Marsa Al Saadiyat by Aldar
Six and a half million square metres of Saadiyat Island, rebuilt around a working marina: mansions, villas, waterfront apartments and branded residences along 8 km of shoreline. Prices have not been published yet — the priority list sees them first.
Figures as announced by Aldar Properties · Imagery is illustrative
Illustrative
What Marsa Al Saadiyat is
A whole district, not another tower.
Marsa Al Saadiyat is a 6.4 million m² waterfront masterplan by Aldar Properties on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, announced with a gross development value of AED 100 billion. It will contain private mansions, luxury villas, waterfront apartments and branded residences alongside 8 km of waterfront, 5.6 km of beaches and a 350-berth marina, and is planned to house more than 58,000 residents.
Most launches sell you a building. This one sells you the address the building will stand on.
Saadiyat Island already carries Abu Dhabi's cultural weight — the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Zayed National Museum and the museums still rising around them. What it has never had is a working harbour at its centre. That is the change here: Aldar is threading a marina, a beachfront promenade and four distinct kinds of home into a single walkable district.
For a buyer, the practical consequence is scale. A masterplan of this size sets its own context — the retail, the schools, the healthcare and the waterfront are delivered as part of the plan rather than promised nearby. Values in this kind of scheme tend to be set by the district's completion, not by one building's handover.
Enabling works are expected to begin in Q3 2026 and the first homes are expected to be released in the second half of 2026. Nothing is priced yet, which is precisely why the registration list matters.
The film
Ninety seconds over the water.
The flyover follows the shoreline from the cultural district to the marina mouth — the beaches, the promenade, the berths and the neighbourhoods behind them. It is the clearest picture available of how the pieces sit together before the first plans are published.
The four collections
Four ways to own on the waterfront.
Aldar has confirmed four residential types. Sizes, layouts and prices are still unpublished — here is what each collection is, and what to ask for when the release opens.
Collection 01
Private mansions
The smallest count and the largest plots, placed on the most private stretches of shoreline. In Aldar's Saadiyat schemes this tier has historically sold on relationship and timing rather than advertising, so registering early is the only reliable way in.
Plot sizes to be released
Collection 02
Luxury villas
Family homes set through landscaped neighbourhoods between the central park and the beach frontage, on walkable streets with schools and clubhouses inside the plan. Expect the deepest end-user demand — and the fastest phase sell-outs.
Layouts to be released
Collection 03
Waterfront apartments
Low-rise apartments above the promenade's retail and dining, most within sight of the berths. This is the entry point to the district and the tier most likely to carry the launch — which usually means the tightest allocation.
Prices to be released
Collection 04
Branded residences
Serviced homes attached to the district's hospitality operators, with two luxury hotels anchoring the offer. Branded stock is the natural fit for owners who will not be resident year-round and want the asset managed.
Operators to be announcedLiving here
The water is the high street.
A one-kilometre promenade runs from the beaches to the yacht club, lined with retail and dining, with the residential streets set immediately behind it.
The promenade
Everything within a walk of the berths.
Beaches at one end, the yacht club at the other, and the shops, restaurants and hotel lobbies strung along the water between them. The point of the layout is that residents do not need a car to use the best part of the district.
The marina
Abu Dhabi's largest marina, at the centre of the plan.
Around 350 berths for yachts and sailing boats, a dedicated yacht club and a one-kilometre promenade of retail and dining — with the residential neighbourhoods placed directly behind, not across a highway. Berthing at this scale is scarce in Abu Dhabi, and it is the single feature most likely to hold value across the district.
Masterplan
Six zones, one shoreline.
Select a numbered point to see what Aldar has planned for each part of the district. The drawing is our own illustration of the announced zones, not a survey — the final layout is subject to Aldar's confirmation.
Illustrative artwork — not a scale drawing
Amenities
What is actually being built around the homes.
The published amenity list is unusually specific for an announcement, which is a useful signal: these are planned quantities, not adjectives.
5.6 km of beaches
Public and residents' beach frontage along the district's shoreline.
Central park
A landscaped spine connecting neighbourhoods to the clubhouses.
140 km of walking paths
Continuous pedestrian routes across the whole masterplan.
46 km of cycle routes
Dedicated cycling infrastructure, separated from traffic.
Community pools
Outdoor swimming pools planned across the residential clusters.
Sports facilities
Courts and training amenities within the community clubhouses.
Three schools
Planned inside the district, alongside premium healthcare.
Retail & dining
Promenade shopfronts and restaurants within walking distance of home.
Culture
You are buying next door to the museums.
Marsa Al Saadiyat adds its own theatre district — anchored by Dar Al Funoon, a performing arts venue for more than 6,000 guests — to an island that already holds the highest concentration of cultural institutions in the Gulf. For international buyers this is the part of the story that does not need explaining: these are names people already travel for.
- Louvre Abu Dhabi
- Zayed National Museum
- Guggenheim Abu Dhabi
- Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi
- teamLab Phenomena Abu Dhabi
- Dar Al Funoon — within Marsa Al Saadiyat
Louvre Abu Dhabi — neighbouring districtLocation & access
Where it sits, and how you will reach it.
Underground Etihad Rail station
A high-speed station is planned beneath the district, connecting it to the national rail network.
New road, tunnel and bridge links
Planned connections toward Reem Island and Umm Yifeenah Island, plus a bridge to a future Aldar island.
Ten minutes from the cultural district
The Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Saadiyat museums are on the same island, minutes away.
