Speaking at the Emirati Media Forum, Mohamed Alabbar, Founder of Emaar Properties, revealed the AED 200 billion masterplan was designed during the regional conflict, and shared two market signals that say as much about Dubai's resilience as the project itself.
June 25, 2026 | Tripti Mehta | UAE | Real Estate
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Mohamed Alabbar, Founder of Emaar Properties, has revealed that Emaar's AED 200 billion masterplan, the largest single development the company has ever announced, was conceived and designed during the period of regional uncertainty that disrupted the UAE's property market in early 2026.
Speaking at the Emirati Media Forum, organised by the Dubai Press Club, in a session titled "The UAE: Where Security Meets Opportunity," Alabbar said, "We have announced a project worth 200 billion. We haven't told people where it is yet. We designed all of this during the war. Why? Because you believe you are part of a great institution, in a great country, and that tomorrow will always be better."
The disclosure adds a new dimension to the project, that Emaar's most ambitious masterplan to date was being planned at the precise moment transaction volumes were declining sharply and investor sentiment was being tested. In Alabbar's framing, this was a deliberate choice, a statement about conviction over timing.
That conviction was also visible in a second disclosure at the forum. Alabbar revealed he had set aside AED 5 billion specifically to acquire distressed real estate projects during the period of uncertainty. He found nothing to buy. "We allocated Dh5 billion to buy distressed projects and did not find any," he said. The absence of distressed opportunities, in a market where weekly transaction values had declined sharply at the height of the conflict, is a meaningful signal about the resilience of the UAE's underlying property fundamentals.
Alabbar also put a specific timeline on the market's recovery for the first time publicly. "The market is starting to enter a balanced phase now," he said. "I expect that by 2027 it will be a very well-balanced market," he added. The forecast aligns with observations from Cavendish Maxwell and JLL, both of which have characterised 2026 as a transition year, with price growth moderating and supply absorption becoming the defining challenge through the remainder of the year and into 2027.
Looking further ahead, Alabbar indicated that the next phase of development across the UAE would be shaped less by scale and more by quality of life, innovation, and integrated urban experience. He also confirmed that Dubai Creek Tower remains part of Emaar's long-term plans, with its launch timing dependent on market conditions and project costs.
The precise location and name of the AED 200 billion masterplan remain undisclosed.
Sources: Khaleej Times, Gulf News, Emirati Media Forum, Dubai Press Club
