Aldar Properties, Abu Dhabi’s biggest listed developer, is partnering with global hospitality company Hilton to develop Waldorf Astoria Residences on Yas Island.
The launch follows an announcement by Miral that a Disney theme park will be built on Yas Island, which is expected to increase Abu Dhabi's tourism potential and property demand in the island.
Aldar did not provide the total value of the project or its completion timeline but said it will offer an “exclusive selection” of premium furnished apartments and penthouses.
“Our partnership with Hilton will bring the Waldorf Astoria brand to Abu Dhabi for the first time, and further bolster the emirate’s position as a global destination of choice for both investment and long-term residency,” Talal Al Dhiyebi, group chief executive at Aldar, said in a statement on Monday.
The launch comes after the announcement of the Disney Theme Park Resort project last week, following a partnership agreement between the Walt Disney Company and Miral.
The new project will be fully developed and built by Miral, with Disney leading the creative design and operational supervision. Miral will also operate the theme park once the construction is complete.
The new project adds to other attractions in Yas Island including Ferrari World, Warner Brothers, Sea World Abu Dhabi and Yas Waterworld.
Last year, more than 38 million visitors visited Yas Island, 10 per cent more than the previous year, and theme park visits rose by 20 per cent.
In addition to the Disney attraction, there are plans to expand Yas Waterworld and add new rides to Ferrari World and Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi.
Aldar's latest launch also comes as demand for property remains strong across the UAE amid government initiatives such as residency permits for retired and remote workers, expansion of the 10-year golden visa programme and overall growth in the economy on diversification efforts.
Abu Dhabi recorded real estate deals worth Dh25.3 billion in the first quarter, up 34.5 per cent compared to the same period last year. Total transaction volumes reached 6,896, compared to 5,773 deals in the first quarter of last year, according to the latest report from the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre.
Saadiyat Island was the leading area for real estate transactions, recording deals amounting to Dh5.6 billion, followed by Yas Island, with Dh3.6 billion, and Mohammed Bin Zayed City, with Dh2.1 billion.
Sales for the Waldorf Astoria Residences are expected to begin in the coming weeks, according to Aldar.
Waldorf Astoria's global portfolio includes more than 20 residential properties currently open or in development.
Aldar, which reported nearly a 25 per cent jump its first quarter profit, announced the launch of Yas Riva, a villa community on Yas Island, last year.
It also unveiled Sama Yas, featuring a collection of 234 apartments, duplexes, and penthouses.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
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Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Medicus AI
Started: 2016
Founder(s): Dr Baher Al Hakim, Dr Nadine Nehme and Makram Saleh
Based: Vienna, Austria; started in Dubai
Sector: Health Tech
Staff: 119
Funding: €7.7 million (Dh31m)
The five pillars of Islam
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
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Founded: 2013
Based: Egypt, Cairo
Sector: IT
Employees: 100
Stage: Series A
Investors: Flat6Labs, Accel, Y Combinator and angel investors
Lexus LX700h specs
Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor
Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm
Transmission: 10-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh590,000
Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
The biog
Favourite car: Ferrari
Likes the colour: Black
Best movie: Avatar
Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The Sheikh Zayed Future Energy Prize
This year’s winners of the US$4 million Sheikh Zayed Future Energy Prize will be recognised and rewarded in Abu Dhabi on January 15 as part of Abu Dhabi Sustainable Week, which runs in the capital from January 13 to 20.
From solutions to life-changing technologies, the aim is to discover innovative breakthroughs to create a new and sustainable energy future.
Thor: Ragnarok
Dir: Taika Waititi
Starring: Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum, Mark Ruffalo, Tessa Thompson
Four stars
FINAL SCORES
Fujairah 130 for 8 in 20 overs
(Sandy Sandeep 29, Hamdan Tahir 26 no, Umair Ali 2-15)
Sharjah 131 for 8 in 19.3 overs
(Kashif Daud 51, Umair Ali 20, Rohan Mustafa 2-17, Sabir Rao 2-26)
