Abu Dhabi’s Aldar Properties shifts focus to affordable housing

Aldar Properties, Abu Dhabi’s biggest real estate developer, is shifting gears from luxury villas to more inclusive projects aimed at everyday residents.

Flush with cash after years of booming growth, the company now plans to build homes priced between $136,000 and $816,000, along with rental options for workers earning $1,360 to $5,450 a month.

It’s also rolling out affordable schools, community shops, and even a new Gulf credit fund to help smaller builders access financing, CEO Talal Al Dhiyebi told Bloomberg.

As Abu Dhabi draws in a wave of global professionals, Aldar’s new focus signals that the emirate’s leaders want the government-owned developer to evolve to serve not just the wealthy elite, but the teachers, nurses, and engineers who are now struggling to keep up with rising rents.