logo
Dubai's ‘Billionaire's Island': Most expensive villa on Jumeirah Bay sold for Dh330 million

Dubai's ‘Billionaire's Island': Most expensive villa on Jumeirah Bay sold for Dh330 million

Khaleej Times05-03-2025
A six-bedroom, custom-built villa on Jumeirah Bay Island has been sold for Dh330 million, making it the most expensive home on the island, according to Sotheby's International Realty.
The sale surpasses the previous record of Dh240.5 million, reaffirming the rising value of Jumeirah Bay Island. Often referred to as 'Billionaire's Island,' this ultra-exclusive enclave has just 128 plots, attracting elite buyers seeking rarity, privacy, and a premier waterfront lifestyle.
The plot spans 26,895 sqft and occupies one of just three plots on the tip of the island. It is the only villa of the three that has uninterrupted views of the Burj Khalifa and Downtown skyline. The villa is encased in full-height glass walls and boasts 13-metre-high ceilings.
The home is built with exquisite materials, including Taj Mahal Quartzite, Patagonian marble, and walnut wood veneer. Other features include a beachfront infinity pool and a private stretch of white-sand beach.
The transaction was facilitated by Dubai Sotheby's International Realty associate directors Regan Faulkner and Ioana Armeanu, who represented the seller.
'This villa occupies the most sought-after location on Jumeirah Bay Island. With uninterrupted views of the Dubai skyline, a prime beachfront position, and total exclusivity, it is one of the rarest opportunities on the market. Jumeirah Bay Island remains the most coveted address in Dubai, with just 128 plots, and its desirability only continues to grow,' said Faulkner.
'The demand for bespoke, one-of-a-kind residences here has never been stronger, and this record-breaking sale on Jumeirah Bay Island is a testament to its enduring appeal. It was a privilege to represent such an incredible property and connect our client with the perfect buyer,' said Armeanu.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

I now hunt for winner ideas in global real estate!
I now hunt for winner ideas in global real estate!

Arabian Post

time30-07-2025

  • Arabian Post

I now hunt for winner ideas in global real estate!

Matein Khalid While Marjan Island day trips with Amore mio Donna Farah hardly makes me nostalgic for my singleton era visits to Vegas and college boy trips to the odious Trump Plaza/Taj Mahal casinos in Atlantic City, I have no problem taking a flutter on Wynn when it traded at 12X earnings since the free cash flow yield is a more reliable proxy for a money making trade than the capricious whims of Lady Luck. This is why the casino action now moves to Las Vegas Sands (LVS). 2Q results were a blowout last week. Macau and Singapore are both on a roll and LVS capex in both its key Asian properties is now done. The Londoner resort has helped goose Macau market share while Bob Goldstein has hit a sixer (us colonials chaps do cricket metaphors duckies!) in Marina Bay Sands down in the Lion City. No wonder LVS shares are up 8% in the last week and 20% in the last month. This seems almost as good as the insiders who hit multiple home runs when Marjan Island morphed from a busted SRK Bollywood theme park to the first wannabe casino in the Gulf. As for moi, if a hotel/casino is not listed on the NYSE, i will never buy into the story, though do let me know if the La Belle Époque beauty at the Place Casino in Monte Carlo that did not let Manju and I since we were wearing jeans ever floats on the stock exchange, I will gladly turn cartwheels and take a punt on this mother of all trophy assets. My current buy price on LVS is 45-56. Ce n'est pas le moment de jouer LVS. ADVERTISEMENT US homebuilder shares have been mired in a painful bear market, down 17% on the sector tracker ITB in the past year. The Powell Fed's refusal to slash rates means 7% mortgage rates deter new buyers while Trump's tariff threats against Canada and deportation of untold million illegal immigrants suggests the cost of lumber and construction/wages moves higher. Copper tariffs will also raise plumbing costs and the price of imported Carrara marble from Toscana in La Bella Italia is also spiking higher. I do not have any interest in zombie real estate sectors du jour and have zero exposure to US homebuilders for now. Demand smells just as sweet as a garbage dump. Builders will continue to cut prices and miss on margins/guidance, though DR Horton did not. Supply is rising and the job market just faces too many crevices. Mortgage rates will not fall big time unless the US economy slips into recession when builder shares get sandbagged and only the shorts will make money in the debris. In private real estate, I believe the best risk/reward lies in buildings that rent to doctor owned outpatient clinics, where tailwinds are rich but aging Baby Boomer demographics and shifts from nosebleed hospitals will boost rental growth. Supply is at 40% of cycle peak while the occupancy rate is 95%. Yummykins! I hear the Hippocratic Oath has now been repealed in the Gulf as our private equity financiers insist that doctors should optimize revenues via uncessassary extra procedures/tests/surgeries in order to make the hospital's cash register ring, yella-yella-kaching-kaching. I do not know whether to laugh or to cry after I had lunch with a friend who had lived through the horror show of the Abraaj healthcare fraud and Al Masah's Dash It All and Drop Dead medical platform. In the UK, student housing is no longer as grotty as it was in my time, the reason I fled to America. In fact, I was amazed at the uber luxury facilities I visited in the sceptred isle though only for students who happened to be Chinese, the offspring of CCP honchos and drive to uni in their Lambos and Ferraris, vroom vroom… Seriously, there is a chronic shortage of student flats in London and other UK cities, so Jon Gray at Blackstone is on the right track, as he was in the Hilton LBO. Senior Housing and acute care will remain a profitable theme since the supply demand equation is so skewed in the landlord's favour, the reason my fave US REIT apart from the data center guys is now Welltower (WELL). REITs provide me with income when long duration bonds stink as well as an ideal inflation hedge and low correlation to global equities at a time when US valuation metrics are at cycle peaks at 22 times forward earnings and a zero equity risk premium. I was born at night, only not last night. ADVERTISEMENT Also published on Medium. Notice an issue? Arabian Post strives to deliver the most accurate and reliable information to its readers. If you believe you have identified an error or inconsistency in this article, please don't hesitate to contact our editorial team at editor[at]thearabianpost[dot]com. We are committed to promptly addressing any concerns and ensuring the highest level of journalistic integrity.

