New Dubai villas to be built at sea next to the Burj Al Arab

They will set any perspective buyers back Dh40 million

Nine new villas are set to be built next to the Burj Al Arab by 2021. Courtesy Fam Properties 

In what is set to be one of the most luxurious addresses in the UAE, a row of nine villas next to the Burj Al Arab has been announced.

The Exclusive 9 will be built on reclaimed land, past the spot at sea that used to be home to popular sunset bar 360, which closed its doors in May 2018.

The Dubai Properties project of nine sea-facing villas is set to be ready in October 2021, and prices start at Dh40 million according to luxuryproperties.com.

The villas will be spread out over 15,000sq ft, and claim to be "the true epitome of elegance and it will offer the true luxury living experience with rare and most desirable luxurious contemporary residences."

The project is located where Marsa Al Arab, which was announced in 2017, was expected to be located. But the new build seems to have been scaled back.

There is, however, a new hotel being built on the island, which can be seen in the renderings of the nine new villas.

The 400-key luxury hotel is already in the early stages of construction, but the name is yet to be revealed.

Original plans for Marsa Al Arab included a Marine Park, theatre that would be home to Cirque du Soleil,  2.2 kilometres of beach and Dubai Pearl Museum, which would have told the story of the region's rich pearl diving history.

Residents' concerns 

The new development has caused controversy, as residents worry that the extension of the marina will "block all waves and will deprive tourists, expats and locals of the last place to surf in Dubai" at Sunset Beach (the Umm Suqeim Open Beach), according to a change.org petition.

"The negative impact will affect the communities built around surfing in the UAE," the petition, which had over 10,000 signatures at the time of writing, goes on to say.