The UAE’s Northern Emirates are entering a new phase of construction-led expansion, with Ras Al Khaimah and Sharjah, in particular, advancing multibillion-dollar housing, hospitality, transport and utility projects.
These emirates are no longer simply satellite markets to Dubai. They are building independent economic and tourism infrastructure, with construction activity increasingly concentrated in mixed-use and waterfront destinations designed to support long-term population growth and visitor demand.
The pipeline spans master-planned communities, a cluster of Al Marjan Island resort projects, rail and road links, as well as desalination and wastewater assets.
Ras Al Khaimah deserves special mention, where the construction of Wynn Al Marjan Island, the UAE’s first integrated resort, is proving to be the most significant near-term catalyst for development across the emirate. Wynn’s 1,530-room resort will include 22 restaurants, lounges and bars, a theatre, beach club, 99-berth marina, 15,000-sq-m shopping promenade and 7,500-sq-m events centre. Its scale is expected to create demand not only for hotel rooms but also for residential units, retail, transport capacity and utilities across the wider emirate (see separate article).
The $5.7-billion beachfront project, which is scheduled to open in September 2027, is increasingly drawing investors and supporting development to Al Marjan Island.
Nearly two-thirds of the emirate’s 8,500 planned hotel keys through 2030 will sit on Al Marjan Island, and around 10,000 of the 34,000-plus homes due between 2026 and 2030 are branded residences – evidence that the resort is already shaping supply composition, not just sentiment, according to CBRE, a global leader in commercial real estate services.
Developers including Almal, Elevate, Ardee, Richmind, Beyond, WOW Resorts and Wynn-Marjan’s Janu joint venture have launched or advanced projects on or near Al Marjan, positioning the island as the Northern Emirates’ most concentrated luxury hospitality and branded-residential construction cluster.
“RAK is undergoing major infrastructure investment in roads, aviation and maritime, strengthening regional connectivity and supporting the emirate’s 2030 economic diversification and competitiveness goals,” said Yousir Habib, Associate Director at Cavendish Maxwell Ras Al Khaimah.
The emirate is also witnessing increased investment. During H1 2026, the RAK Chamber of Commerce and Industry reported AED771.5 million ($210 million) in new investment capital across 967 newly registered establishments, attracting 1,399 investors from 68 nationalities and supporting the creation of 2,449 expected jobs.
The Northern Emirates’ construction outlook is underpinned by strong demand, government-backed infrastructure and a broadening developer base. But the scale and simultaneity of projects will test delivery capacity, particularly across Al Marjan Island, where multiple luxury hospitality and residential schemes are progressing toward overlapping completion windows in 2027-29.
Aljada spans 2.2 million sq m and is expected to comprise about 25,000 residential units at full build-out.
Transport
Connectivity between the Northern Emirates and Dubai and Abu Dhabi received a significant boost with the launch of Etihad Rail’s passenger operations between Mohamed bin Zayed City in Abu Dhabi and Fujairah on June 30, 2026. Travel time between Fujairah and Abu Dhabi is 105 minutes, and Fujairah to Dubai is 70 minutes, with trains operating at speeds of up to 200 km/h and carrying up to 400 passengers.
Fujairah Department of Tourism and Antiquities’s Director Saeed Abdullah Al Samahi said launch of rail services represents a strategic development that enhances Fujairah’s tourism profile and creates new opportunities for economic growth by facilitating the movement of visitors between the UAE’s emirates.
Etihad Rail said 70 per cent of materials used in developing the national railway network were sourced locally through 97 domestic suppliers, underscoring the project’s role in supporting UAE manufacturing and supply chains as well as transport connectivity.
Road investment is also accelerating. For Ras Al Khaimah, connectivity is particularly important to the Wynn-led tourism build-out. The 548-m Wynn Bridge will connect Al Marjan Island through Wynn Boulevard to the E311 and E611 highways, creating a direct link between Dubai, the Northern Emirates and the resort.
