Zaya Zuha

TL;DR: Zaya Zuha (Zuha Island) is an ultra-luxury private island development on The World Islands, Dubai, featuring just 30 exclusive 6-bedroom beachfront palaces spanning 24,000 to 41,000 sq ft per plot with 19,656 sq ft of built-up area per villa. Developed by Zaya (founded by Emirati entrepreneur Nadia Zaal) in collaboration with Five Holdings, prices start from AED 60 Million (current asking: AED 68M–93M). The island features a 2.5-kilometre private beach, 4 restaurants, a healing spa, a floating paddle tennis court, and a native coral reef regeneration programme. Nearly sold out with only one unit remaining. Handover Q2–Q4 2025.

Introduction to Zuha Island

Zuha Island (marketed as Zaya Zuha) is arguably the most exclusive residential development currently under construction in the UAE — a private island within The World Islands archipelago housing just 30 standalone 6-bedroom beachfront palaces alongside a 61-villa boutique resort that will never be offered for sale. Developed by Zaya, the ultra-luxury real estate and hospitality firm founded in 2008 by Emirati entrepreneur Nadia Zaal, in an exclusive collaboration with Five Holdings (the vertically integrated development and hospitality group behind Five Palm Jumeirah, Five Jumeirah Village, Five LUXE, and Five Zurich), Zuha Island represents the culmination of over USD 6 billion in combined developer portfolio expertise.

The project was launched in October 2022 with a total valuation exceeding AED 5 billion. Construction has progressed to 81.1% completion as of December 2024 (per Property Finder tracking data), with handover targeted for Q2 to Q4 2025. As of the official website's most recent update, 29 of the 30 palaces have been sold, with only one unit remaining — making this one of the most rapidly absorbed ultra-luxury developments in Dubai's history. The island spans approximately 2.5 million square feet of total area, anchored by 2.5 kilometres of private beachfront.

Location: The World Islands

The World Islands is an artificial archipelago located approximately 4 to 6 kilometres off the Dubai coastline near Jumeirah and Palm Jumeirah, comprising approximately 300 man-made islands arranged in the shape of a world map. The archipelago covers a sea area of approximately 6 by 9 kilometres.

Access to Zuha Island is exclusively by water — private boat, water taxi, or helicopter. Two welcome centres facilitate arrivals: one near the Four Seasons Resort area (approximately 10 minutes by boat) and one near Port Rashid (approximately 15 minutes). The primary departure point from the mainland is Jumeirah Harbour. Nearby mainland reference points include Mercato Beach (8.2 kilometres) and La Mer Dubai (8.4 kilometres).

The World Islands experienced a period of stagnation following the 2008 financial crisis but has undergone a substantial revival since 2021, with billions invested in infrastructure and multiple hotel openings driving valuations across the archipelago. International investor enquiry into World Islands properties increased 340% between October 2025 and January 2026, reflecting a significant resurgence in demand for the unique asset class that private island living represents.

Architecture and Design

Zuha Island's architectural language draws inspiration from the natural forms of the Arabian Gulf — the shapes of waves, shells, and sand — merged with earthen building traditions indigenous to the region. The design explicitly avoids the rectilinear luxury conventions common in Dubai, instead employing organic curved geometries that respond to the island's topography and the surrounding ocean landscape.

Each palace is structured across four distinct levels connected by a monumental spiralling central staircase — described by the developer as the organic expression of the soul of Zuha, shaped by ocean breeze and waves. This sculptural staircase serves as both the structural and aesthetic centrepiece of every residence. Interiors feature neutral colour palettes with travertine and marble as signature natural materials throughout, floor-to-ceiling windows, and double-height spaces that maximise the indoor-outdoor flow between living areas and the surrounding beachfront landscape.

Every palace is positioned to optimise both privacy and views, with master suites oriented towards the ocean horizon. Generous terraces on both island-facing and ocean-facing elevations create seamless transitions between interior living spaces and the external tropical environment. The healing centre and spa draw on temple architecture of the broader region, using air, water, and light as primary design elements.

Villa Specifications and Pricing

All 30 palaces follow a consistent ultra-premium specification:

• Bedrooms: 6 en-suite bedrooms including a master suite with direct ocean views
• Plot Size: 24,000 to 41,000 square feet per villa
• Built-Up Area: 19,656 square feet per villa across 4 levels
• Living Spaces: 4 distinct living areas plus multiple indoor and outdoor dining areas
• Swimming Pool: 3-level swimming pool with infinity shallow pool component
• Kitchen: Show kitchen and separate preparatory kitchen
• Staff: 3 staff rooms (maid and driver quarters)
• Access: Panoramic elevator connecting all 4 levels
• Yacht: 12 of the 30 palaces include private yacht jetties with direct marina berth access
• Beach: Private beach deck access, BBQ areas, and expansive terraces

Pricing: The developer launch price in October 2022 started from AED 60,000,000 (approximately USD 16.3 million). Current secondary market and asking prices range from AED 68,000,000 to AED 93,000,000, reflecting capital appreciation of 13% to 55% from launch. All units are freehold with standard 4% Dubai Land Department transfer fees applicable.

