Marsa Al Saadiyat: the final phase of Saadiyat Island, at AED 100bn

The final part of the Saadiyat Island master plan has been presented in Abu Dhabi as Marsa Al Saadiyat, with a stated development budget of AED 100bn.

Scale

• 6.4 million m² of territory.
• The largest marina in Abu Dhabi.
• Housing in several formats, a shoreline, green space and a promenade.
• Hotels and cultural venues.

Why the framing matters

What is significant is that this is not a residential scheme but the completion of an entire island. Saadiyat had long since taken shape: housing has been delivered since the early 2010s, beach clubs operate, international hotel brands are established, there is a championship golf course, schools, and a cluster of world-class museums.

Buying into the final phase of a mature island is a materially different proposition from buying into phase one of a new one. The environment exists, the schools work, the restaurants have customers. What you are underwriting is the completion of a known place rather than the emergence of an unknown one.

What is known and what is not

First sales are announced for the second half of 2026. Details of the initial phases, pricing and payment terms had not been published at the time of the announcement — which is normal at this stage and is the reason to treat headline budget figures as an indication of ambition rather than as information you can act on.

What to watch when it launches

• Price per square foot against registered Saadiyat transactions, now that Abu Dhabi publishes them.
• Which parts of the master plan complete before your building and which after — a marina and a promenade are the reason to buy here, and their delivery date is the one that matters.
• Service charge, which on an island with a marina and extensive public realm will not be modest.