Published: 2026-08-25
Eagle Hills Properties, the Abu Dhabi developer chaired by Mohamed Alabbar, has confirmed that it is undertaking the development of Lulu Island, the 400-hectare man-made island that sits about 500 metres off the Abu Dhabi Corniche. The confirmation was given to The National on 2026-08-25. The company did not disclose a masterplan, unit count or launch date, but the site is no longer idle: cranes and excavators are working on the island, boats are ferrying construction crews from the mainland, and a handful of show homes facing the city have appeared in recent weeks. Under the Plan Abu Dhabi 2030 framework the island is designed for an estimated population of 20,000, and aerial photographs show a canal being cut through its centre. Property advisers expect low-rise villas, apartments and mansions, with bridge links to the Corniche, Marina Mall and Mina Zayed, and say project details could be released within the next 12 months.
What Eagle Hills has actually confirmed
The statement is short and deliberately narrow. “We can confirm that the development will be undertaken by Eagle Hills Properties,” the company told The National, adding that “further information regarding the project, including any additional details, will be communicated in due course through our official channels and those of our partners.” That is the entire official position as of 2026-08-25: the developer is named, the project is under way, and everything else, from unit mix to pricing and handover, is still to be announced.
What is visible on the ground says more than the statement. Boats from a local rental operator have been carrying workers to the island daily, heavy machinery is in use across the site, and several show homes have been built on the city-facing shore. Show homes are normally the last step before a sales launch, which is why the market reads the confirmation as the start of a real project rather than another masterplan on paper.
Lulu Island in numbers
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Area | 400 hectares of reclaimed sand |
| Distance from the Corniche | About 500 metres |
| Construction of the island | 1986 to 1992, built as a breakwater against high tides |
| Projected population (Plan Abu Dhabi 2030) | About 20,000 residents |
| Access today | Boat only; bridges to Abu Dhabi Island are expected |
| Developer | Eagle Hills Properties (chairman Mohamed Alabbar) |
| Status on 2026-08-25 | Earthworks and a canal under way, show homes built, details pending |
The Plan Abu Dhabi 2030 document describes Al Lulu Island as “perhaps the most important element of the Capital City Framework,” noting that every trip into downtown Abu Dhabi ends with a view of it. The framework proposes the island as a primary site for telling the story of the emirate’s history and culture, with beaches and green space rather than a dense tower district. The name comes from the Arabic word for pearl, a reference to the pearling trade on which Abu Dhabi was built before oil.
Three decades of false starts
Lulu Island has a long history of plans that never left the drawing board, which is why the current activity matters. In 2002 Al Geemi Contracting won an AED 25 million development contract. In 2007 the island opened to the public with two restaurants, four coffee shops, a track for camel and horse riding, two artificial lakes and a passenger ferry from the city. The same year Sorouh Real Estate appointed the Miami architecture firm Arquitectonica to design a full masterplan.
The 2008 financial crisis stopped the project. The ferry service ended in January 2009, and the island was effectively closed to the public. Sorouh merged with Aldar Properties in 2013, and the masterplan was never revived. The island briefly reopened to visitors in 2023, when Public Art Abu Dhabi ran bus tours and installed artworks among the sand and scrub. Until this summer, that was the last public use of a site that had been earmarked for development for more than 20 years.
Who Eagle Hills is
Eagle Hills is an Abu Dhabi-based private developer led by Mohamed Alabbar, the founder of Emaar Properties and the man behind Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall. The company has projects in more than 20 countries and is the master developer of Ramhan Island, a luxury waterfront community off the Abu Dhabi coast that has been one of the emirate’s more prominent off-plan launches. A developer with that track record taking on the capital’s most visible undeveloped site is a different proposition from the 2007 attempt, and the market is treating it accordingly.
What the market expects: low-rise, canals and bridges
Because Eagle Hills has released no plan, the current picture comes from advisers who track the site. Lasse Frederik Pedersen, senior investment adviser at Equiti Real Estates, told The National that the intent is low-rise buildings of three to four floors, and that information on apartments, villas and mansions should be available “hopefully in the next 12 months.” Eyal Ashur, founder of Nooma Properties, pointed to the island’s connectivity: three potential links, to Marina Mall, to the Corniche and to the Mina Zayed redevelopment. Aerial photos already show the canal forming through the middle of the island.
- Low-rise residential product, capped at three to four floors, according to advisers.
- Villas, apartments and mansions, with beaches and green space as set out in Plan Abu Dhabi 2030.
