Luxury property on the Jumeirah coast: Aman Dubai, the MGM island and Asora Bay

Old Jumeirah was for decades a district of private villas, public beaches and the Burj Al Arab on the horizon. The stretch of coast from La Mer down to the sail-shaped hotel is now filling with something the region has not had before: global luxury hotel brands, reclaimed islands and residential buildings of a few dozen homes each. Three projects show how ultra-prime waterfront works in Dubai, and where its risks sit.

Aman Dubai: a resort and 82 residences

Aman is among the most expensive hotel groups in the world. Its Dubai project is being delivered by H&H Development on a new peninsula on the Jumeirah coast, alongside a Rosewood, a beach, a superyacht marina and a promenade. The plan calls for around 100 suites and 82 branded residences designed by Kerry Hill Architects, plus an Aman club and spa. When it was announced in 2024, opening was set for 2027.

Residences like these are not bought for rental yield; they are bought for scarcity. There will be fewer than a hundred of them in the city and no second batch. We explained how to value that kind of asset in our piece on trophy property.

The MGM island: Bellagio, Aria and MGM Grand

Just offshore, near the Burj Al Arab, the government developer Wasl and MGM Resorts are building a 25-acre island. It will carry three hotels — Bellagio, Aria and MGM Grand, around 1,400 keys in total — plus residences and a podium of about 250,000 sq ft. Opening was originally planned for early 2027; MGM now guides to the second half of 2028.

The open question is gaming. The resort is being built without a casino, but the podium is designed so one could be added if a licence were granted. The UAE has had a federal commercial gaming regulator since 2023, and its first licence went to Wynn in Ras Al Khaimah. There is no decision for Dubai as of September 2026, and it should not be priced into a purchase.

Asora Bay: a 29-home building

Jumeirah Asora Bay by Meraas is a 12-storey beachfront building at La Mer with around 29 apartments and penthouses from four bedrooms. Projects like this sell an address rather than square footage: no holiday-let neighbours, a private beach and Jumeirah-branded service. The same stretch includes Solaya at La Mer and the completed Bvlgari Resort & Residences on Jumeirah Bay.

What it means for buyers

• Coastline is finite. Each new brand on Jumeirah reinforces the coast as the city's most expensive address and supports neighbouring values.
• Luxury slips too. MGM's opening moved by about eighteen months; a brand is no insurance against delay.
• A brand premium is not income. Branded homes sell higher and cost more to run. What the premium actually buys is covered in our branded residences analysis.

This is a market of a handful of trades a year, where price is set by the specific apartment, floor and view rather than by any index.

Homes, prices and completed buildings on the coast are on the Jumeirah area page.