Omniyat is celebrating its 20th anniversary, marking two decades of design-led development and visionary ambition. Last weekend, the milestone was concluded with a grand finale celebration at The Lana, Dorchester Collection, Dubai.
The company says the city has been defined by ambition with the notion of “firsts” often associated with scale, speed or spectacle.
But during the past 20 years, the pioneering developer believes it has approached that philosophy differently.
Omniyat says a first is not simply about being the earliest to market or tallest on the skyline - it is about redefining what is possible through design, craftsmanship and quality.
The developer cites a reputation built on treating development as a “curatorial discipline” rather than a commercial exercise. It says architecture, lifestyle, art and service are considered together and shaped by a belief the company calls The Art of Elevation.
“It’s an ethos that has quietly produced a series of regional and global firsts that have helped recalibrate Dubai’s relationship with luxury, architecture and place-making,” Omniyat’s spokesman tells The National.
One of the most enduring of these is The Opus, a Business Bay landmark completed in 2017.
This unique structure was imagined entirely by the late Dame Zaha Hadid and remains the only inhabitable building in the Middle East personally designed by the celebrated Iraqi-British architect.
“Sculpted as a fluid cube carved by a dramatic void, The Opus reintroduced Dubai to architecture as a cultural expression, and it set the tone for Omniyat’s future trajectory,” says the spokesman.
“As Dubai matured, Omniyat’s vision expanded beyond singular architectural moments to encompass experience-led living.”
That evolution came into focus with One at Palm Jumeirah, the first residential development in the region to be managed by the revered Dorchester Collection.
This progressive collaboration brought hotel-grade service and craftsmanship into a private residential setting to deliver “a new benchmark for waterfront living”. It also marked another first, via a headline-making penthouse sale that redefined price ceilings in Dubai’s residential market.
Omniyat says the theme of pushing boundaries continued with AVA at Palm Jumeirah, a development defined by engineering as much as aesthetics.
“With just 17 residences and a one-home-per-floor concept, AVA culminated in a four-level Sky Palace crowned by the region’s first 360-degree outdoor infinity pool in a private residence,” says the spokesman.
“The project was not designed to maximise density, but to explore what ultra-luxury could mean when space, privacy and architectural daring are prioritised above all else.”
Hospitality became another “frontier for innovation” when the developer opened The Lana, Dorchester Collection, Dubai in 2024.
Omniyat says the hotel, in the Burj Khalifa District, introduced a quieter, more restrained interpretation of luxury that was defined by proportion, light and detail rather than excess.
This stand-out address was also home to several regional firsts, including the Middle East’s first Dior Spa; this reinforced the company’s tendency to “pair architectural ambition with cultural and experiential distinction”.
Omniyat says its influence extends beyond buildings, however, as its approach to luxury has consistently embraced culture, gastronomy and moments that “cannot be replicated”.
“From hosting world-class artistic performances in rare settings to bringing globally celebrated culinary talent to Dubai for the first time, the company has treated experience as a form of architecture in its own right - ephemeral, but no less carefully curated,” says its spokesman.
“That philosophy is also shaping Omniyat’s vision for urban regeneration.”
This is most evident in Dubai’s Marasi Bay, where the developer is transforming a once-fragmented commercial area into what it calls an integrated ultra-luxury waterfront ecosystem.
Among its most notable firsts is the introduction of the district’s first beach club, alongside superyacht marinas, floating parks, wellness spaces and curated public realms; a rethink of how waterfronts function within dense urban environments.
Omniyat also extended the idea of elevation into the workplace with the launch of Lumena.
This saw the company introduce the region’s first open-air Sky Theatre atop a commercial tower to blend culture, community and work in a single vertical expression. At 260 metres above ground, Omniyat says the space is a statement about how future workplaces might prioritise inspiration alongside productivity.
The company’s ambitions show no sign of slowing as it celebrates 20 years of progress, however.
Looking ahead, projects such as The Alba on Palm Jumeirah signal a new chapter in Omniyat’s “narrative of firsts”.
This was conceived as the world’s first beachfront garden retreat and designed by Zaha Hadid Architects.
The development reflects a growing emphasis on well-living, landscape integration and emotional balance - something the company calls an architectural response to the pace of modern life.
Across its portfolio, from The Opus and One at Palm Jumeirah to Ava, The Lana, Vela, Vela Viento and Lumena, Omniyat declares that it has demonstrated that true innovation is rarely about novelty alone.
“Instead, it lies in the discipline of doing fewer things, better; of allowing design, service and experience to evolve together,” adds the company’s spokesman.
“As Dubai continues to define its next phase, Omniyat’s firsts are not loud declarations, but carefully considered interventions, moments where architecture, culture and human experience align.”
In doing so, the pioneering developer concludes that it has shown that the most enduring form of leadership is not simply being first, but being thoughtful about why it matters.
And it has a 20-year legacy of Dubai landmarks - with more on the horizon - to back that up.
This page was produced by The National in partnership with Omniyat
