New areas get popular among Abu Dhabi residents

Madinat Zayed was the most popular area among Abu Dhabi residents in 2017, according to ServiceMarket, a marketplace for moving and house services. The area received 14.46 per cent of all move-in requests.
Other areas that people moved into were Reem Island, Khalifa City, Al Khalidiyah and the outskirts of Abu Dhabi. Areas like Al Reef, Mussafah and Al Raha Beach were other popular areas that witnessed most move-in requests.
While established and densely-populated areas such as Madinat Zayed and Al Khalidiyah are still very popular, newly developed contenders such as Reem Island and Khalifa City are also gaining in popularity. A lot of people are also moving to the outskirts of Abu Dhabi, which are communities beyond Al Reef on the road to Dubai. These areas have become popular because they offer lower rents.
Madinat Zayed, Khalifa City, Reem Island and Al Khalidiyah also experienced the most moving-out activity. This could be because people tend to move a lot between these popular areas since they have many residential buildings. In addition, those who are looking for lower rents but don't want to move their family away from the area where they're already settled often choose to move to another home in the same area. Around a third of Abu Dhabi residents just move from one residential building to another in the same area.
Reasons behind moving
Madinat Zayed holds the top position and Al Khalidiyah is also in the top 5 list because both these areas are established and offer many amenities like an abundance of residential buildings, shops, schools and recreational facilities. They are the business hubs of Abu Dhabi. 
However, since newly developed areas such as Reem Island, Khalifa City and outskirts of Abu Dhabi have more houses with gardens and compounds with large pools, they are now very close to the top position. Another reason could be that people are moving to these suburbs of Abu Dhabi to avoid traffic and congestion. People who work in Dubai prefer these areas as they can save an hour on their daily commute. - business@khaleejtimes.com