• Alpago Properties has announced the sale of their signature villa, Riva Del Lusso, for Dh130 million. All photos: Alpago Properties
    Alpago Properties has announced the sale of their signature villa, Riva Del Lusso, for Dh130 million. All photos: Alpago Properties
  • Riva Del Lusso has five bedrooms and seven bathrooms
    Riva Del Lusso has five bedrooms and seven bathrooms
  • It was designed by Massimo Castagna and multi-award-winning companies Saota, Interni Design Experience and CK Architecture
    It was designed by Massimo Castagna and multi-award-winning companies Saota, Interni Design Experience and CK Architecture
  • There are views out towards the Atlantis, The Palm
    There are views out towards the Atlantis, The Palm
  • The villa comes with both a pool and beach access
    The villa comes with both a pool and beach access
  • It is one of six signature villas that Alpago is developing
    It is one of six signature villas that Alpago is developing
  • An earlier villa sale by the company broke the record for Dubai's most expensive property
    An earlier villa sale by the company broke the record for Dubai's most expensive property

Billionaires' Row on Palm Jumeirah 'now most exclusive street for Dubai’s rich and famous'


Ian Oxborrow
  • English
  • Arabic

Dubai's “Billionaires' Row”, which sits on Frond G of The Palm Jumeirah, is now said to be “the most exclusive street for Dubai’s rich and famous”.

This is according to Murat Ayyildiz, the chairman of Alpago Group, which has developed six signature villas there, with the latest one, Riva Del Lusso, having sold this week for Dh130 million ($35.3 million).

Earlier this year, another of Alpago's signature villas, Casa Del Sole, sold for a Dubai property market record of Dh302 million amid a booming market — especially in the prime sector.

“Dubai is the luxury playground of the wealthiest people in the world,” Mr Ayyildiz told The National.

“With the continued investment and influx of rich individuals, there will be more demand for high-end luxury property and Billionaire’s Row is guaranteed to become one of the most sought-after neighbourhoods in the world.”

Prime residential values in Dubai, which encompass The Palm Jumeirah, Emirates Hills and Jumeirah Bay, have risen by 89 per cent in the past 12 months, according to a report by property consultancy Knight Frank.

Palm Jumeirah villa prices are the most expensive in Dubai at Dh3,704 per square foot in October, data from CBRE show. Prices have risen in each of the past six month, sometimes by as much as 5 per cent on a month-by-month basis.

Alpago has completed construction of three of the six villas and has sold four of them.

One of the most expensive villas sold in Dubai is Casa Del Sole. Photo: Alpago Properties
One of the most expensive villas sold in Dubai is Casa Del Sole. Photo: Alpago Properties

There is another villa scheduled to be finished by the end of the year, another one before end of the first quarter of 2023 and the last one by the end of next year, Mr Ayyildiz said.

He is confident that all of them will be sold.

“Right now, the demand for luxury real estate is at an all-time high,” he said. “Post-pandemic Dubai has seen a huge influx of several new ultra-wealthy individuals, which has boosted the demand for luxury properties.

“Billionaires' Row feeds the needs of these individuals, and it is a little haven of perfection in the heart of this bustling metropolis.”

The company is also developing a penthouse building at West Beach on The Palm Jumeirah, called Palm Flower, which will have only 10 properties spread across 11 floors.

Alpago will have “plenty more developments in the coming months and years”, Mr Ayyildiz said.

He expects more market records to be set amid the government's encouragement for growth and investment.

“While we are very proud to have sold one of Dubai’s most expensive villas, we knew that because of the market structure, it would not be for long until we hear of another big sale,” he said.

The Riva Del Lusso villa is spread across 10,000 square feet and has five bedrooms, seven bathrooms, private beach access, a private swimming pool and views of the Atlantis and Royal Atlantis.

It is one of only a handful of villas on The Palm with custom-made basement parking, which can house six cars comfortably, Alpago Properties said.

Palm Jumeirah has also registered a recent rental record after a villa was leased on a six-month basis for Dh4 million.

And the most expensive rental deal in Jumeirah Islands was also recorded at Dh1.2 million as rents and prices rise on the back of the wider economic recovery in the UAE.

What is Folia?

Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal's new plant-based menu will launch at Four Seasons hotels in Dubai this November. A desire to cater to people looking for clean, healthy meals beyond green salad is what inspired Prince Khaled and American celebrity chef Matthew Kenney to create Folia. The word means "from the leaves" in Latin, and the exclusive menu offers fine plant-based cuisine across Four Seasons properties in Los Angeles, Bahrain and, soon, Dubai.

Kenney specialises in vegan cuisine and is the founder of Plant Food Wine and 20 other restaurants worldwide. "I’ve always appreciated Matthew’s work," says the Saudi royal. "He has a singular culinary talent and his approach to plant-based dining is prescient and unrivalled. I was a fan of his long before we established our professional relationship."

Folia first launched at The Four Seasons Hotel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills in July 2018. It is available at the poolside Cabana Restaurant and for in-room dining across the property, as well as in its private event space. The food is vibrant and colourful, full of fresh dishes such as the hearts of palm ceviche with California fruit, vegetables and edible flowers; green hearb tacos filled with roasted squash and king oyster barbacoa; and a savoury coconut cream pie with macadamia crust.

In March 2019, the Folia menu reached Gulf shores, as it was introduced at the Four Seasons Hotel Bahrain Bay, where it is served at the Bay View Lounge. Next, on Tuesday, November 1 – also known as World Vegan Day – it will come to the UAE, to the Four Seasons Resort Dubai at Jumeirah Beach and the Four Seasons DIFC, both properties Prince Khaled has spent "considerable time at and love". 

There are also plans to take Folia to several more locations throughout the Middle East and Europe.

While health-conscious diners will be attracted to the concept, Prince Khaled is careful to stress Folia is "not meant for a specific subset of customers. It is meant for everyone who wants a culinary experience without the negative impact that eating out so often comes with."

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Company: Idealz

Founded: January 2018

Based: Dubai

Sector: E-commerce

Size: (employees): 22

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  • Add all their personal details, including name, nationality, passport number, Emiratis ID, email and phone number
  • Upload the training certificate from a centre accredited by the GCAA
  • Submit their request
What are the regulations?
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  • Never over populated areas
  • Ensure maximum flying height of 400 feet (122 metres) above ground level is not crossed
  • Users must avoid flying over restricted areas listed on the UAE Drone app
  • Only fly the drone during the day, and never at night
  • Should have a live feed of the drone flight
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Produced: Panorama Studios International

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Cast: Sunny Singh, Maanvi Gagroo, Grusha Kapoor, Saurabh Shukla

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Cyclists must wear a helmet, arm and knee pads

Have a white front-light and a back red-light on their bike

They must place a number plate with reflective light to the back of the bike to alert road-users

Avoid carrying weights that could cause the bike to lose balance

They must cycle on designated lanes and areas and ride safe on pavements to avoid bumping into pedestrians

What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE

Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.

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Director: James Cameron

Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana

Rating: 4.5/5

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1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull

2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight

3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge

4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own

5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed

Groom and Two Brides

Director: Elie Semaan

Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla

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Name: JustClean

Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries

Launch year: 2016

Number of employees: 130

Sector: online laundry service

Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding

Updated: November 25, 2022, 9:07 AM