The new villas will be centred on four fronds of the Palm Jebel Ali island. Photo: Nakheel
The new villas will be centred on four fronds of the Palm Jebel Ali island. Photo: Nakheel
The new villas will be centred on four fronds of the Palm Jebel Ali island. Photo: Nakheel
The new villas will be centred on four fronds of the Palm Jebel Ali island. Photo: Nakheel

Dubai's Nakheel launches first villa project on Palm Jebel Ali


Sunil Singh
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Nakheel, the developer behind The Palm Jumeirah in Dubai, has launched the first waterfront villa project on the Palm Jebel Ali, amid strong demand for luxury homes in the emirate.

The project, which will be centred on four fronds of the island, will offer two types of villas – coral villas and beach villas – each of will be available for sale in eight styles, the company said on Monday.

The new villas will offer beachside views. Photo: Nakheel
The new villas will offer beachside views. Photo: Nakheel

The villas “draw inspiration from the beauty of nature” and will feature floor-to-ceiling windows with view of the private beaches, it said.

The development will offer residents an “active lifestyle with wide walkable streets, allowing for pedestrians and cyclists to access the beach through pocketed parks”.

It did not provide a timeline for the project or pricing details.

The launch of the project follows the unveiling of new master plan for the Palm Jebel Ali development by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, in June.

“We are delighted to bring Palm Jebel Ali to market at this exciting time, with the island playing a transformative role in shaping the city’s future, raising the global benchmark on waterfront living,” Rasha Hasan, chief commercial officer of Nakheel, said.

The villa project involves several international and regional architectural firms, Nakheel said.

Dubai's property market has bounced back strongly from the coronavirus-induced slowdown, helped by government initiatives such as residency permits for retired and remote workers.

Dubai's luxury residential market is expected to record the highest growth rate for any prime market globally, at 13.5 per cent in 2023, driven by a demand-supply imbalance and positive economic growth, Knight Frank said in a report in May.

The emirate's luxury home sales hit Dh6 billion ($1.63 billion) in the first quarter of 2023, with wealthy buyers snapping up 88 units valued at more than $10 million, it said.

The Palm Jebel Ali masterplan. It will feature 80 hotels and resorts when complete. Photo: Nakheel
The Palm Jebel Ali masterplan. It will feature 80 hotels and resorts when complete. Photo: Nakheel

When completed, Palm Jebel Ali will be twice as big as Palm Jumeirah and will feature seven islands and 16 fronds adding about 110km to Dubai’s coastline.

It is expected to provide 35,000 families with beachside residences, green spaces and other amenities, as well as 80 hotels and resorts.

The project also marks the beginning of a new growth corridor in the Jebel Ali area, underlining the expansion of the emirate, in line with the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan and the Dubai Economic Agenda D33, Nakheel said.

The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index

The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index

Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.

The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.

“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.

“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”

Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.

Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.

“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.

The specs

Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder MHEV

Power: 360bhp

Torque: 500Nm

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Price: from Dh282,870

On sale: now

Updated: September 18, 2023, 9:40 AM