Marsa Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat Island · Aldar
Aldar's first homes at Marsa Al Saadiyat — 351 standalone villas in two gated communities on Saadiyat Island, from AED 13.5M on 5% down, handing over from Q4 2029.
Marsa Al Saadiyat by Aldar: Saadiyat Island’s Final District
Key facts
Verified by NARVA · 17 September 2026- Developer
- Aldar Properties, a government developer
- Former name
- Saadiyat Marina District
- Location
- Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi
- Gross development value
- AED 100bn — Aldar builds AED 60bn
- Total area
- 6.4 million sqm
- Coastline
- 8 km, of which 5.6 km beachfront
- Marina
- 177,000 sqm · 350 berths
- Central Park
- 73,800 sqm
- Green space
- 73.8 hectares across the district
- Planned population
- More than 58,000 residents
- Home types
- Mansions, villas, apartments, branded residences
- Tenure
- Freehold, all nationalities
- Buyer fees
- 2% ADREC pre-registration + AED 450 DARI
- First release
- Talay and Talay Beach, on sale from 23 September 2026
- Prices
- Set by release — Talay villas from AED 13,500,000
Project Gallery
Marsa Al Saadiyat Prices
Priced by release
Aldar prices Marsa Al Saadiyat release by release. Each release gets its own page with its full price list, sizes and plan.
| Release | Homes | From | On sale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Talay and Talay Beach | 351 standalone villas, four to six bedrooms | AED 13,500,000 | 23 September 2026 |
Apartments come to the district in a later release.
Marsa Al Saadiyat Payment Plan
Set by release
Each release carries its own plan. Talay and Talay Beach take 5% on booking, six dated instalments to 50%, and 50% on handover.
Buying at Marsa Al Saadiyat:
- Marsa Al Saadiyat is freehold, open to all nationalities.
- Abu Dhabi transfer costs are 2% pre-registration with the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre plus an AED 450 DARI fee.
- Off-plan purchases in Abu Dhabi go into a registered escrow account.
- A purchase of AED 2 million or more qualifies the buyer for the 10-year Golden Visa.
About This Project
Marsa Al Saadiyat, formerly Saadiyat Marina District, is the last major district of Saadiyat Island. Aldar unveiled it in July 2026, when the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi opened a masterplan with a gross development value of AED 100 billion. Aldar is a government developer.
6.4M sqm
District area
8 km
Coastline, 5.6 km of beach
350
Marina berths
58,000+
Planned residents
The district runs along 8 km of coastline. 5.6 km of that is beach.
The marina sits at the centre. It covers 177,000 sqm and holds 350 berths, from sailing boats to superyachts. It is the largest marina in Abu Dhabi. A 1 km promenade runs beside it, carrying restaurants, shops, a yacht club and two hotels.
The district holds 73.8 hectares of green space, with the Central Park at its heart and neighbourhood parks and green corridors carrying the rest. 46 km of cycling track and 140 km of walking paths run through it.
Three schools sit inside the district — two private, one public — plus six nurseries and two clinics. NYU Abu Dhabi and Cranleigh Abu Dhabi are already next door.
The homes
The district will hold private mansions, luxury villas, waterfront apartments and branded residences. The villas include a hillside community of standalone homes rising to 22.5 metres above sea level.
The first release is Talay and Talay Beach: 351 standalone villas in two gated communities, on sale since 23 September 2026. Four-bedroom villas start at AED 13,500,000 with 5% on booking. Of the AED 100 billion gross development value, Aldar builds AED 60 billion.
AED 100bn — of which AED 60bn is Aldar’s
Already standing on Saadiyat
The Louvre Abu Dhabi opened in 2017. NYU Abu Dhabi’s campus is on the island. Mamsha, Saadiyat Beach and Saadiyat Grove are built and lived in. The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and Zayed National Museum are under construction on the headland alongside.
The releases
Talay and Talay Beach are the first release, with 351 standalone villas. Apartments follow in a later release, and each new release is added here.
Why this project
The last major district on Saadiyat
6.4 million square metres closing out an island that already holds the Louvre, NYU Abu Dhabi, Mamsha, Saadiyat Beach and Saadiyat Grove.
The largest marina in Abu Dhabi
177,000 square metres with capacity for 350 berths, from sailing boats to superyachts, inside a residential district, which has no real equivalent in the emirate.
8 km of coast, 5.6 km of it beach
A one-kilometre promenade of restaurants, retail and a yacht club runs alongside the water, with two luxury hotels on the same stretch.
More park than a waterfront plan usually gets
73.8 hectares of green space, with 46 km of cycling track and roughly 140 km of walking path.
A proven market, not a frontier one
Saadiyat Island recorded AED 13.3 billion of residential transactions in the first half of 2026 — second only to Hudayriyat across the whole emirate.
Half the Dubai transfer cost
Abu Dhabi charges 2% pre-registration to ADREC plus an AED 450 DARI fee. Dubai’s 4% and Oqood charges do not apply.
Marsa Al Saadiyat 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. Marsa Al Saadiyat takes the district once earmarked as Saadiyat Marina, on the island’s western side, facing the Abu Dhabi skyline across the channel. Aldar’s release inside the Cultural District, on the other side of the island, is Sei Saadiyat. The first homes inside Marsa Al Saadiyat are Talay and Talay Beach.
The cultural anchors already stand or are under construction. The Louvre Abu Dhabi opened in 2017. NYU Abu Dhabi’s campus is on the island. The Guggenheim Abu Dhabi, the Zayed National Museum and the Natural History Museum Abu Dhabi form the Saadiyat Cultural District to the north-east. The masterplan includes a walkway connecting the new district to it.
