UAE's Select Group buys beachfront plot on Palm Jumeirah

Developer plans to build branded luxury homes and an ultra-luxury boutique hotel in space between The One and Only and W Hotel resorts

Dubai developer Nakheel said it sold one of the few remaining beachfront plots on Palm Jumeirah’s West Crescent to the UAE-based real estate company Select Group and its joint venture partner Emirates Strategic Investments Company.

The companies are planning to develop branded luxury homes and a boutique hotel on the 17,919 square metre plot, master developer Nakheel said in a statement on Wednesday.

The joint venture already owned an adjacent plot spanning 47,474 sq m. The new purchase brings the group's total beachfront development area on Palm Jumeirah to more than 65,410 sq m, the statement added.

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The demand for tranquil beachfront locations has increased exponentially

Rahail Aslam, founder and group chief executive, Select Group

“The demand for tranquil beachfront locations has increased exponentially and our aim is to target the ultra-luxury segment,” Rahail Aslam, founder and group chief executive of Select Group, said.

Dubai's property market is seeing signs of recovery, driven by the emirate's economic support measures and government initiatives, including visas for expatriate retirees, remote workers and the expansion of the 10-year golden visa scheme.

Dubai registered a total of 25,455 real estate transactions worth Dh92 billion from January to April 2021, the Dubai Land Department said on Monday. This represented an increase of 51 per cent in terms of the volume of transactions and 72 per cent in terms of their value compared with the same period in 2020, the DLD said in a statement.

The emirate attracted 8,749 new investors between January and April 2021. They accounted for 65 per cent of the total number of real estate investors in that period and registered a growth of 54 per cent compared with the same period last year, the DLD added.

Palm Jumeirah figured among the top five communities for villa sales in April. In terms of apartment sales, Dubai Marina, Burj Khalifa, Palm Jumeirah, Business Bay and Al Thanyah Fifth registered the highest number of transactions in April, the agency said.

Located between the One & Only and W Hotel Palm Jumeirah, the plot is one of the last few remaining beachfront spaces in the development.

“We are excited to capitalise on [the] recent strong turnaround in [the] Dubai real estate sector by acquiring such quality assets,” Khalid Al Suwaidi, chief executive of ESIC, said.

The hotel operator and architects will be announced within the next few weeks, the companies said.

Select Group plans to start construction on the project before the end of the year, with a completion date expected in three years.

“We are delighted that all parties’ collaboration has concluded with the sale of one of the last remaining plots at our flagship master development, Palm Jumeirah,” a Nakheel spokesperson said.

Other projects built by Select Group include Jumeirah Living Marina Gate in Dubai Marina and 15 Northside in Business Bay.

Updated: May 26, 2021, 1:32 PM