ACRES 2026 represents the most ambitious edition of the Sharjah Real Estate Fair, consolidating itself as the commercial epicenter of the sector between January 21-24 at Expo Centre. The event brings together more than 120 developer entities, financial institutions, and proprietary technology providers in a completely occupied area of 10,000 square meters.
The figure of 200 new projects exhibited simultaneously establishes an absolute historic milestone in the emirate’s concentrated real estate offering. Organizers project transactions exceeding AED 5 billion during the four days, surpassing the AED 4.3 billion from 2025 and marking a 16% growth in commercial objectives.
The 2026 edition launches Sharjah’s first regulated escrow system, requiring payments to be deposited in banking entities until construction milestones are completed. This measure, together with the 50% reduction in registration fees approved by the Executive Council, defines an unprecedented negotiation framework that limits risks while accelerating the need for closure for developers.
Three factors that unleash price wars among developers
The simultaneity of 200 launches in 10,000 square meters generates extreme competition that forces developers to differentiate themselves through aggressive incentives. This concentration of supply, or peak supply, places developers in temporary commercial vulnerability exploitable through immediate comparative negotiation between stands.
✓ Critical overlap: 200 projects compete for attention in ten-hour daily windows, forcing discounts of 15% on list prices.
✓ Fiscal reduction: The 50% discount on registration fees eliminates budget margin for small developers.
✓ Escrow pressure: The banking system requires immediate liquidity to unlock funds, accelerating sales closures.
This combination generates payment plans that extend 70% of the value post-delivery and exemptions from fees for three years. The dynamic benefits buyers who negotiate in person, conditions inaccessible in traditional secondary markets.
How excess supply directly benefits the buyer
The buyer acquires historic negotiating power before developers who need to meet milestones to access escrow funds. This dependency converts purchase-sale promises into negotiable instruments with previously inaccessible conditions, including favorable rescission clauses.
During ACRES 2026, financial entities reduce mortgage commissions to 0.25%, while developers offer exemption from community fees for three years valued at AED 15,000 annually. These benefits represent savings of 8-12% on the total cost for buyers who formalize during the event.
The macro context supports this window: Sharjah accumulated AED 44.3 billion in transactions from January to September 2025, growing 58.3% year-on-year. However, the injection of 200 new units generates selective pressure that favors informed buyers on real values versus prices inflated by previous speculation.
Hidden risks behind the euphoria of 200 projects
The peak supply of 200 projects exceeds the historic absorption capacity of 2025, when the market processed 24,000 transactions. This structural saturation projects scenarios where supply exceeds real demand in specific segments, especially in massive development areas like Al Rahmaniya.
✓ Launch density: 200 projects in Q1 2026 compete for an estimated 3,000 monthly buyers, generating stagnation risk.
✓ Foreign dependence: 62% of investment comes from 121 nationalities, making the market vulnerable to currency volatility.
✓ Projected correction: Analysts anticipate adjustments of 10-15% in GCC markets with similar saturation.
Practical implication: projects with massive deliveries between July and September 2026 face risk of forced depreciation if absorption falls. Investing here exposes to value losses that would not be recovered until 2028.
2026 scenarios: correction or market consolidation
If transactions reach the projected AED 5 billion, the market will absorb the supply shock, consolidating prices until Q3 2026. This scenario would maintain year-on-year growth above 40% and validate massive launch strategies during ACRES.
Pessimistic scenario: if growth falls below 35% and the 200 projects compete for the saturated mid-lower segment, fair discounts will become permanent structural declines before December 2026. The correction would especially affect units smaller than 80 meters in peripheral areas, with resale deflations of 12%.
Recommended strategy: prioritize projects with staggered deliveries 2027-2028, negotiate resale clauses wit