Dar Al Funoon Abu Dhabi sits alongside the district. The Department of Culture and Tourism is building it, and Frank Gehry designed it.
It holds four venues: a 2,000-seat main hall, a 3,500-seat open-air amphitheatre, a 400-seat studio theatre and a 250-seat jazz venue. Add 5,000 sqm of restaurants and shops. It opens in 2030, and Aldar’s theatre district is built around it.
Inside the district, daily life is built to be walkable. The 1 km promenade carries the retail and dining core, including a stretch Aldar calls The Culinary Mile. The Waterfront Wellness Club offers fitness, a waterfront pool, private cabanas and dining. Beach clubs sit on the sand. Community clubhouses, resort pools and sports courts spread through the neighbourhoods.
An Etihad Rail underground high-speed station sits alongside Talay and Talay Beach, inside a transit-oriented hub, and puts Dubai thirty minutes away.
Every off-plan project we sell on the island, and what each one costs, is set out in our Saadiyat Island off-plan guide.
Life at Marsa Al Saadiyat
About ALDAR
Aldar Properties is a government developer, founded in 2004 and listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange in 2005, with Mubadala as its largest shareholder. It is the emirate's principal master developer, behind Yas Island, Al Raha Beach, Saadiyat Beach, Mamsha Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat Grove and Saadiyat Lagoons.
AED 33.8B
FY2025 revenue, up 47%
AED 8.8B
FY2025 net profit, a record
AED 71.6B
Development backlog
60M sqm
UAE land bank
In 2025 Aldar reported revenue of AED 33.8 billion and a record net profit, the strongest year in its history.
In Dubai it builds through a joint venture with Dubai Holding. Its apartments there are at Rise by Athlon in Dubailand, and its large villas at Athlon Villas. Back in Abu Dhabi, its release inside Saadiyat Cultural District is Sei Saadiyat, its family release between the two cities is Al Ghadeer Gardens, and its next island, between Saadiyat and Yas, is set out in our guide to Fahid Island.
Marsa Al Saadiyat — Frequently Asked Questions
What is Marsa Al Saadiyat?
It is a 6.4 million square metre waterfront district on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, developed by Aldar Properties with a gross development value of AED 100 billion. It was unveiled on 22 July 2026 by the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and is the final major phase of the Saadiyat Island masterplan.
Was Marsa Al Saadiyat previously called something else?
Yes. The district was known as Saadiyat Marina District. The name changed to Marsa Al Saadiyat at the July 2026 launch. “Marsa” means harbour or anchorage in Arabic.
What is the first release at Marsa Al Saadiyat?
Talay and Talay Beach by Aldar: 351 standalone villas in two gated communities, on sale from 23 September 2026.
How much does property at Marsa Al Saadiyat cost?
Prices are set release by release. At Talay and Talay Beach, the first release, four bedroom villas start at AED 13,500,000 and five bedrooms at AED 15,500,000. Six bedrooms start at AED 17,200,000.
What is the payment plan at Marsa Al Saadiyat?
Each release carries its own plan. Talay and Talay Beach take 5% on booking, six dated instalments to 50%, and 50% on handover.
When does Marsa Al Saadiyat launch for sale?
The first release, Talay and Talay Beach, went on sale on 23 September 2026.
When will Marsa Al Saadiyat be completed?
The district is built in releases. Talay hands over from Q4 2029 and Talay Beach from Q4 2030. Dar Al Funoon Abu Dhabi opens in 2030.
What types of home will be available?
Private mansions, luxury villas, waterfront apartments and branded residences. A hillside community of standalone villas rises to 22.5 metres above sea level. The first release is 351 standalone villas at Talay and Talay Beach.
How big is the marina at Marsa Al Saadiyat?
The marina covers 177,000 square metres — 17.7 hectares — with capacity for 350 berths, sized from sailing boats to superyachts. Aldar describes it as the largest marina in Abu Dhabi.
Is Marsa Al Saadiyat freehold, and can foreigners buy?
Yes. It is freehold and open to buyers of all nationalities. A purchase of AED 2 million or more also qualifies the buyer for the UAE’s 10-year Golden Visa.
What schools are planned inside Marsa Al Saadiyat?
Three schools — two private and one public — plus six nurseries and two clinics. The district also sits close to NYU Abu Dhabi and to five established schools including Cranleigh Abu Dhabi.
Is there an Etihad Rail station at Marsa Al Saadiyat?
Yes. An Etihad Rail underground high-speed station sits alongside Talay, inside a transit-oriented hub, and puts Dubai thirty minutes away.
Is Dar Al Funoon part of Marsa Al Saadiyat?
Dar Al Funoon Abu Dhabi anchors the district's theatre quarter. The Department of Culture and Tourism is building it, and Frank Gehry designed it. It holds four venues with more than 6,000 seats in total and opens in 2030.
How much green space does Marsa Al Saadiyat have?
73.8 hectares across the district. Within it sits a Central Park of 73,800 square metres, which is 7.38 hectares.
How does Marsa Al Saadiyat compare with the rest of Saadiyat Island?
Saadiyat already holds the Louvre Abu Dhabi, NYU Abu Dhabi, Mamsha Al Saadiyat, Saadiyat Beach, Saadiyat Grove and Saadiyat Lagoons, with the Guggenheim and Zayed National Museum under construction. Marsa Al Saadiyat is the island's final large district, built around a 350-berth marina.
Can I sell before handover?
Yes. Resale before handover needs a No Objection Certificate from Aldar, issued once its payment threshold is met.
Still deciding? A private-client advisor can walk you through availability, payment plans, and whether this project fits your brief.
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