Abu Dhabi developer Aldar has sold an eight-bedroom ultra-luxury mansion for Dh400 million ($109 million), which it claimed was the most expensive home ever sold in the UAE capital.
Within beachfront project Faya Al Saadiyat, the mansion offers the largest allocation of space, spanning 6,561 square metres on Saadiyat Island, Aldar said in a statement on Thursday.
Its amenities include a private car gallery, a golf simulator and an in-house cinema, as well as wellness and fitness suites. It also offers direct access to a beach.
The sale comes amid robust growth in Abu Dhabi’s luxury real estate market, driven by rising demand from high-net-worth individuals, long-term residents and international investors, the company said.
"Saadiyat Island continues to attract homebuyers and investors from around the world," said Jonathan Emery, chief executive at Aldar Development.
"This sustained momentum reflects the success of Abu Dhabi’s long-term vision, enabled by progressive government policies, long-term residency initiatives and strategic investment in infrastructure, culture, and entertainment.”
Millionaire investors are increasingly looking towards Abu Dhabi property. The UAE capital is home to the highest number of luxury properties on sale in the country, with 352 homes for sale valued above $1 million, a recent report by real estate developer Bloom Holding found.
The highest property price growth in the country between 2020 and 2025 was in Abu Dhabi, with growth of 202 per cent, and 8,490 properties on sale increasing in value, the report found.
Low taxes and substantial sovereign wealth, along with high living standards, were listed as significant factors in attracting ultra-high-net-worth individuals to Abu Dhabi for long-term property investments.
Abu Dhabi's population has also increased from 2.7 million in 2014 to more than 4.1 million in 2024.
In the first three months of 2025, total real estate transactions in Abu Dhabi grew by 34.5 per cent annually, climbing to Dh25.3 billion, according to the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre (Adrec). The number of property deals during the period also increased more than 19 per cent to 6,896.
Adrec is focused on "upholding strong governance and regulatory oversight" of the sector, said Ghazi Al Otaibi, executive director of the real estate transactions sector at Adrec. "Transactions of this scale reflect the strength of a maturing market and the effectiveness of a regulatory framework we’ve put in place designed to support and attract responsible, high-value investment.”
The latest sale follows the Dh137 million sale of Aldar’s Nobu Residences Abu Dhabi penthouse on Saadiyat Island in March last year.
Aldar said it recorded Dh5 billion in sales on Saadiyat Island in the first half of this year. Foreign residents accounted for 86 per cent of buyers, including 46 per cent residents and 40 per cent non-residents. The buyers were mainly nationals of Russia, France, the UK, China and the US.
Faya Al Saadiyat is an exclusive luxury gated community with 21 homes, including two eight-bedroom mansions and 19 six to seven-bedroom villas, scheduled for completion in 2028. It is being designed by 1508 London Interior Design Studio and Nordic Office Architects.
