Al Maryah Island expansion: Aldar and Mubadala to build out the north side for AED 60bn+

Al Maryah Island is where Abu Dhabi does business: ADGM, the Four Seasons and Rosewood towers, The Galleria. There is almost no land left on it, and the last large plot, on the north shore, has now been handed to a single scheme. On 10 December 2025 Mubadala and Aldar announced a joint venture to build it out. As of September 2026 the project is at the enabling-works stage.

The numbers

Item	Figure
Ownership	Aldar 60%, Mubadala 40%
Land	about 500,000 sqm on the north side
New built area	1.5m sqm mixed use
Gross development value	above AED 60bn
Grade A offices	450,000+ sqm, doubling the island's supply
Homes	3,000+ waterfront residences
Retail	40,000+ sqm
Access	three new bridges — to Al Reem, the mainland and towards Saadiyat

The plan also includes hotels, a marina, the Abu Dhabi Convention Centre, 2.5 km of air-conditioned walkways, 12,000+ parking spaces and a bay fountain firing water up to 75 metres. A fifth of the site is set aside as open space.

Why the capital needs twice the office space

This is ADGM's growth expressed in concrete. At the time of the announcement the financial centre reported more than 11,000 active licences and around 40,000 professionals; by the first half of 2026 it was close to 14,000 licences and over 49,000 people. Grade A space on Al Maryah is full, and tenants have been spilling onto Al Reem, which has been inside ADGM's jurisdiction since 2023 — see ADGM on Al Reem and the funds moving in.

What it means for residential buyers

The direct effect is on the neighbours. Three bridges shorten the commute from Al Reem into the financial district, and Saadiyat will be under ten minutes away. For an Al Reem landlord that is a rental argument: finance staff want to live close to the office, and 450,000 sqm of new offices means thousands of such tenants over the build-out.

The indirect effect is competition. More than 3,000 premium homes on Al Maryah itself will eventually give buyers a third option alongside Al Reem and Saadiyat. No launch date for the residential component has been announced, so any "investor pool" quoting an entry price ahead of an official launch deserves scrutiny: project registration and escrow first, money second.

For Aldar this continues a two-year pattern of locking up the last undeveloped plots in the strongest locations, after Yas Point and the 2.3m sqm of Yas and Saadiyat land covered in Aldar's Yas and Saadiyat landbank.

How the island works today and what homes near the financial district cost is on our Al Maryah Island page.