Luxury living in Abu Dhabi just got a major upgrade. Mubadala Investment Company and TARAF, the real estate arm of Yas Holding, have teamed up with Kerzner International to bring a brand-new collection of One&Only Private Residences to Al Maryah Island. If you’ve been watching the Abu Dhabi property market for your next big move, this is the kind of announcement that tends to grab attention fast.
Why Al Maryah Island is turning heads in Abu Dhabi real estate
Al Maryah Island has already made a name for itself as one of Abu Dhabi’s premium addresses, known for high-end retail, finance and hospitality. Adding One&Only Private Residences to the mix pushes it further into the luxury property spotlight. Kerzner International, the company behind this, is an independent developer and operator with a strong track record in luxury hospitality and residential properties worldwide. That track record matters because buyers of high-end homes often look for a trusted brand name attached to the project, not just a nice location.
For UAE and GCC residents following the investment news cycle, this deal is a reminder that Abu Dhabi keeps attracting serious capital into real estate. When a sovereign investor like Mubadala gets involved alongside an established real estate player like TARAF, it signals confidence in the long-term value of the project and the island itself. That kind of backing tends to matter to anyone thinking about where to park money in property, whether as a future resident or as an investor eyeing rental and resale potential down the line.
Who signed off on this Abu Dhabi luxury residences deal
The partnership was announced during LIVEX 2026, and it came with a fairly senior lineup on both sides. The agreement was witnessed by Dr. Bakheet Al Katheeri, Chief Executive Officer of Mubadala’s UAE Investments platform, along with Wissam El Dik, Chief Development Officer of Taraf Development, and Juan Aguilar, President of Real Estate at Kerzner International.
On the signing side, Ali Eid AlMheiri, Executive Director of Diversified Assets at Mubadala’s UAE Investments Platform, put pen to paper, as did Low Ping, Group Chief Executive Officer of Yas Holding, and Philippe Zuber, Chief Executive Officer of Kerzner International. Having this level of leadership present shows how much weight all three organisations are putting behind the project. It is not a side venture for any of them. It is a headline move, announced at a dedicated real estate event, with the top executives from each company putting their names to it.
The involvement of Mubadala is worth noting on its own. As an Abu Dhabi sovereign investor, Mubadala’s decisions tend to reflect broader confidence in where the emirate’s economy is heading. Pairing that with TARAF, which is part of Yas Holding’s investment holding structure, and Kerzner, a name already associated with luxury properties, suggests this project is being built as a long-term flagship rather than a quick launch. For residents and investors in the UAE and wider GCC, that combination of sovereign wealth, local real estate expertise and an international hospitality brand is exactly the formula that has driven some of the region’s most talked-about developments in recent years.
There’s also a bigger picture here. Luxury branded residences, where a hospitality name like One&Only lends its identity to private homes, have become a growing trend across the UAE. Buyers get hotel-style services and amenities attached to a private home, and developers get to charge a premium for the branding and the guaranteed quality standards that come with it. Placing this concept on Al Maryah Island, already a dense hub of finance and luxury retail, fits neatly into that pattern.
So what happens next? The announcement confirms the partnership and the location, but it does not yet detail pricing, unit numbers, or a launch date for sales. Anyone interested in the Al Maryah Island project, whether as a potential buyer or simply someone tracking Abu Dhabi’s property market, will want to watch for further details from Mubadala, TARAF and Kerzner as the collaboration moves from agreement to actual development. Given the seniority of everyone involved in signing off on this deal, more specifics are likely to follow soon.
