Aldar launches Marsa Al Saadiyat in Abu Dhabi: a Dh100bn district comes to Saadiyat Island

On 22 July, Abu Dhabi’s largest developer, Aldar, announced the launch of Marsa Al Saadiyat — a waterfront district worth Dh100 billion, around $27 billion. It will span 6.4 million sqm on Saadiyat Island and is designed for more than 58,000 residents. The launch was witnessed by the emirate’s Crown Prince, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Sales of the first homes will begin in the second half of 2026. For buyers, this is a chance to get into the final phase of an island that has grown in a decade from an empty shore into the country’s cultural showcase.

About the project

Marsa Al Saadiyat is not a single residential complex but a whole district with its own marina, promenade and public spaces. The master developer is Aldar Properties. The project takes up the last large open stretch of Saadiyat Island and, according to the company, activates the final phase of its masterplan. The key figures are set out in the table below.

Why Saadiyat

The island sits half a kilometre off central Abu Dhabi and is linked to the mainland by bridges. The authorities have long positioned Saadiyat as the emirate’s cultural and premium showcase, which is why land here is valued especially highly. Marsa Al Saadiyat occupies the last major undeveloped plot. After it, there will be almost no room left on the island for new large-scale construction — and that adds value to the first phase in the eyes of investors, who are counting on a supply shortage down the line.

What is already up and running on the island:

• Louvre Abu Dhabi and the museum quarter taking shape around it
• white-sand beaches and a protected coastal zone
• a golf club and sports facilities
• hotels from leading international chains
• direct access to the city centre and the airport by bridge

What the district will include

The centrepiece of the district is its marina. It will be the largest in Abu Dhabi and will hold up to 350 vessels, from small boats to superyachts. A promenade with restaurants, shops and leisure areas will be built around the harbour. The residential part is designed for more than 58,000 people and includes a range of waterfront formats. Aldar promises the emirate’s familiar “city within a city” set-up, where everything you need is within walking distance.

What the developer has announced for the district:

• a marina for 350 yachts and boats with a waterside promenade
• flats, townhouses and villas by the water
• retail and dining spaces along the shore
• pedestrian boulevards and green areas
• direct access to the beach

Timeline and how to buy

Infrastructure and enabling works start in the third quarter of 2026. Aldar will open sales of the first homes in the second half of the same year — the developer will name exact prices and layouts closer to launch. An important point for overseas buyers: Saadiyat is one of Abu Dhabi’s investment zones, where non-residents can take full freehold ownership. So homes in Marsa Al Saadiyat will be open not only to UAE residents but to foreign buyers too — with the right to own, let and resell the property.

How a purchase usually works at launch:

• choose a unit in the developer’s project and place a reservation
• sign a sale and purchase agreement (SPA) with Aldar
• pay in stages as construction progresses
• register ownership and receive the title deed

What it means for the Abu Dhabi market

Abu Dhabi keeps expanding its premium offer and competing for the international buyer — a segment long dominated by Dubai. Marsa Al Saadiyat is one of the emirate’s largest launches in recent times. Big Saadiyat projects tend to reach the market in phases, so interest in the first phase is expected to be high.

Aldar is Abu Dhabi’s largest listed developer, with projects including developments on Yas and Saadiyat islands. A launch on this scale shows that the emirate is continuing to back the premium segment and aims to draw the international buyer who used to choose Dubai by default.

Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of Aldar: “The launch of Marsa Al Saadiyat activates the final phase of the Saadiyat Island masterplan. We are completing the look of a district that has been more than a decade in the making.”

Talal Al Dhiyebi, the company’s CEO: “The project will add scale and character to the island. We are bringing together a cultural setting, the sea and premium homes in one place.”

Property examples on Saadiyat Island

Frequently asked questions