One of the Emirate’s most ambitious projects to date, Saadiyat Island is really starting to take shape. Abu Dhabi Week takes a tour of the Jawaher Al Saadiyat show villas to get a taste of what living in this most exclusive of neighbourhoods will have to offer
Just a short five-minute drive over Sheikh Khalifa Bridge from the Corniche, Saadiyat Island (loosely translated as ‘island of happiness’) is a 27 square kilometre sanctuary surrounded by the beautifully calm waters of the Arabian Gulf. When fully completed in 2020, it will offer residents and visitors access to an amazing collection of museums, galleries and hotels – not to mention a stunning waterfront golf course, glorious beaches and a beautiful nature reserve.
If you haven’t been to Saadiyat for a while, you’d be forgiven for thinking that it was still just a sandy construction site but real progress is now starting to be made.
Of course, the Gary Player-designed Saadiyat Beach Golf Club course has been open for some time now. So has the huge Manarat Al Saadiyat visitor centre, which also houses the Arts Abu Dhabi Gallery. The recently opened Monte Carlo Beach Club, together with the soon-to-be completed St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort and Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel, will also add extra glamour and entice more and more visitors.
But none of these are what we’ve come to see. We’ve been invited by the Tourism Development & Investment Company (TDIC) to take a tour of Jawaher Al Saadiyat, a collection of ten luxury show villas, to get a glimpse of what residential life will be like on the island when the keys to the first Saadiyat Beach Villas are handed over to their lucky new owners at the end of the year.
Stepping off the golf cart that’s brought us over from Manarat Al Saadiyat, first impressions are, well, impressive.
The beautifully landscaped street is surrounded on both sides by parks and a number of villas in a variety of sizes and styles. The first thing that springs to mind is that this is almost a Middle Eastern-take on Desperate Housewives – a kind of Wisteria Lane in the sun.
There are three distinct styles of villa – Arabian, Mediterranean and Contemporary – each with a variety of unique colour schemes that have been designed to complement each other while still being distinctive enough to prevent the development from becoming too homogenous.
Our first port of call is a six-bedroom Arabian-themed premium villa – basically the best of the best.
Walking through the huge teak front door, the first thing that strikes us is the immense feeling of space. High ceilings, massive doors, arched window frames and wide passageways are combined with cool marble floors and rich wooden wall panels to give a real sense of tranquility and airiness.
The interior decoration is eclectic but extremely polished, and the Arabian-influence is plain to see – reflected in the patterned tiles and traditional mosaics that are embedded in the flooring, as well as the heavily-detailed archways, interior doors and built-in wardrobes. The general colour scheme is inspired by the desert (lots of creams and beiges) but there are also plenty of splashes of bolder hues, such as royal blue, green, red and gold, that really stand out and add a touch of character.
Moving through the rooms, it’s a good thing that we’ve got someone showing us around – it would be easy to get lost down here. We count at least two kitchens, a study or gym, an office, a bedroom or two and multiple reception rooms. Peering round a door just off the main corridor, we find a cavernous garage that could comfortably host a five-a-side football match, and heading back towards the imposing main staircase, we spot what no self-respecting luxury villa should be without – its own lift!
Upstairs, things just keep getting better. There’s yet another kitchen, all of the bedrooms seem to have their own balconies and the master suite has its own lounge, walk-in wardrobes that dwarf our bedroom at home and an amazing en-suite bathroom, tastefully finished with the best granite and marble.
Heading back downstairs, out of the nearest kitchen’s patio doors and onto one of the many outdoor terraces, we stand in the beautifully manicured garden and take it all in – you could easily be mistaken for thinking you’re in the grounds of one of the swankiest five-star hotels. Everything from the Moroccan-styled pool with interior steps and seating to the domed, outdoor entertainment area, fountains and mature palm trees, just exudes opulent quality.
The Mediterranean and Contemporary villas are just as impressive as their Arabian counterpart. The attention to detail and the standard of the premium finishes and fittings throughout are stunning, as is the general feeling of spaciousness, luxury and elegance.
Of course, the location, quality and exclusivity provided by the Saadiyat Beach Villas doesn’t come cheap – the smallest three-bedroom villa starts from about AED 6 million – but this doesn’t seem to be deterring buyers. According to TDIC, approximately 75 percent of the 344 villas that make up the first phase have already been sold. We can’t say we’re surprised, we love them too – now, if only we could afford one!
Jon Muller
