The name Aldar will come up a lot if you want to buy, rent, or invest in real estate in Abu Dhabi or Dubai. It is Abu Dhabi's biggest publicly traded real estate company. And over the past 20 years, it has built, sold, and operated some of the UAE's most famous homes, malls, and offices. This complete guide to Aldar Properties will give you a clear look at them, what they own, their projects in Abu Dhabi, and why people keep going back to them to buy and rent homes.
Who Is Aldar?
Contrary to what many think, the Abu Dhabi government actually owns Aldar Properties, which was founded on January 12, 2004. Alpha Dhabi, a state wealth fund in the UAE, has the most shares, and the Abu Dhabi stock market is where its shares are bought and sold. The current Group CEO is Talal Al Dhiyebi, and Mohammed Al Mubarak is the founder and chairman of the company.
Aldar has two main divisions: Aldar Development sells real estate in the best places in the UAE, and Aldar Investment takes care of investments that generate profits for the investors and the government. The global arm of the company also takes care of SODIC in Egypt and London Square in the United Kingdom. The company is also listed with the Dubai Land Department as Developer No. 1631. This shows how far it has grown since its start in Abu Dhabi.
Projects in Abu Dhabi
The main islands and growing zones of Abu Dhabi are where Aldar has done the most work.
Yas Island
The most well-known project of Aldar Properties is Yas Island. Aldar has built houses in Yas Acres, a luxury Yas Mall, and W Abu Dhabi. With entertainment giants, such as Ferrari World, Yas Waterworld, Warner Bros. World, and the Yas Marina Circuit, Yas Island is now a place for fun.
Saadiyat Island
Aldar Properties has been building high-end homes on Saadiyat Island, which is close to many important art sites. Saadiyat Island projects include Mamsha Al Saadiyat, located right next to the beach, and Saadiyat Lagoons, which are luxury homes close to Louvre Abu Dhabi and the upcoming Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.
Al Raha Beach
In Al Raha Beach, owners can enjoy both views of the water and city life. Aldar is building houses in Al Raha Gardens in the style of a marina in Al Bandar and high-rise apartments in Al Muneera. Other Abu Dhabi projects include Al Mamoura and the Abu Dhabi Central Market, also known as the Souq.
Aldar Moves into Dubai
Aldar Properties has grown quickly in Dubai since 2023. It did very well when it came to Dubai with two private community projects. A lot of the sales were to expats and people from other countries. Haven by Aldar, Athlon, and The Wilds are the three key parts of Dubai.
Haven, which was its first product to come out in Dubai, sold out rapidly. The first "active living" community in Dubai, Athlon, sold all of its homes worth AED 1.1 billion in just 48 hours. Its third community in Dubai, The Wilds, is all about nature and green areas, featuring amenities such as parks, walking trails, and eco-friendly designs that promote outdoor living.
In 2024, Aldar made one of the biggest deals in the Dubai real estate market when it bought a tower in DIFC. He also bought an office building in Dubai Internet City. It also announced a mixed-use project worth Dh1.75 billion that will be built in Expo City Dubai. The group is now working on more than 40 projects in Dubai, some of which are just beginning to be planned.
Sectors and Subsidiaries
Aldar does not just build homes. Its work spans several sectors:
Homes:
Villas, flats, and townhouses across Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Retail:
Yas Mall is one of the biggest malls in the UAE.
Hotels:
The W Abu Dhabi on Yas Island is one of several hotel assets.
A new Yas Business Park with four towers and 47,500 square meters of space is being planned. It will be for businesses that need space near Zayed Airport. Because it wants to grow and then hold on to its properties, Aldar has also been buying and building warehouses and logistics facilities in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, such as at Dubai National Industries Park.
Milestones & Deals
In recent years of Aldar, a few important events stand out:
- Aldar Properties and Sorouh Real Estate fully merged in 2013, but the name Aldar stayed with the new company that emerged.
- Aldar Properties bought the United Kingdom firm London Square for 230 million pounds, which is about 1.07 billion United Arab Emirates dirhams in 2023.
- The company started 12 projects in 2024 and saw its net profit rise 47 percent. Its total group sales hit 33.6 billion dirhams, which is a 20 percent year-over-year increase.
- By the third quarter of 2025, sales had grown 43 percent year over year to 23.6 billion dirhams, and the backlog of sales had reached a record 66.5 billion dirhams.
Aldar Properties & Its Rivals
Another company in Abu Dhabi that is closest to Aldar is Mubadala Real Estate. However, they often work together instead of going up against each other. Adar has tougher competitors in Dubai, such as Emaar, Meraas, and Nakheel. But Aldar has a big advantage in Abu Dhabi, as it is the most well-known name there, and no one else has as much land or projects as it does.
In the first quarter of 2025, 87 percent of its sales in the UAE came from buyers from outside the UAE. This was one of the biggest percentages in the market. This is real value around the world, not just in one place. Aldar has also teamed up with big names like Apollo Global and Mubadala to do deals that require a lot of money.
Aldar for Buyers, Renters, and Investors
Aldar Properties communities, like Haven and Yas Acres, are great places for families to rent because they are well-run, have clear payment plans, and are well-built. Since the company has sold out in hours, had record backlogs, and does business all over the world, investors believe it more than any other company in the UAE market.
The AED 9 billion sustainability-linked loan deal it made is the biggest deal of its kind in the Middle East, which shows that Aldar is planning for the long term and not just building quickly. When it comes to Abu Dhabi builders, Aldar is one of the few whose track record, size, and plans all match up.
