022 to approximately 16,500 by end-2025. Clearing the backlog by 2031 requires maintaining annual delivery above 7,000 units while managing new household formation, which adds roughly 3,000 applications per year.
Risk Factors
| Risk | Severity | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Construction cost inflation | High | Increases per-unit delivery cost |
| Contractor capacity shortages | Medium | Delays northern emirate projects |
| Land availability in urban areas | Medium | Pushes development to periphery |
| New household formation exceeding projections | Medium | Expands waitlist faster than delivery |
| Material supply chain disruptions | Low-Medium | Extends construction timelines |
Outlook
The housing programme has gained momentum following 2024 reforms, but the northern emirates require targeted intervention to match Abu Dhabi and Dubai delivery rates. Prefabricated and modular construction methods offer the most promising path to scaling output without proportional cost increases. The programme is broadly on track provided federal and emirate-level coordination continues to improve and construction sector capacity is expanded through targeted immigration and training policies.
Current Assessment: On Track — delivery accelerating but northern emirates require attention.