Off-Plan Mortgage Framework: Aldar First, Who Is Next in Abu Dhabi
Published September 5, 2026 · 6 min read · Sources: Aldar and ADCB press release (4 September 2026) and Khaleej Times, Gulf News and Zawya coverage, ADREC framework statements, Modon and ADIB press release (9 July 2026), UAE Central Bank mortgage regulations, ADREC registered transactions trailing 12 months to August 2026.
What happened on 4 September
Aldar Properties and Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank completed Abu Dhabi’s first mortgage on an off-plan unit under a framework launched by the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre. It is the first time in the emirate that a financing bank has been formally named on a mortgage registration certificate before handover. ADREC said mortgage interests in eligible units can now be entered in the Initial Real Estate Register, the register that holds off-plan sales until the title deed exists. The mechanics are the ones the Aldar and ADCB deal set. A customer who has paid 50% of the purchase price can arrange a mortgage against the unit. The bank funds the remaining construction instalments and the final handover payment, the buyer’s financing terms are fixed in advance rather than at completion, and the buyer keeps their own cash during the build. Aldar is offering the route through Home Finance by Aldar, its in-house mortgage advisory, which is free to customers and draws on more than six conventional and Islamic banks.
Who is on it today
The developer side is one name: Aldar. The bank side is ADCB as the first mortgage bank, plus the Aldar panel of ADCB, Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, Dubai Islamic Bank, Emirates NBD, Emirates Islamic and First Abu Dhabi Bank, which is the set Home Finance by Aldar places with. Whether every panel bank has completed a framework registration, or only ADCB, the release does not say, and we do not claim more than it does. ADREC’s own language is broader than the first deal. The centre described the service as available on a market-wide basis to participating institutions that meet the relevant requirements. That is the signal that matters for buyers of other developers’ projects: the framework is a registry facility, not an Aldar product, and any developer whose project meets ADREC’s conditions can put its buyers through it once a bank agrees to lend.
Who is expected next, and why
The obvious candidate is Modon. On 9 July 2026, two months before the ADREC deal, Modon signed a memorandum of understanding with ADIB for what it called Abu Dhabi’s first off-plan home financing: ADIB finances up to 75% of the property value during construction, subject to eligibility, against a buyer contribution of 15% during the build and 5 to 10% at handover, on future Modon developments only. That is a different structure from the ADREC framework, which starts at 50% paid, and Modon has not announced a framework registration. But a developer with a bank already signed for off-plan lending is the one with the least distance to travel, and ADIB is on the Aldar panel too. The others are inference, not announcement. Bloom, Imkan, Reportage and Eagle Hills sell off-plan in the same market against Aldar and Modon, and a buyer who can lock a mortgage at 50% paid on an Aldar launch and not on theirs is a buyer they lose. None of the four has announced a framework deal or a bank partner as of 5 September 2026, and this piece will be updated when one does. The Central Bank ceiling still binds everyone: an off-plan mortgage is capped at 50% of value, the loan at seven times annual income, and repayments are tested at the offered rate plus two points. The framework changes when the bank is registered, not how much it may lend.
The market it lands in
The three islands where Aldar’s off-plan pipeline is concentrated are also where the framework will be used first. These are ADREC registered medians for the trailing 12 months to August 2026, all sales and ready sales separately, because the gap between them is the off-plan premium the framework finances.
| Community | Apartment median, all sales | Apartment median, ready only | AED/sqft | Villa median, all sales | Sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saadiyat Island | AED 3.82M | AED 2.5M | 3,386 | AED 9.25M | 1,926 apartments, 285 villas |
| Yas Island | AED 1.9M | AED 1.55M | 2,205 | AED 4.05M | 4,600 apartments, 422 villas |
| Al Reem Island | AED 1.7M | AED 1.45M | 1,629 | AED 5.03M | 8,130 apartments, 338 villas |
What a buyer should do with it
If you are past 50% on an Aldar unit, ask Home Finance by Aldar for a framework quote now rather than a handover mortgage later: the rate is fixed today and the handover balloon disappears. If you are at 30% or 40%, plan the next instalments to reach the threshold and get a pre-approval that runs 12 months. If you are buying from another developer, ask in writing whether the project is eligible under the ADREC framework and which bank, if any, has agreed to lend on it, and treat a vague answer as a no for now. The off-plan mortgage checker on this site tests your position against the 50% threshold, the Central Bank caps and the income tests, and the off-plan mortgage guide covers the Dubai route, where approved-project lists and 40% built are the usual gates.
Related questions
Can I get a mortgage on an off-plan property in Abu Dhabi?
Yes, since 4 September 2026, on eligible units under the ADREC framework once you have paid 50%. The bank funds the remaining instalments and the handover payment and is registered on the unit before completion. Aldar and ADCB completed the first one; other developers need a bank and ADREC eligibility.
Which banks offer off-plan mortgages in Abu Dhabi?
ADCB completed the first framework mortgage. Aldar’s Home Finance panel is ADCB, ADIB, DIB, Emirates NBD, Emirates Islamic and FAB. ADIB separately signed with Modon in July 2026 for up to 75% off-plan financing on future Modon projects.
Has any developer other than Aldar joined the ADREC framework?
Not as of 5 September 2026. Modon has a separate ADIB financing product announced in July; Bloom, Imkan, Reportage and Eagle Hills have not announced framework deals or bank partners. ADREC says the framework is open market-wide to institutions that meet its requirements.
How much can a bank lend on an off-plan unit in the UAE?
The Central Bank caps off-plan mortgages at 50% of value for everyone, with the loan limited to seven times annual income (eight for nationals) and repayments tested at the offered rate plus two points. The ADREC framework changes when the bank registers, not the ceiling.
