Sobha Realty Launches $13.6bn Sobha Sanctuary Master Development in Dubai

Dubai, UAE: Sobha Realty has launched Sobha Sanctuary, a USD 13.6bn (AED 50bn) master-planned residential development that marks the largest single project in the company’s history and one of the most expansive community launches announced in Dubai in recent years.

Spanning approximately 37.5 million sq ft, Sobha Sanctuary is located off Al Ain Road, close to Sobha Elwood, and will be delivered in multiple phases over a four to eight-year timeframe. First handovers are expected from Q3 2029, with prices starting from USD 1.09m (AED 3.99m).

The launch coincides with the Sobha Group marking its 50th anniversary, a milestone that the developer is using to reinforce its long-term commitment to Dubai and to underline the scale and ambition of its future pipeline.

A long-term, large-scale residential vision

Planned as a fully integrated mixed-use destination, Sobha Sanctuary is designed to accommodate around 20,000 families upon completion. The masterplan comprises approximately 20,000 residential units, including around 18,000 apartments and 2,000 villas. The first phase will prioritise villa living, with a limited initial release of around 250 homes across multiple typologies.

“Sobha Sanctuary represents a landmark moment for Sobha Realty as we mark 50 years of building with purpose, precision, and integrity,” said Francis Alfred, Managing Director of Sobha Realty. “This masterplan reflects a long-term vision to create a community where nature, wellness, and thoughtful design come together at scale.”

As the largest single development undertaken by the company in Dubai to date, Sobha Sanctuary signals a strategic focus on scale-driven, end-user-oriented communities rather than standalone residential projects.

Nature and wellness embedded into the masterplan

Nature and wellness form the foundation of the development’s planning concept. At the centre of Sobha Sanctuary sits a large destination park, positioned as the social and recreational heart of the community. Surrounding this core are a community mall, a wellness centre, and a broad range of active lifestyle amenities, including football pitches, running tracks, padel courts, and a skate park.

From the central park, four landscaped green corridors extend across the site, feeding into a six-kilometre internal leisure loop and a wider nine-kilometre wellness loop along the perimeter. The landscape strategy includes the planting of more than 50,000 trees, aimed at improving shading, air quality, and the overall microclimate across the community.

“Fifty per cent of the land is open, which is either parks, water bodies or community facilities,” Alfred said during a roundtable discussion. “We are only using 50% of the land for residential activities.”

Villas and apartments designed to coexist

Rather than a single homogeneous neighbourhood, Sobha Sanctuary is planned as a layered, multi-precinct community. Gated villa clusters will offer privacy and low-density living, while apartment districts are designed to support the population scale required for schools, healthcare, retail, and leisure infrastructure.

“It is not one piece of master development. It is into multiple phases, multiple parcels,” Alfred said in an exclusive interview with Gulf News. “Each villa community is gated, with its own security and amenities. The apartment community is also important for the success of a great community because that brings population and supports schools, hospitals and retail.”

This dual-format approach reflects a broader trend in Dubai’s master-planned communities, where density and exclusivity are balanced to ensure long-term vibrancy and economic sustainability.

Schools, healthcare, and everyday liveability

The masterplan includes provision for two international schools, a hospital facility, and a substantial retail offering distributed throughout the development. Green spines connect residential areas with daily amenities, encouraging walkability and cycling while reducing reliance on vehicles.

According to Sobha, the emphasis on integrated infrastructure is driven by changing buyer expectations, with long-term liveability increasingly influencing purchasing decisions.

“What do I get in my community, and what kind of value does my home give over time, that is what matters to people,” Alfred said. “Families spend most of their time in their community. That is where quality really shows.”

Delivery timeline and market confidence

Sobha Sanctuary will be delivered in at least three phases, with handovers spread across a four to eight-year window starting from Q3 2029. Despite ongoing discussions around future supply in Dubai, Sobha remains confident in the city’s long-term fundamentals.

“Dubai is a city that has been growing continually for the last 50 years,” Alfred said. “People relocate based on what they see over generations, not one or two years.”

As Dubai continues to attract long-term residents and investors, Sobha Sanctuary enters the market as a statement development, with scale, integrated planning, and community-led design positioned as defining factors in the next phase of residential demand.