Payment Plan

Zaya offered a structured 50/50 payment plan during the off-plan launch phase:

• 5% — Booking deposit at launch
• 15% — February 2023
• 20% — December 2023
• 10% — June 2024
• 50% — On handover (Q2–Q4 2025)

As the project is near sold-out and approaching handover, any remaining or secondary market transactions are subject to current market pricing.

Amenities and Island Lifestyle

Zuha Island delivers a private resort-managed lifestyle with an amenity infrastructure that rivals the world's most exclusive island resorts.

Dining (4 venues): An all-day dining restaurant, an Oriental restaurant, a beach club with indoor and outdoor venues, and a ceviche bar. In-villa dining and catering services are available as part of the managed rental programme.

Wellness and Fitness: The healing spa is described as one of the region's most comprehensive healing spa experiences, inspired by traditional Arabic healing practices and regional temple architecture, using treatments that revive traditional Arabic wellness modalities. The fitness centre features 3 studios offering yoga, TRX, rebounding, and bio-hacking programming focused on weight optimisation, mobility, and recovery protocols. An ocean-view gym complements the studio offerings.

Recreation: A water sports centre provides kite-surfing, kayaking, sailing, jet skiing, and scuba diving. The signature floating paddle tennis court is a world-class recreational amenity unique to Zuha Island. A dedicated Kids Club features nature play areas, splash parks, climbing walls, obstacle courses, and arts and crafts programming with a Waldorf-inspired early learning ethos.

Marina and Access: A dedicated arrival jetty serves all residents, with 12 palaces featuring private yacht berths integrated directly into their plots — eliminating the need for shared marina queuing.

Sustainability: The island operates passive cooling and heating systems, hybrid solar power generation, grey water recycling and irrigation, and a desalination and on-island water bottling facility with a no single-use plastic policy. Most distinctively, Zuha Island maintains a native coral reef regeneration programme with in-house marine biologists maintaining a house reef near the island — a genuine ecological commitment rare among private residential developments.

Resort Component

In addition to the 30 private palaces, the island masterplan includes a boutique resort of 61 resort villas (32 one-bedroom, 15 two-bedroom, 8 three-bedroom, and larger configurations including two 8-bedroom units). These resort villas are not offered for sale and will operate as a managed hospitality asset, meaning island-wide staffing, food and beverage service, spa programming, and recreational facilities operate for both hotel guests and resident homeowners simultaneously — delivering a live-in resort lifestyle.

A rental pool programme is available for up to 10 of the 30 private palaces. Owners who enrol receive 24/7 housekeeping, catering, and concierge services, generating passive income during periods of owner absence. The cap at 10 villas preserves the residential character and exclusivity of the community.

Developer Profile: Zaya and Five Holdings

Zaya was founded in 2008 by Nadia Zaal, an Emirati entrepreneur who previously served as CEO of Al Barari Group, where she spearheaded the USD 2 billion Al Barari project — Dubai's greenest private luxury community with over 60% of land dedicated to botanical greenery. Zaya's flagship prior project is Zaya Nurai Island in Abu Dhabi, an AED 3 billion ultra-luxury private island resort that established the company as the UAE's pre-eminent developer of exclusive island living experiences. The company's total delivered portfolio exceeds USD 6 billion in luxury real estate and hospitality.

Five Holdings was founded as SKAI Holdings in 2011, rebranding to Five Holdings in 2017. The Dubai-based, vertically integrated group operates across four business verticals: development, hospitality, restructuring, and investment. Five Holdings holds the world's only A ESG Rating from ISS Global Rating Agency, maintains a 100% LEED Platinum hotel portfolio across Dubai and Zurich, and powers all Dubai hotels with 100% solar energy, achieving carbon footprints 5 times below industry peers.

Investment Outlook

Zuha Island's investment thesis is grounded in absolute scarcity: 30 palaces on a private island within a finite archipelago of approximately 300 islands, with no future supply phases possible. The World Islands corridor is experiencing renewed institutional interest, with comparable developments (Heart of Europe) guaranteeing 8.33% net ROI annually and broader analyst projections citing 8% to 10% annual rental yields for operational island properties. Dubai's tourism sector recorded 9.88 million international visitors in H1 2025 (6% year-on-year growth) with a full-year projection of 22 million visitors, sustaining the demand pipeline for ultra-luxury short-term rentals. Dubai luxury real estate is projected to deliver 20% to 45% capital appreciation over the 2025 to 2030 period.