Yas Island vs Saadiyat Island: A Guide for Buyers
Yas Island and Saadiyat Island lie fifteen minutes apart by road in Abu Dhabi. Aldar, a government developer, is building new villa communities on both. Both sell on a 50/50 plan with 5% on booking. A four-bedroom villa starts at AED 7,900,000 at Yas Riva Reserve and at AED 13,500,000 at Talay. The plots average 711 and 738 sqm. Saadiyat is Abu Dhabi's culture hub, home to the Louvre Abu Dhabi and a Blue Flag beach. Yas is its entertainment hub, home to Yas Marina Circuit and the theme parks. We sell homes on both at zero commission.
Fact sheet
| Yas Island | Saadiyat Island | |
|---|---|---|
| The island | Man-made | Natural |
| The hub | Entertainment | Culture |
| Known for | Yas Marina Circuit, Ferrari World, Warner Bros. World, SeaWorld, Yas Mall | The Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Saadiyat Cultural District, Saadiyat Beach, Blue Flag certified since 2013 |
| Master developer | Aldar, a government developer | Aldar, a government developer |
| Villas we sell | Yas Riva Reserve | Talay and Talay Beach · Four Seasons Private Residences |
| Villas from | AED 7,900,000 | AED 13,500,000 |
| Villa payment plan | 50/50, 5% on booking | 50/50, 5% on booking |
| Villa handover | Q3 2030 | From Q4 2029 |
| Next district | Yas Point, AED 6 billion | Marsa Al Saadiyat, AED 100 billion |
| Registration | 2% plus AED 450; Aldar waives the 2% at Yas Riva Reserve | 2% plus AED 450 |
| Title | Freehold, all nationalities | Freehold, all nationalities |
Aldar villas on both islands, side by side
Aldar's newest villas on each island are Yas Riva Reserve on Yas and Talay at Marsa Al Saadiyat. They sell on the same plan, and the entry four-bedroom sits on a plot of a similar size.
| Four-bedroom villa | Yas Riva Reserve, Yas Island | Talay, Saadiyat Island |
|---|---|---|
| From (AED) | 7,900,000 | 13,500,000 |
| 5% on booking (AED) | 395,000 | 675,000 |
| Built-up area | 437 sqm average | 502 sqm |
| Plot | 711 sqm average | 738 sqm |
| Plan | 50/50 | 50/50 |
| Handover | Q3 2030 | Q4 2029 |
Every villa in both communities is standalone and gated. Yas Riva Reserve holds 292 villas on a canal opposite Yas Riva. Forty-five of them open onto the water, with room for a pontoon. Talay and Talay Beach hold 351 villas between them, with the beach up to one kilometre away.
Each has its own clubhouse. At Yas Riva Reserve it holds adult and children's pools, a gym, a yoga studio and a library, beside a retail village and a mosque. Talay carries a community pool, a gym, a pet park and the Landmark Fountain, with a school planned inside the community.
On Yas Riva Reserve, Aldar also waives the buyer's 2% registration fee and the first five years of service charge. On the four-bedroom that fee is AED 158,000.
Ask an advisor about the homes in this area.
Speak to an advisorHow to choose
| If you want | Yas Island | Saadiyat Island |
|---|---|---|
| A villa from | AED 7,900,000 | AED 13,500,000 |
| Six bedrooms from | AED 10,500,000 | AED 17,200,000 |
| A villa on the water | 45 canal-front villas at Yas Riva Reserve, from AED 13,300,000 | Four Seasons Private Residences on Saadiyat Beach, from AED 69,900,000 |
| The earliest handover | Q3 2030 | Q2 2028, at Vida Residences |
Buyers who want a pontoon at the end of the garden look at the waterfront villas at Yas Riva Reserve. Families who want the beach and the museums within walking reach look at Talay and Talay Beach, where a school is planned inside Talay. A beachfront villa run by a Four Seasons team is at the Four Seasons Private Residences on Saadiyat Beach. Apartments on Saadiyat start at AED 2,850,000 at Vida Residences Saadiyat Island. Close to Yas, Sobha City Abu Dhabi in Al Bahia starts at AED 4,960,000 for a three-bedroom garden villa, 13 minutes from Yas Mall.
Location
Saadiyat Island sits off Abu Dhabi's north-eastern shore, joined to the mainland by the Sheikh Khalifa Bridge and to Yas Island beyond it. Aldar's next island, Fahid Island, lies between the two.
