Dubai: Sharjah’s property market attracted investors from 121 nationalities during the first half of 2026, with transaction values rising 9.3% to Dh29.5 billion.The emirate recorded 59,460 real estate transactions between January and June, an increase of 23.7% compared with the same period last year, according to the Sharjah Real Estate Registration Department.Residential properties continued to dominate the market, accounting for 13,501 transactions and 82.2% of all property sales during the six-month period.More than 16,000 properties soldSharjah recorded 16,426 sale transactions during the first half, covering property sales, usufruct sales and initial sale contracts.The figure was 4.7% higher than the 15,686 transactions registered during the same period in 2025. Properties sold during the period covered 85 million square feet across 202 areas of the emirate.Industrial properties accounted for 1,969 transactions, representing 12% of the total, while commercial properties recorded 937 deals and a 5.7% share. Agricultural properties accounted for 19 transactions.Muwaileh Commercial leads activityMuwaileh Commercial recorded the highest number and value of transactions during the first half, with 2,385 deals worth Dh2.8 billion.Al Belaida followed with 2,171 transactions valued at Dh1.4 billion, while Al Khan recorded 1,077 deals worth approximately Dh1.3 billion.Mortgage activity reached Dh7.6 billion across 2,590 transactions during the period.Indian investors rank secondUAE nationals remained the largest group of property investors in Sharjah, purchasing 22,599 properties with a combined investment value of around Dh14.9 billion.Indian investors ranked second by the number of properties traded, buying 1,657 units during the first half. Syrian investors followed with 1,163 properties, while Jordanian buyers purchased 670 properties.Iraqi investors acquired 668 properties and Egyptian investors bought 662.Investments by GCC nationals excluding Emiratis reached Dh1.36 billion across 924 properties. Arab nationals invested around Dh5 billion through 4,449 properties, while investors from other nationalities purchased 4,264 properties worth Dh8.2 billion.More projects open to foreign buyersSharjah registered 11 new property projects during the first half of the year across Um Fanain, Muwaileh Commercial, Al Raqeeba, Hay Al Hoshe and Al Sajaa Industrial.The developments include residential communities, towers and mixed-use projects covering residential, commercial and industrial properties.The number of projects approved for ownership by non-UAE and GCC nationals has now reached 50 since Sharjah introduced its updated ownership framework in 2022.Six projects received approval during the first half of 2026, expanding the range of properties available to international investors in the emirate.Nivetha Dayanand is Assistant Business Editor at Gulf News, where she spends her days unpacking money, markets, aviation, and the big shifts shaping life in the Gulf. Before returning to Gulf News, she launched Finance Middle East, complete with a podcast and video series.