Sobha launches Dh50 billion Sobha Sanctuary master development in Dubai

Dubai: Sobha Realty has launched Sobha Sanctuary, a Dh50 billion master-planned development that becomes the largest single project in the company’s history and one of the most expansive residential communities announced in Dubai in recent years.

Spanning about 37.5 million sq ft, the project is located off Al Ain Road, close to Sobha Elwood, and will be delivered in multiple phases over four to eight years. The first handovers are expected from the third quarter of 2029, with prices starting from Dh3.99 million.

The launch coincides with the Sobha Group marking 50 years since its founding, a milestone the developer is using to underline both scale and long-term intent in the Dubai market.

A Dh50 billion bet on long-term living

Sobha Sanctuary is planned as a fully integrated, mixed-use destination designed to accommodate about 20,000 families upon completion. The development will include approximately 20,000 residential units, split roughly between 18,000 apartments and 2,000 villas.

The first phase will focus on villa living, with a limited release of about 250 homes across categories.

“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.”

Nature and wellness at the core

At the centre of the community sits a large destination park, positioned as the social and recreational heart of the project. Surrounding it are a community mall, a wellness centre, and a wide range of active amenities including football grounds, running tracks, padel courts and a skate park.

From the central park, four green corridors extend across the site, feeding into a six-kilometre leisure loop and a wider nine-kilometre wellness loop along the perimeter. The landscaping plan includes more than 50,000 trees, designed to improve shading, air quality and the local microclimate.

“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

Sobha is positioning the development as a layered community rather than a single, homogeneous neighbourhood. Villa precincts will be gated and self-contained, while apartment clusters will support the population density needed for large-scale amenities.

“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.”

Schools, healthcare and daily convenience

Sobha Sanctuary is planned to include two international schools, a hospital facility, and a large retail offering distributed across the masterplan. Green spines connect residential areas to these amenities, encouraging walking and cycling while reducing reliance on cars.

The developer says the layout reflects a focus on daily liveability.

“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.”

Handover timeline and market outlook

The project will be delivered in at least three phases, with handovers spread over four to eight years starting from Q3 2029, Alfred confirmed.

Concerns around future supply have not altered Sobha’s outlook on Dubai, according to Alfred, who stated the development as a long-term play tied to the city’s growth trajectory.

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

Sobha Sanctuary enters a market that continues to attract end-users and long-term investors, with the developer betting that scale, quality, and community-led design will define the next phase of residential demand in Dubai.