Abu Dhabi Fund for Development finances strategic housing project in Somaliland
Abu Dhabi Fund for Development finances strategic housing project in Somaliland

Al Etihad

time23-07-2025

  • Al Etihad

Abu Dhabi Fund for Development finances strategic housing project in Somaliland

23 July 2025 17:23 ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) has announced the inauguration of a comprehensive social housing project in the city of Berbera, project, valued at Dh27.5 million (approximately $7.5 million), underscores the UAE's long-standing commitment to promoting sustainable development in includes the construction of 300 residential units designed across three housing categories, to accommodate diverse family needs. It also involves the development of critical infrastructure, including potable water systems, sewage and stormwater drainage networks, internal roads, landscaped green spaces, and facilities providing essential transformative project is part of ADFD's broader development efforts aimed at enhancing quality of life and ensuring access to safe and dignified housing. It also aligns with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 11, which aims to: 'Make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient, and sustainable' by inauguration ceremony was led by Mohamed Aw-Ali Abdi, Vice-President of the Republic of Somaliland, with the participation of Dr. Abdullah AlNaqbi, Director of the UAE Trade Office in Somaliland, alongside senior officials from both Saif Al Suwaidi, Director-General of the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development, said, "This project is a continuation of ADFD's mission to support sustainable development across partner countries. Providing adequate housing is a cornerstone of community stability and economic advancement. We are proud to collaborate with the Government of Somaliland on this vital initiative, which not only provides quality homes for approximately 1,500 individuals, but also generates new job opportunities and stimulates local economic activity."Together, these efforts will drive long-term social and economic benefits, contributing meaningfully to the region's growth and resilience."Speaking at the inauguration, Mohamed Aw-Ali Abdi, Vice-President of the Republic of Somaliland expressed sincere gratitude to ADFD and the UAE for their consistent development support. He emphasised that the project represents a strategic step toward improving living conditions in Berbera by offering well-designed, integrated housing that enables hundreds of families to settle in a safe and dignified added that the benefits of the project extend beyond housing, encompassing infrastructure development, improved access to essential services, and job creation, all of which support local economic growth and reinforce the sustainability of the city's development. ADFD continues to play a key role in advancing Somaliland's development agenda through the management of a UAE government grant totalling Dh330 million. This funding supports a suite of strategic projects, including the Dh262 million restoration of the vital Berbera–Hargeisa highway, as well as initiatives in the energy and transport sectors, all designed to strengthen infrastructure and accelerate sustainable, long-term growth across the region. Source: Aletihad - Abu Dhabi

Trump tariffs result in increased demand for UAE property from foreign investors, here's what you need to know
Trump tariffs result in increased demand for UAE property from foreign investors, here's what you need to know

Arabian Business

time14-04-2025

  • Arabian Business

Trump tariffs result in increased demand for UAE property from foreign investors, here's what you need to know