- A canal through the centre of the island, visible in current aerial imagery.
- Bridges to Abu Dhabi Island, giving direct road access to the Corniche, Marina Mall and Mina Zayed.
- Project details, including unit types, expected within the next 12 months; no official launch date yet.
These are expectations, not commitments. Until Eagle Hills publishes its masterplan, none of the density, product or timing points above should be treated as final.
Why the timing matters: Abu Dhabi’s demand cycle
The confirmation lands in a strong market. According to the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre, residential sales in the emirate reached AED 70.4 billion in H1 2026, and Hudayriyat Island alone sold AED 19 billion, or 27% of the total, as we covered in our article on Hudayriyat Island leading the Abu Dhabi property market. Modon sold more than 1,800 units in six days in June 2026, a UAE sales record cited by Mr Pedersen. Advisers also note that the number of hedge funds and family offices setting up in Abu Dhabi has grown through 2026, and that demand has held up despite the rent freeze currently in place in the emirate.
Lulu Island is a different product from Hudayriyat or Saadiyat. It is a downtown waterfront site, a few hundred metres from the Corniche promenade, the Emirates Palace and the financial district on Al Maryah Island, and it will be the first large release of low-rise homes with a direct view of the city skyline. For buyers who want central Abu Dhabi rather than a resort island, it is the first new supply of its kind in a generation.
What this means for investors and businesses relocating to Abu Dhabi
For our clients, most of whom are founders, investors and family offices moving capital to the UAE, a project like Lulu Island is rarely a stand-alone purchase. Several practical points follow from the confirmation.
- Foreign ownership in Abu Dhabi is possible only inside designated investment zones. Lulu Island’s status has not been announced; confirm it before reserving any unit.
- Off-plan purchases from a new master community should be checked against the ADREC project and escrow registration once the launch is announced.
- Property of AED 2 million or more supports a 10-year Golden Visa application for the owner and family, which is often the reason a purchase is combined with company formation.
- Holding structure matters: personal name, a UAE company or an ADGM special purpose vehicle carry different disclosure, cost and inheritance implications.
- Developers and the land registry expect payments from a UAE bank account, so account opening should run in parallel with the purchase, not after it.
How Atlant Capital can help
Atlant Capital supports investors and entrepreneurs who are setting up in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. We handle company formation in the UAE, including ADGM and free zone structures suitable for holding property, arrange residence and Golden Visa applications for owners and their families, and manage corporate and personal bank account opening so that a purchase on Lulu Island or any other Abu Dhabi community can be funded and held through a compliant structure from day one.
Conclusion
After more than 30 years as an empty breakwater, Lulu Island has a named developer, active construction and show homes on its shore. Eagle Hills has confirmed only that it is building; the masterplan, unit mix, prices and timing are still to come, with advisers expecting details within 12 months. Given the island’s location, its 400 hectares and a projected 20,000 residents, it will be one of the most closely watched launches in Abu Dhabi. Investors who want early access should use the waiting period to settle the practical questions: ownership eligibility, holding structure, visa route and banking.
FAQ
Who is developing Lulu Island in Abu Dhabi?
Eagle Hills Properties, the Abu Dhabi developer chaired by Mohamed Alabbar, confirmed on 2026-08-25 that it is undertaking the development of Lulu Island. The company has not yet published a masterplan, unit count or launch date and says further details will be released through its official channels and those of its partners.
How big is Lulu Island and where is it?
Lulu Island is a 400-hectare artificial island built from reclaimed sand between 1986 and 1992 as a breakwater. It lies about 500 metres from the Abu Dhabi Corniche, opposite the city centre, and is currently reachable only by boat. Bridges to Abu Dhabi Island, with links to the Corniche, Marina Mall and Mina Zayed, are expected as part of the development.
What will be built on Lulu Island?
Eagle Hills has not released details. Plan Abu Dhabi 2030 provides for an estimated 20,000 residents, beaches and green space, and property advisers expect low-rise buildings of three to four floors with villas, apartments and mansions. Aerial photographs show a canal being formed through the middle of the island, and several show homes have already been built on the city-facing shore.
Can foreigners buy property on Lulu Island?
In Abu Dhabi foreign nationals can own property only inside designated investment zones. Lulu Island’s status has not been announced yet, so eligibility should be confirmed with the developer and the Abu Dhabi Real Estate Centre before any reservation. If the island is designated an investment zone, a purchase of AED 2 million or more would also support a 10-year Golden Visa application.
