Sobha Sanctuary Dubai Enabling Works Commence – Construction Underway on Dh50 Bn Master Community
Enabling Works Commence on Sobha Sanctuary
Construction has started on the project with enabling works underway, Sobha Realty confirmed in June 2026, advancing the developer's largest master-planned community in Dubai, spanning approximately 37.5 million square feet with a 50 billion UAE dirham project value.
The commencement marks a significant milestone for the developer's most expansive residential venture to date. The first phase, comprising 250 villas, is targeted for completion by the fourth quarter of 2029, with broader residential delivery phased over four to eight years from that point.
Project Scope and Composition
The project will feature approximately 20,000 residential units split into 18,000 apartments and 2,000 villas. The project is located off Al Ain Road, close to Sobha Elwood, and will be delivered in multiple phases.
Francis Alfred, Managing Director of Sobha Realty, stated that Sobha Sanctuary represents a landmark moment for the group as it marks 50 years, with the masterplan reflecting a long-term vision to create a community where nature, wellness, and thoughtful design come together at scale.
Infrastructure and Amenities
The masterplan centres on a large destination park, positioned as the social and recreational heart of the project, with a community mall, a wellness centre, and a wide range of active amenities including football grounds, running tracks, padel courts and a skate park.
The development is envisioned as a fully integrated, mixed-use destination, home to a world-class hospital facility, two international schools, a large retail offering, and a benchmark wellness centre, all strategically distributed across the masterplan.
More than 50 percent of the land area is allocated to green landscapes and forest-inspired environments, with each development planned to include more than 50,000 trees. 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.
Sobha's Construction Model and Track Record
Sobha's vertically integrated model and in-house manufacturing capabilities have helped mitigate supply-chain disruptions and raw material price fluctuations, with the company's manufacturing facilities maintaining their own stock and using alternative import routes through Oman, Fujairah, and other ports.
In 2025, Sobha Realty completed around 3,000 residential units ahead of schedule and launched approximately 15,000 new units, driven by four major master developments across the UAE. As of 2025, the developer's UAE portfolio exceeded 39,000 units across 14 master-planned projects in Dubai and Umm Al Quwain.
Broader Expansion Context
The company's expansion momentum has continued into 2026 with the launch of Sobha Sanctuary in Dubai and Sobha City in Abu Dhabi, bringing Sobha Realty's total UAE master developments to 16. Sobha One, a five-tower project in Dubai, was awarded Green Mark Platinum Super Low Energy certification by Singapore's Building and Construction Authority in 2025, with the certification serving as a performance benchmark for the company's future developments and helping guide sustainability targets.
Dubai property transactions hit more than 270,000 in 2025, with values rising 20% to Dh917 billion, underscoring buoyant market conditions and investor inflows.