Roughly 30 minutes to the airport
Zayed International Airport sits across the bridges — indicative driving time, traffic depending.
The investment case
Why buyers are moving before the price list exists.
Eight things about this launch that are already knowable — and one honest caveat at the end.
Launch pricing is the cheapest the district will ever be
First-release pricing on a masterplan is set before any of the amenity value is delivered. Later phases are priced against a district that exists.
Saadiyat shoreline cannot be manufactured
The island has a fixed coastline and an established cultural district. Eight kilometres of it changing hands at once will not happen twice.
Aldar delivers what it announces
Abu Dhabi's largest listed developer, with Yas and Saadiyat already built. Delivery risk here is materially lower than the emirate's average.
Berthing is the scarcest asset in the plan
350 berths in a city with limited marina capacity. Marina-adjacent homes have a structural reason to outperform.
Four tiers means four buyer pools
Mansions, villas, apartments and branded stock in one district spreads exit risk across very different demand curves.
Infrastructure is inside the plan, not adjacent to it
Schools, healthcare, retail and the theatre district are being delivered by the master developer, not left to future third parties.
The rail station changes the commute
A planned underground Etihad Rail stop turns an island address into a national-network address.
Abu Dhabi is early in its cycle
The emirate's prime market is younger and thinner than Dubai's, and Saadiyat is where its international demand concentrates.
The caveat: none of the above is investment advice, and no return is guaranteed. Prices, sizes, dates and specifications are as announced by Aldar Properties, remain subject to official confirmation and may change. Do your own due diligence and take independent professional advice before committing.
The developer
Aldar Properties
Aldar is Abu Dhabi's largest listed developer and the master developer behind much of the emirate's modern residential landscape, including Yas Island and Saadiyat Island itself. It is responsible here for the masterplanning, the infrastructure delivery and the long-term stewardship of the district.
That matters more than it sounds. On a scheme of this size, the developer is effectively underwriting the roads, the beaches, the schools and the marina — the parts that make the homes worth what they will be priced at.
Where things stand
The next twelve months.
All dates are expected and planned, and remain subject to confirmation by Aldar Properties.
Priority registration
The list is the only thing you can act on today.
There is no price list, no floor plan and no unit to reserve yet. What there is, is a queue — and on Aldar's Saadiyat launches the queue is what decides who gets the shoreline plots and who gets the second phase.
Two minutes now, first call later.
Tell us the collection you are interested in and how to reach you. That is all we need to put you in front of the release.
Questions buyers actually ask
Marsa Al Saadiyat, answered.
What is Marsa Al Saadiyat?
Marsa Al Saadiyat is a 6.4 million m² waterfront masterplan by Aldar Properties on Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, announced with a gross development value of AED 100 billion. It will include private mansions, luxury villas, waterfront apartments and branded residences, along with 8 km of waterfront, 5.6 km of beaches, a 350-berth marina, a theatre district, three schools and premium healthcare.
How much does a property at Marsa Al Saadiyat cost?
Prices have not been published. Aldar has not released pricing, unit sizes or floor plans for any of the four collections, and any figure circulating online is speculation. The price list is expected with the first release in the second half of 2026, and registered buyers receive it before it is made public.
When do sales start?
The first residential sales are expected in the second half of 2026, with enabling and infrastructure works expected to begin in Q3 2026. Both dates are as announced by Aldar and remain subject to confirmation.
Where exactly is Marsa Al Saadiyat?
On Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, on the shoreline adjacent to the Saadiyat Cultural District — the same island as the Louvre Abu Dhabi and the Zayed National Museum. Zayed International Airport is roughly 30 minutes away by car, traffic depending.
Who is the developer?
Aldar Properties, Abu Dhabi's largest listed real estate developer, acting as master developer. Aldar is responsible for the masterplanning, infrastructure delivery and long-term stewardship of the district.
Can foreigners buy at Marsa Al Saadiyat?
Saadiyat Island is a designated investment zone in Abu Dhabi, where non-UAE nationals can own property on a freehold basis. We confirm the exact title type and your eligibility in writing before you commit to anything, and we can complete a purchase remotely if you are outside the UAE.
What property types will be available?
Four collections have been confirmed: private mansions, luxury villas, waterfront apartments and branded residences. Bedroom counts, plot sizes and layouts within each collection have not yet been released.
Will there be a payment plan?
Aldar has not published a payment plan for Marsa Al Saadiyat. Off-plan launches in Abu Dhabi typically use a staged construction schedule with a deposit at booking, but the actual structure will be confirmed with the first release. Registered buyers receive it with the price list.
How big is the marina?
It is planned as Abu Dhabi's largest, with capacity for approximately 350 yachts and sailing boats, plus a dedicated yacht club and a one-kilometre waterfront promenade of retail and dining.
Is there really an Etihad Rail station?
An underground Etihad Rail high-speed station is included in the announced plans for the district, intended to connect it to the wider UAE rail network. Like the rest of the infrastructure programme, it is planned rather than complete.
What does registering actually get me?
Three things: the project information and price list as Aldar releases them, a call before the public launch rather than after it, and a Saadiyat specialist who already knows which collection you want. It costs nothing and carries no obligation to buy.
Are you Aldar?
No. Driven Properties is an independent, licensed real estate brokerage. We are not the developer of Marsa Al Saadiyat and this is not Aldar's official website. We represent buyers into the launch — which is why registering here costs you nothing.
Register
Get the price list before the public does.
Registration takes under two minutes and puts a Saadiyat specialist on your file for the launch.