In Sharjah, projects worth AED750 million were announced in June to construct and develop internal and main roads linking the emirate and Dubai, including a new tunnel intended to ease traffic movement between the two emirates.
Alef Group has launched Linar, an AED4-billion waterfront project in Al Mamzar, Sharjah.
Water/wastewater projects
Water infrastructure is another priority. Etihad Water and Electricity’s (EtihadWE) development and investment arm signed an engineering, procurement and construction agreement with NMDC Infra and Lantania Aguas for the Fujairah I Independent Water Producer (IWP) project.
The 60-million-imperial-gallons-per-day (MIGD) seawater reverse osmosis desalination plant involves a total investment value of AED1.046 billion. It will be built within the Port of Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman, with access to maritime and land infrastructure. Completion is expected in about 30 months.
Once operational, the Fujairah plant is intended to support households, businesses and strategic industries during peak demand and strengthen resilience across the utility’s service areas.
EtihadWE said the project is its second procurement under a public-private partnership model, following the 150-MIGD Naqa’a IWP in Umm Al Quwain.
Ras Al Khaimah has also turned to private capital for essential services. The government, through its Public Services Department, signed a long-term sewage treatment agreement with a consortium of Etihad Water and Electricity, Taqa Water Solutions and Saur International to develop the Ras Al Khaimah Wastewater Treatment Plant.
The facility will have treatment capacity of 60,000 cu m per day and serve a potential population of 300,000 upon completion. It is the emirate’s first public-private partnership, a milestone that sets a precedent for future collaboration on resilient and sustainable infrastructure, officials said.
BEEAH has started early works at the ZHA-designed Khalid Bin Sultan City in Sharjah.
Real Estate
Ras Al Khaimah is heading into the sharpest supply test of its property cycle. Cavendish Maxwell puts the emirate’s residential pipeline at 25,600 units to 2030, 97 per cent of them apartments, with deliveries peaking at about 9,100 units in 2029 — a step-up of more than fivefold on the roughly 1,700 homes due this year.
CBRE – which tracks a wider pipeline of more than 34,000 units over the same period, of which about 10,000 are branded residences – said pricing and absorption have moderated since February even as apartment sales values rose 18 per cent year on year to AED2,298 per sq ft.
Growth remains concentrated in the established waterfront communities. CBRE recorded apartment values on Al Marjan Island up 23.1 per cent year on year and Al Hamra up 14.7 per cent, with apartment rents rising 14.3 per cent. Wynn Al Marjan Island is redefining Al Marjan island’s supply market. Its progress serves as a key anchor, giving developers the confidence to roll out surrounding residential projects.
More than 40 per cent of the 25,600 units due by 2030 will be delivered by RAK Properties, Al Hamra Real Estate and Ellington Properties, with Aldar, BNW Developments and Source of Fate Properties also among the emirate’s key developers.
RAK Properties has launched Lunara on The Strand, a three-tower development with 583 homes and 49,500 sq m of gross floor area. Construction is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter and complete in the first quarter of 2029. The Strand sits within the Marjan Beach District and is positioned to benefit from the Wynn resort.
On the mainland, BNW Developments has announced the first Radisson Blu Hotel and Radisson Blu Residences in RAK Central, comprising 361 hotel keys and 222 branded homes.
Turner & Townsend has been appointed to provide project management for the 3.1-million-sq-ft RAK Central mixed-use development, which will include five towers, more than 1,000 hotel keys, 4,000 apartments and public realm areas, with opening targeted for 2027. RAK Central will be a dynamic work-live-play destination and comprise commercial offices including master developer Marjan’s new headquarters, a range of retail and entertainment facilities as well as F&B facilities.
Several projects are under way at RAK Central, including Major Developers’ Colibri Views, a high-rise residential project.
