As the final phase of Saadiyat Island’s masterplan, Aldar has launched Marsa Al Saadiyat, a waterfront development in Abu Dhabi with a gross development value of 100 billion UAE dirhams (approximately $27 billion USD). The project is expected to feature the emirate’s largest marina alongside residential, leisure and transport facilities.

The total development area will cover 640 hectares and extend across an eight-kilometre waterfront. It will include a marina with capacity for up to 350 berths for sailing boats and luxury vessels, alongside 5.6 kilometres of beaches, approximately 140 kilometres of walking paths and a 46-kilometre cycling loop.

Marsa Al Saadiyat is expected to accommodate more than 58,000 residents across private mansions, luxury villas, waterfront apartments, branded residences and standalone hillside villas measuring 22.5 metres. The masterplan also includes public parks, community clubhouses, outdoor pools, sports courts, healthcare facilities and three schools.

The waterfront area will feature a one-kilometre promenade with retail and dining spaces, alongside a yacht club, two hotels and Dar Al Funoon, a performing arts venue with capacity for more than 6,000 guests.

Through a walkway, the development will connect with Saadiyat Cultural District, providing access to museums, restaurants and hospitality facilities on the island. It will also include new roads and tunnels connecting it with Umm Yifeenah Island and Reem Island, an underground Etihad Rail station to support connections between Abu Dhabi and other emirates, and a bridge to another island being developed by Aldar off the coast of Saadiyat Island.

During its inauguration today, Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, visited the project launch site to review the masterplan and directed the renaming of the project from Saadiyat Marina District to Marsa Al Saadiyat.

Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of Aldar, said: “Marsa Al Saadiyat marks the activation of the final phase of the Saadiyat Island masterplan, and with it, the beginning of the most ambitious chapter yet in the island’s evolution. Abu Dhabi today stands among the world’s most compelling destinations for long-term capital, offering a combination of vision, economic momentum and a quality of life that continues to attract the most discerning investors and residents from around the world. Marsa Al Saadiyat is a direct expression of that confidence: a development of genuine global scale, conceived with an ambition that reflects Abu Dhabi’s place on the world stage.”

Talal Al Dhiyebi, group chief executive officer at Aldar, stated: “Marsa Al Saadiyat is a landmark development for Abu Dhabi, reinforcing the emirate’s emergence as a powerful force in the global luxury landscape. With a development value of 100 billion AED, the masterplan will add significant scale and character to the island, a destination already recognised as one of the most compelling cultural and lifestyle addresses in the world.”

Sales of the first homes at Marsa Al Saadiyat will begin in the second half of 2026, with site preparation and infrastructure works scheduled to start in the third quarter of the year.

Images courtesy of Aldar.