Yas Island, the entertainment hub
Yas is a man-made island. It began its transformation in 2006 and has hosted the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix since 2009. Yas Mall is Abu Dhabi's largest mall. The island also holds Ferrari World, Yas Waterworld, Warner Bros. World, SeaWorld, CLYMB, Yas Marina Circuit, Etihad Arena, Yas Bay and the Yas Links golf course. The theme parks sit close together and run their own free shuttle. Disney Abu Dhabi and Sphere Abu Dhabi are coming to the island. NOYA British School and Yas American Academy are on Yas, and Aldar's communities there include Yas Acres, West Yas, Mayan and Yas Riva.
Saadiyat Island, the culture hub
Saadiyat is a natural island. Saadiyat Beach has held Blue Flag certification since 2013, and Hawksbill turtles nest on its shore. Mamsha Beach and Kai Beach sit close to the Cultural District and its restaurants. The Louvre Abu Dhabi opened in 2017, and NYU Abu Dhabi's campus is on the island. Zayed National Museum, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, the Natural History Museum, teamLab Phenomena and the Abrahamic Family House stand in the Saadiyat Cultural District. Cranleigh Abu Dhabi, Muna British Academy, the American Community School, Lycée Théodore Monod and Berklee Abu Dhabi are on the island, with Harrow Abu Dhabi to come.
Drive times
| From | To | Drive time |
|---|---|---|
| Yas Riva Reserve | Zayed International Airport | 10 minutes |
| Yas Riva Reserve | Saadiyat Island | 15 minutes |
| Yas Riva Reserve | Dubai | 50 minutes |
| Sei Saadiyat | The city centre and the Corniche | 12 minutes |
| Four Seasons Private Residences, Saadiyat Beach | ADGM and Al Maryah Island | 20 minutes |
| Sei Saadiyat | Yas Island | 20 minutes |
| Sei Saadiyat | Zayed International Airport | 25 minutes |
An Etihad Rail high-speed station alongside Talay puts Dubai thirty minutes away by train.
What is coming to each island
| Yas Point, Yas Island | Marsa Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat Island | |
|---|---|---|
| Unveiled | 10 July 2026 | 22 July 2026 |
| Gross development value | AED 6 billion | AED 100 billion |
| Area | About 600,000 sqm | 6.4 million sqm |
| Residents | 5,000 | More than 58,000 |
| Waterfront | The first beach on the north side of Yas, and a 700-metre promenade | 5.6 km of beach, and a marina of 350 berths |
| Parks | Three public parks, anchored by the 60,000 sqm Lea Park | A Central Park of 73,800 sqm |
| Education | An international school for about 3,600 students | Three schools and six nurseries |
Payment plan
Both villa communities take 5% on booking and half the price on handover.
| Yas Riva Reserve | Talay and Talay Beach | |
|---|---|---|
| On booking | 5% | 5% |
| During construction | 45%, across seven dated instalments to September 2029 | 45%, across six dated instalments to June 2029 |
| On handover | 50% | 50% |
| Handover | Q3 2030 | Talay Q4 2029 · Talay Beach Q4 2030 |
Each project page carries its schedule in full.
Registration in Abu Dhabi is 2% of the price to the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre, plus the AED 450 DARI fee. Off-plan payments go into a registered escrow account. At Yas Riva Reserve, Aldar waives the 2% for the buyer. The full fee breakdown is in our Dubai vs Abu Dhabi off-plan costs guide.
The homes
On Yas Island
| Project | Type | From (AED) | Booking | Plan | Handover |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yas Riva Reserve | 4, 5 and 6-bedroom villas | 7,900,000 | 5% | 50/50 | Q3 2030 |
| Villa | Average area | Average plot | From (AED) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4-bedroom inland | 4,704 sq ft | 7,653 sq ft | 7,900,000 |
| 5-bedroom inland | 5,188 sq ft | 8,913 sq ft | 9,300,000 |
| 6-bedroom inland | 5,791 sq ft | 10,075 sq ft | 10,500,000 |
| 5-bedroom waterfront | 5,942 sq ft | 8,633 sq ft | 13,300,000 |
| 6-bedroom waterfront | 6,555 sq ft | 13,928 sq ft | 14,500,000 |
On Saadiyat Island
| Project | Type | From (AED) | Booking | Plan | Handover |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vida Residences Saadiyat Island | Apartments | 2,850,000 | 10% | 10 / 30 / 60 | Q2 2028 |
| Sei Saadiyat | Apartments, lofts | 2,950,000 | 5% | 50/50 | Q4 2030 |
| Talay and Talay Beach | 4, 5 and 6-bedroom villas | 13,500,000 | 5% | 50/50 | From Q4 2029 |
| Four Seasons Private Residences | 5 and 6-bedroom Garden Villas | 69,900,000 | 5% | 5 / 35 / 60 | Q4 2029 |
Talay's five-bedroom villa starts at AED 15,500,000 and its six-bedroom at AED 17,200,000. Every Saadiyat project we sell is set out in our Saadiyat Island off-plan guide.