Sharjah’s activity, by contrast, is concentrated in a handful of very large master-planned communities, where Arada alone has awarded AED4.74 billion of construction contracts across Aljada and Masaar 2. The emirate’s investment appeal has now drawn in Abu Dhabi’s largest listed developer: Aldar recently announced an AED15 billion development partnership with Arada, following which it signed an AED1.1 billion forward purchase agreement with the Sharjah developer for three residential blocks comprising more than 1,100 units across nine buildings in Aljada.
Arada will deliver the nine buildings in the fourth quarter of 2029. The units will target primarily end-users and long-term renters seeking quality housing at accessible price points within an established community.
Aljada spans 2.2 million sq m and is expected to comprise about 25,000 residential units at full build-out, with an anticipated gross sales value of AED35 billion. Handovers have been under way since 2021, with more than 8,800 units delivered across multiple districts. The community is supported by completed lifestyle, hospitality, education and retail infrastructure, including the Madar family entertainment district, two international schools, two hotels, the Nest student housing complex and more than 300,000 sq ft of occupied retail space.
Arada has recently awarded two contracts worth AED2.04 billion for 2,210 homes within Aljada. China Tiesiju Civil Engineering Group will build 10 residential blocks on East and West Boulevards, while Mohammed Abdulmohsin Al Kharafi and Sons will construct The Gate blocks 3-6. All blocks are due for delivery in the second quarter of 2028. Arada has also begun handing over five residential blocks in Aljada’s Naseej District.
At Masaar 2, the company has signed contracts worth AED2.7 billion covering 1,997 homes across four phases, along with infrastructure, roads, utilities and public spaces. Intermass will build Phases One, Three and Four, while Pivot Engineering & General Contracting will deliver Phase Two. Full completion is expected by June 2028, with Darwish Engineering Emirates responsible for infrastructure works and DAR providing supervision through completion.
At Masaar 3 meanwhile, Arada has launched sales for Layan, the fifth phase, comprising 437 villas and townhouses. Construction contracts for the first six phases, including Layan, are due to be awarded shortly.
Another major developer, Alef Group has launched Linar, an AED4-billion waterfront project in Al Mamzar comprising five residential towers and one commercial tower, with 2,620 units across 50- to 55-floor buildings. Phase One’s Tower A is expected to begin welcoming residents from 2030.
Sustainability-led development is also gaining ground. BEEAH has started early works at Khalid Bin Sultan City, its flagship Sharjah real estate project master-planned by Zaha Hadid Architects as a model for sustainable, smart cities of the future. Building Company has been appointed for enabling works, with 90,000 cu m of excavation and 111,000 cu m of filling completed across about 80,000 sq m. Phase One is targeted for completion in 2029.
Shurooq and SEE Holding have launched Sharjah Sustainable City II in Al Rahmaniya, a 7.8-million-sq-ft community with 1,032 homes, including 944 townhouses and 88 villas. All homes will include solar panels and energy-efficient appliances, while the masterplan incorporates farmlands, biodomes and a 2-km green spine.
Meanwhile, Ajman’s pipeline is smaller but increasingly ambitious. Al Zorah Real Estate, a joint venture between Ajman and Solidere International, signed a land acquisition agreement with Samana for a mixed-use waterfront destination in Al Zorah City valued at AED2.7 billion. The project will include more than 2,000 residential units across a 576,908-sq-ft area, with about 1.43 million sq ft designated for sale. It will include apartments, branded residences with hotel services, townhouses, villas and 65,000 sq ft of commercial space.
Tiger Properties has unveiled Tiger Downtown Ajman, a $10-billion lagoon-front master community in Al Alia district. The development spans 5 million sq m of built-up area and includes 76 buildings, 20 of them lagoon-front structures.
Phase One, Orchid Towers, comprises six residential towers with furnished studios, apartments, duplexes and penthouses. Handover is targeted for the fourth quarter of 2028. The masterplan allocates 77,000 sq m of retail and about 41,000 sq m of commercial space, alongside a central lagoon covering roughly 13,795 sq m.