A rendering of Nobu on Saadiyat Island. Photo: Aldar
A rendering of Nobu on Saadiyat Island. Photo: Aldar
A rendering of Nobu on Saadiyat Island. Photo: Aldar
A rendering of Nobu on Saadiyat Island. Photo: Aldar

Aldar to bring region’s first Nobu branded residences to Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat Island


Ian Oxborrow
  • English
  • Arabic

Aldar Properties has entered into an exclusive partnership with Nobu Hospitality to launch a new luxury hotel, branded residences and a fine dining experience at Abu Dhabi's upmarket Mamsha Al Saadiyat.

The five-star hotel will have 165 guest rooms and suites and a rooftop Nobu Villa, Aldar said on Monday.

It is expected to open in 2026 and will have four food and beverage venues including the first Nobu restaurant in Abu Dhabi, state-of-the-art wellness and fitness centre, opulent swimming pools and expansive event and conference facilities.

Alongside the hotel, the development is planned to have the first branded Nobu residences in the Middle East and the second worldwide.

The residences will have raised gardens overlooking the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, a state-of-the-art gym, a movie room, swimming pools, indoor and outdoor play areas and exclusive access to a lounge.

“Our partnership with Nobu is a testament to Aldar’s ability to attract international partners and demonstrates the increasing appeal of Abu Dhabi as a leading destination for international investors and visitors — to be home to the second Nobu residences worldwide and the first in the Middle East clearly demonstrates this,” said Talal Al Dhiyebi, group chief executive at Aldar Properties.

“The new project activates Aldar’s existing prime land bank in Mamsha Al Saadiyat and will bolster our portfolio of high-quality and recurring income-generating properties across residential, hospitality and leisure segments.”

Aldar has launched a number of projects on Saadiyat Island this year as the property market rebounds amid a wider economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

Last month, the company launched Saadiyat Lagoons, a nature-inspired residential community on the east side of Saadiyat Island, within the 6.2 million square metre plot acquired by Aldar earlier in the year.

It had 207 villas released in its first phase, which were exclusively available for Emirati buyers. Prices started from Dh6.1 million.

It also launched apartments at its Grove District near Zayed National Museum, Louvre Abu Dhabi and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi. It will include five residential buildings with 612 units.

In March, it announced Louvre Abu Dhabi Residences, which will have views of the museum with its famed silver dome. It has an expected handover date of 2025 and will comprise 400 apartments.

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Louvre Abu Dhabi Residences — in pictures

The bio

Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Favourite travel destination: Maldives and south of France

Favourite pastime: Family and friends, meditation, discovering new cuisines

Favourite Movie: Joker (2019). I didn’t like it while I was watching it but then afterwards I loved it. I loved the psychology behind it.

Favourite Author: My father for sure

Favourite Artist: Damien Hurst

The biog:

Languages: Arabic, Farsi, Hindi, basic Russian 

Favourite food: Pizza 

Best food on the road: rice

Favourite colour: silver 

Favourite bike: Gold Wing, Honda

Favourite biking destination: Canada 

Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

Rating: 3/5

The alternatives

• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.

• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.

• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.

2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.

• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases -  but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.

Labour dispute

The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.


- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law 

THE BIO

Occupation: Specialised chief medical laboratory technologist

Age: 78

Favourite destination: Always Al Ain “Dar Al Zain”

Hobbies: his work  - “ the thing which I am most passionate for and which occupied all my time in the morning and evening from 1963 to 2019”

Other hobbies: football

Favorite football club: Al Ain Sports Club

 

EXPATS
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History's medical milestones

1799 - First small pox vaccine administered

1846 - First public demonstration of anaesthesia in surgery

1861 - Louis Pasteur published his germ theory which proved that bacteria caused diseases

1895 - Discovery of x-rays

1923 - Heart valve surgery performed successfully for first time

1928 - Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin

1953 - Structure of DNA discovered

1952 - First organ transplant - a kidney - takes place 

1954 - Clinical trials of birth control pill

1979 - MRI, or magnetic resonance imaging, scanned used to diagnose illness and injury.

1998 - The first adult live-donor liver transplant is carried out

Women%E2%80%99s%20T20%20World%20Cup%20Qualifier
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Timeline

2012-2015

The company offers payments/bribes to win key contracts in the Middle East

May 2017

The UK SFO officially opens investigation into Petrofac’s use of agents, corruption, and potential bribery to secure contracts

September 2021

Petrofac pleads guilty to seven counts of failing to prevent bribery under the UK Bribery Act

October 2021

Court fines Petrofac £77 million for bribery. Former executive receives a two-year suspended sentence 

December 2024

Petrofac enters into comprehensive restructuring to strengthen the financial position of the group

May 2025

The High Court of England and Wales approves the company’s restructuring plan

July 2025

The Court of Appeal issues a judgment challenging parts of the restructuring plan

August 2025

Petrofac issues a business update to execute the restructuring and confirms it will appeal the Court of Appeal decision

October 2025

Petrofac loses a major TenneT offshore wind contract worth €13 billion. Holding company files for administration in the UK. Petrofac delisted from the London Stock Exchange

November 2025

180 Petrofac employees laid off in the UAE

Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere

Director: Scott Cooper

Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong

Rating: 4/5

Updated: November 28, 2022, 1:12 PM