Updated
Updated · CNN · Jul 13
Aldar Development Builds $11 Billion Abu Dhabi Wellness Island With 6,000 Homes
Updated
Updated · CNN · Jul 13

Aldar Development Builds $11 Billion Abu Dhabi Wellness Island With 6,000 Homes

1 articles · Updated · CNN · Jul 13

Summary

  • Fahid Island is slated to fully open in 2029 as a 40 billion-UAE-dirham ($10.9 billion) Abu Dhabi project centered on resident wellbeing rather than resort-style wellness tourism.
  • Aldar plans more than 6,000 homes across a 2.7 million-square-meter site, anchored by a 10-kilometer Berm Park, three cycling routes and a 15-kilometer pedestrian network with over 70% shaded.
  • Along the island’s 11-kilometer coastline, apartment prices start at 1.9 million dirhams ($517,000) and rise to 7.6 million dirhams ($2 million), with beach clubs, retail and watersports hubs planned.
  • Fitwel gave the island its maximum three-star rating — which Aldar says is a world first for a community — and King’s College School Wimbledon plans to open a campus there in September 2028.
  • The project taps a broader push toward wellness architecture, as developers argue walkable, greener neighborhoods can improve physical and mental health over the long term.

Insights

Will Abu Dhabi's wellness island be a model for public health or an exclusive paradise for the wealthy?
What is the true environmental cost of creating a sustainable wellness utopia from scratch on the coast?
Can a community engineered for happiness actually deliver on its promise of lifelong well-being?