Close to Yas Island
| Project | Type | From (AED) | Booking | Plan | Handover |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sobha City Abu Dhabi | 3 to 6-bedroom garden and estate villas | 4,960,000 | 20% | 60/40 | December 2029 |
Sobha City sits in Al Bahia, 13 minutes from Yas Mall and 14 minutes from Zayed International Airport. Every estate villa carries a private lift and a private pool.
About Aldar
Aldar is a government developer and Abu Dhabi's largest, listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange. It built Yas Island and Saadiyat Island, and its districts on both are still releasing.
On Yas, Aldar's communities include Yas Acres, West Yas, Mayan and Yas Riva, with Yas Riva Reserve and Yas Point the newest. On Saadiyat it built the Saadiyat Cultural District homes at Sei Saadiyat, and its final district on the island is Marsa Al Saadiyat.
Every Aldar project we cover, with prices, plans and handover dates, is on our Aldar page.
Yas Island vs Saadiyat Island: A Guide for Buyers — Questions buyers ask
Are Saadiyat Island and Yas Island the same?
No. They are two islands fifteen minutes apart by road, with Fahid Island between them. Yas is a man-made island and the entertainment hub. Saadiyat is a natural island and the culture hub.
Where do villas start on each island?
Villas we sell start at AED 7,900,000 on Yas Island, at Yas Riva Reserve. On Saadiyat Island they start at AED 13,500,000, at Talay.
Is Saadiyat Beach a certified beach?
Yes. Saadiyat Beach has held Blue Flag certification since 2013, and Hawksbill turtles nest on its shore.
How far is each island from ADGM and the airport?
From Saadiyat Beach, ADGM and Al Maryah Island are twenty minutes and Zayed International Airport twenty-five. From Yas Riva Reserve, the airport is ten minutes.
Can foreigners buy on Yas Island and Saadiyat Island?
Yes. Property on both islands is freehold to all nationalities.
What are the payment plans?
Yas Riva Reserve and Talay both take 5% on booking, 45% during construction and 50% on handover.
When do the new villas hand over?
Yas Riva Reserve in Q3 2030. Talay from Q4 2029, and Talay Beach from Q4 2030.
What fees do buyers pay?
Registration is 2% of the price plus AED 450 on both islands. At Yas Riva Reserve, Aldar waives the 2%.
How far is Yas Island from Saadiyat Island?
Fifteen minutes by road from Yas Riva Reserve.
How far is Dubai?
Fifty minutes by road from Yas Riva Reserve. An Etihad Rail station at Marsa Al Saadiyat puts Dubai thirty minutes away by train.
What schools are on each island?
NOYA British School and Yas American Academy are on Yas Island, with an international school for about 3,600 students planned at Yas Point. Cranleigh Abu Dhabi, Muna British Academy, the American Community School and Lycée Théodore Monod are on Saadiyat, with Harrow Abu Dhabi to come.
What is coming to Yas Island?
Yas Point, a waterfront district of 1,600 residences with the first beach on the north side of Yas. Disney Abu Dhabi and Sphere Abu Dhabi are also coming to the island.
What is coming to Saadiyat Island?
Marsa Al Saadiyat, a district of 6.4 million sqm with a marina, 5.6 km of beach and a Central Park. Dar Al Funoon Abu Dhabi opens inside it in 2030.
Is Yas Island or Saadiyat Island better for families?
Both islands have schools on them. Yas has NOYA British School and Yas American Academy, with a school for about 3,600 students planned at Yas Point. Saadiyat has Cranleigh Abu Dhabi, Muna British Academy and the American Community School, with a school planned inside Talay.
Are there villas under AED 5 million near Yas Island?
Yes. Sobha City Abu Dhabi, 13 minutes from Yas Mall, starts at AED 4,960,000 for a three-bedroom garden villa.
Can I buy an apartment on Yas or Saadiyat?
We sell apartments on Saadiyat at Vida Residences Saadiyat Island, from AED 2,850,000, and at Sei Saadiyat, from AED 2,950,000.
Does a villa on either island qualify for the Golden Visa?
A purchase of AED 2,000,000 or more can qualify for the ten-year Golden Visa. In Abu Dhabi, at least AED 2,000,000 must be paid to the developer on an off-plan home.
Do you charge commission?
No. The developer pays us, so you pay nothing.
Price your own deal
We sell in both emirates at zero commission. Send us the project and we will work out the whole bill — the percentage, the fixed fees, and the ones the tables get wrong.