16 October 2026Established 2026 · English edition
Arabia TomorrowGulf state capital, tracked

Company announcementData

Emaar cancellations halve to 600 monthly from 1,200 peak

Collections held at 9 per cent throughout the period, with sales backlog at Dh180 billion.

Modern construction site with multiple cranes and buildings in progress.Photograph by Jan van der Wolf on Pexels

Emaar Properties recorded monthly property cancellations of under 600 in October 2026, down from a peak of around 1,200 during a period of regional tension earlier in the year. Mohamed Alabbar, founder of the developer, disclosed the figures at the ninth Sharjah Investment Forum on 15 October 2026. The company typically sells approximately 4,000 units per month, with roughly 600 cancellations under normal conditions. Alabbar stated the spike was temporary and cancellations returned to normal levels.

Collections and backlog#

Collections remained at 9 per cent throughout the conflict period, Alabbar said. The developer's sales backlog stood at around Dh180 billion as of the forum date. Sales backlog represents the value of property sales yet to be recognised as revenue. Emaar's revenue backlog reached Dh127.7 billion as of 30 June 2026, an increase of 8 per cent compared to the first half of 2025, according to the company's disclosure. Alabbar stated that the collection rate demonstrated customer confidence in the developer.

Construction progress and operational activity#

Construction across all ongoing Emaar projects progressed in line with schedules during the first half of 2026, the company stated. The developer reported disciplined execution and continued focus on timely delivery across its portfolio. Alabbar also reported that hospitality activity was running more than 60 per cent above previous levels, without specifying the comparison period. He chairs Eagle Hills, a property development company operating across 20 countries.

E-commerce and strategic approach#

Alabbar chairs noon, an e-commerce platform operating in the region. He reported that millions of shoppers on the platform continued purchasing without hesitation during the same period. The statement was made during a fireside chat titled 'The CEO's Playbook: Leading Through Constant Change' at the Sharjah Investment Forum. Alabbar stated that the developer does not offer discounts on its properties. He described artificial intelligence as a competitive necessity for businesses and called prompting a skill for productivity and decision-making.

Sources1 source across 1 domain

  1. khaleejtimes.comKhaleej TimesEmaar cancellations fell to under 600 monthly from 1,200 peak, collections at 9 per cent, sales backlog Dh180 billion, revenue backlog Dh127.7 billion as of 30 June 2026, hospitality activity up 60 per cent, Alabbar statements on pricing and AI

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Filed underemaar propertiesproperty cancellationssales backlogdubai real estatemohamed alabbarsharjah investment forum

Arabia Tomorrow is published by Arabian Media Network. Pieces are produced by the Infrastructure Capital Desk with AI-assisted synthesis of the cited sources and automated verification against the network's editorial policy. Every piece carries a desk rather than a reporter. Corrections are recorded on the piece and on the corrections page.

The dataset behind this storyThe Energisation Ledger

Every announced MENA data centre and IPP: announced capacity, financing status, EPC awarded, chip licence status, stated energisation quarter, slip to date in quarters.

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