Abu Dhabi’s residential capital values for the third quarter fell 12.6 per cent over last year and 2.4 per cent over the previous quarter as residential rental values declined at a slower rate of 9.2 per cent annually, said a report by ValuStrat, a leading consulting firm based in Dubai.

This was around 29.1 per cent lower than Q1 2016, the base of the VPI (ValuStrat Price Index).  

The weighted average residential value this quarter was Dh9,505 per sq m (Dh883 per sq ft), apartments stood at Dh10,044 per sq m (Dh977 per sq ft), and villas at Dh7,083 per sq m (Dh658 per sq ft), it stated.

All ten locations monitored by the VPI witnessed single-digit quarterly declines in capital values of less than 4 per cent. Apartments in Al Bandar saw marginal quarterly dips of less than 1per cent, while villas in Mohamed Bin Zayed City saw no change since Q2, according to the report.

On an annual basis, typical apartment units located in Al Reem Island and Al Reef saw 15.4 per cent declines, as well as villas in Hydra Village with 16.2 per cent annual drop, it stated.

The third quarter VPI - Residential Rental Values declined 2.4 per cent quarterly and 9.2 per cent annually to 73.8 points. Abu Dhabi’s gross yields averaged 7.4 per cent, for apartments at 7.7 per cent and villas with 6.6 per cent.

"Abu Dhabi is enjoying relatively high residential yields across the board, this is due to the fact that rental value falls are slower than capital value declines," remarked Declan King, Managing Director & Group Head of Real Estate at ValuStrat.

"As far as residential supply was concerned, Abu Dhabi City began with an estimated 233,986 residential homes by end of 2018. So far this year, an estimated total of 1,000 villas and 733 apartments were completed, which is 31 per cent of the projected 5,590 units for 2019," he added.-TradeArabia News Service