The real estate players in the UAE could be thanking the US President secretly as the Gulf country's property sector is projected to see a windfall gain in the coming weeks and months, with Trump's maverick policy and tariff announcements sending the US dollar to a tailspin, and the consequent fall in value of dirham, triggering a surge in overseas investments in the sector, especially from Europe, Russia and India. The Gulf country's rising currency value proposition, coinciding with the non-domicile tax law changes in the UK, is also expected to lead to a spike in UK-based wealthy investors' high-end property acquisitions in Dubai and other parts of the UAE. With the UAE dirham pegged to the US dollar, the depreciation of the American currency leads to a fall in its value as well. The demand for real estate assets, especially in the residential sector in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah are expected to see a significant spike in near-term with the US dollar widely expected to see further fall due to the effect of Trump's high tariffs weakening global demand for US goods, impacting the American currency's value. The uncertainty and high tariffs are also leading investors to reduce their investments in the US, further decreasing the demand and value of the US dollar. 'Any drop in currency value tends to drive [property] demand in the UAE from overseas investors,' Chris Whitehead, Managing Partner, Dubai Sotheby's International Realty, told Arabian Business. Angad Bedi, CMD, BCD Group, an India-based global real estate major, said a softer UAE dirham pegged to a weakening US dollar could make real estate assets in Dubai and the UAE more attractive for overseas investors. 'Markets like the UK, Europe, India, and even parts of East Asia could view this as an opportune moment to lock in high-value properties at relatively favourable currency rates,' Bedi told Arabian Business. Farooq Syed, CEO of Dubai-based Springfield Properties, said the fall in currency value, along with UAE's favourable economic environment and Dubai's resilient infrastructure and strategic positioning, will attract overseas investors seeking stability and long-term growth. Market experts said that with stock markets falling, taxes rising and tariffs impacting everyone, the global appetite for real estate is expected to grow as investors move to tangible assets such as bricks and mortar and precious metals, further enhancing the UAE property sector's appeal to investors. Currency shift spurs investments Sector experts said a more favourable dirham exchange rate enhances Dubai's appeal to key markets such as India, Pakistan, Russia, the UK, and other European nations, where advantageous currency conditions amplify investment potential. A lower value of the dirham makes investing in Dubai more attractive and affordable for foreign investors, they said. The Dubai Sotheby's International Realty senior executive said the depreciation of the US dollar, which directly influences the valuation of the UAE dirham through its peg, is enhancing Dubai's attractiveness to international investors. high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs). Those looking at the UAE for relief will only be more tempted to jump,' he said. Whitehead said Europe will also benefit from increased appeal as real estate square footage becomes more attractive. 'That said, the value that can be achieved in Dubai is around double compared to other key cities,' he said. Sankey Prasad, CMD, Colliers India & Middle East, said currency value fluctuations often act as catalysts for cross-border investments, the emerging scenario is significantly advantageous for the UAE. 'Combined with the UAE's progressive visa reforms, safe city reputation, and tax-friendly policies, the market is poised for even greater inflows,' Prasad told Arabian Business. He, however, said investors should focus on asset quality to ensure strong, long-term returns beyond currency advantages. BCD Group's Bedi said given that UAE real estate is already seen as a safe haven with strong rental yields and a business-friendly ecosystem, the currency advantage could tip the scales for fence-sitters. 'We anticipate a sharp rise, particularly in prime residential and commercial assets, as well as branded residences and hospitality-linked investments,' he said. Market challenges and opportunities The Springfield Properties chief executive, however, said the current global economic shifts are presenting both challenges and opportunities for Dubai's real estate market. 'Ongoing disruptions in global trade are contributing to inflationary pressures, particularly on construction materials sourced from major suppliers like China. Rising costs of raw materials inevitably increase overall construction expenses, driving up prices for off-plan properties as developers adjust to these higher input costs,' Syed told Arabian Business. He, however, said that despite these challenges, Dubai has consistently demonstrated resilience in the face of global economic disruptions. 'The city's strategic positioning as a stable, well-regulated market continues to attract investment during periods of global financial instability. Besides, the pressure on increasing prices may also result in developers offering more attractive payment plans to maintain investor interest and enhance accessibility,' Syed said. The Springfield Properties chief executive also pointed out that Dubai's real estate market benefits from the region's advantageous tax structure. The GCC's general tariff rate of approximately 10 per cent is considerably lower than those of many established markets worldwide, he said, adding that historically, Dubai has capitalised on shifting economic conditions by offering a secure and attractive environment for capital preservation and growth.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store