UAE-based developer Aldar has unveiled a masterplan to turn Fahid Island into the world’s first Fitwel-certified wellness island at a development cost of AED40 billion (US$10.8 billion, €9.5 billion, £8 billion).

Aldar is planning to make Fahid Island the place where entertainment and culture meet wellness. It is located between lifestyle destination Yas Island, with its theme parks and attractions and cultural centre, Saadiyat Island.

The a 2.7sq mile island in Abu Dhabi has 11km of coastline and will be a wellness sanctuary, offering visitors and residents easy access to the water.

Thirty per cent of the land on the island will be dedicated to natural spaces, including lush vegetation, gardens and green trails. The 10km landscaped Berm Park will create a visual and acoustic buffer and will also become a wellness and fitness corridor – with running tracks, three cycling routes, water stations, fitness nodes and shaded rest areas.

More than 6,000 luxury residences are planned, ranging from apartments and townhouses to ultra-luxury villas. There will also be a 2km waterfront promenade with retail outlets.

Designers already engaged on the project include Japanese architects Kengo Kuma and Koichi Takada, who have worked on two separate residential concepts. Further developments are being planned by ACME (with its HQ in London) and NAGA Architects (UAE-based).

Hotels and residences will have spas, health clubs and wellness clubs and the Fahid Beach Club by Barbossa will be open to the public.

Plans for public access spas, wellness spaces and health clubs have not yet been announced.

Fahid has a health-focused real estate design and has received Fitwel certification (the first island to do so in the world) which demonstrates the project’s commitment to occupant health and wellbeing. The development plans have also received LEED City and Communities Platinum precertification – a measure of the city’s sustainability credentials and energy efficiency.

Watersports that will be part of the island’s fitness offering for residents include kite surfing, paddle boarding, illuminated night swimming and volleyball.

Jonathan Emery, CEO of Aldar Development, described the vision: "While consumers have long engaged in ‘health tourism’ we’re seeing home buyers become even more motivated by holistic wellbeing in all areas of life, suggesting ‘health house buying’ and ‘health relocation’ could become a wider trend over the next few years.

“In response to this growing emphasis on personal wellbeing and longevity, Aldar has been innovating the way it shapes and curates its masterplans and individual developments, to genuinely build communities centred around living and feeling well,” Emery added.

In February, Aldar Aldar announced plans for The Wilds – a new wellness-focused community due to be built in Dubai with a completion date of 2029.

About Aldar

Aldar is a real estate developer, manager and investor in Abu Dhabi with a growing presence across the UAE, the Middle East, North Africa and Europe.

It has two core business segments – Aldar Development and Aldar Investment.

Aldar Development has a development portfolio of 62 million square miles of land and is known for its creation of integrated communities across Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Ras Al Khamah. Delivery of Aldar’s developments is led by Aldar Projects – which is also a key partner of the Abu Dhabi government that delivers housing and infrastructure projects across the UAE’s capital.

Aldar Development also owns UK real estate developer London Square and has a majority stake in Egyptian real estate development company SODIC.

Aldar Investment has an asset management portfolio of more than AED46 billion (US$12.5 billion, €10.9 billion, £9.3 billion) of real estate assets in retail, residential, commercial, logistics and hospitality segments.

Aldar Investment manages four core platforms: Aldar Investment Properties, Aldar Hospitality, Aldar Education and Aldar Estates.

Aldar has partnered with King’s College School, Wimbledon, UK, to align with Abu Dhabi’s vision to become a regional hub for excellence in education, to incentivise families to move there. Opening in 2028, this school (which will teach children from elementary to age 18) is expected to offer students opportunities to study at top universities globally.