The Upsides · Guide
Aldar calls Fahid Island the world's first Fitwel-certified island. This guide separates the three certifications from marketing language and ties them to the published masterplan.
Fitwel is a third-party healthy-building standard. A 3-Star rating scores active design, access to nature, air quality, and everyday movement. On Fahid Island the rating is applied at island scale, which is why Aldar describes it as the world's first Fitwel-certified island. It is not a promise of personal health outcomes, and it is not the same as a finished-building inspection after handover.
Aldar secured LEED for Cities and Communities Platinum at masterplan stage, which assesses the planned community rather than completed buildings. Fahid Beach Terraces residential towers are separately described as on track for LEED Gold. Treat the island-level Platinum label as a masterplan credential until post-construction ratings are published.
Estidama is Abu Dhabi's sustainability framework. Fahid Island is targeting a 3 Pearl Community Rating. Individual Terraces buildings are also described as on track for Estidama 3 Pearl for Buildings. Saadiyat Island already uses Estidama ratings on individual buildings; Fahid's claim is the island-level package, not a unique Estidama invention.
Aldar's 2 June 2025 masterplan lists the built elements that sit behind the certifications: 30%+ green space (940,000 sqm), a 10 km Berm Park, a 3 km Mangrove Boardwalk, no point more than a 5-minute walk from water, 13% lower emissions versus a comparable development, 7.5 acres of open space per 1,000 residents, 15 km of public walkways, a 10 km running loop, and three purpose-built cycling routes that connect to Abu Dhabi's wider cycle loop.
Saadiyat Island has Estidama ratings on individual buildings and a long-running cultural sustainability brief. Yas Island publishes its own green-building programmes around parks and attractions. Fahid Island is the first island-level Fitwel certification of this kind in the UAE, with LEED Cities and Communities Platinum pre-certification and a targeted Estidama 3 Pearl Community Rating. That is a credential difference, not proof that daily living will be healthier than on Saadiyat or Yas.
Start at the Fahid Island hub if you want project cards first.
A collection of contemporary family villas, the first address at Marsa Al Saadiyat.
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Villas, mansions, and townhomes from AED 4.2M on Hudayriyat Island, set around an Andalusian-style golf community.
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Fitwel is a third-party healthy-building standard that scores active design, access to nature, air quality, and everyday movement. Fahid Island's Fitwel 3-Star rating is an island-level certification, not a single-building plaque, which is why Aldar calls it the world's first Fitwel-certified island.
LEED for Cities and Communities Platinum is pre-certified at masterplan stage. That is not the same as a post-construction LEED rating on finished buildings. Residential buildings at Fahid Beach Terraces are separately described as on track for LEED Gold.
Estidama is Abu Dhabi's sustainability framework. Fahid Island is targeting a 3 Pearl Community Rating. Individual Terraces buildings are also described as on track for Estidama 3 Pearl for Buildings.
Aldar's 2 June 2025 masterplan allocates 30%+ of the island to natural space, stated as 940,000 sqm of green space, plus 7.5 acres of open space per 1,000 residents.
Aldar engaged Kengo Kuma and Koichi Takada from Japan, London's ACME, and Dubai-based NAGA Architects. Koichi Takada designed Fahid Beach Residences and Fahid Beach Terraces.
Abu Dhabi's cultural and beachfront island, with museums, mangrove villas, and Aldar communities from apartments to waterfront villas.
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Modon's sport and wellness destination off Abu Dhabi, with beaches, cycling trails, and gated communities from townhouses to golf mansions.
Explore Hudayriyat IslandHot launch
Aldar Properties launched its landmark waterfront master plan on Saadiyat Island on 22 July 2026. Priority registration is open ahead of first residential sales expected in H2 2026. Its first villa release, Talay, is now revealed.
Hot launch · Saadiyat Island · July 2026
Beaches, marina neighbourhoods, and the closing chapter of the Saadiyat Island masterplan sit behind this release. Layouts, unit sizes, prices, and payment plans have not yet been released by Aldar. Register now so The Upsides can send release notices when chapters go live.
General information only, not investment advice. Prices, availability, specifications and charges are subject to change. The Upsides is a trading name of a licensed Abu Dhabi real estate brokerage holding authorised agency agreements with the respective developers for the projects referenced on this site (including Aldar Properties, Eagle Hills, Modon, Reportage Properties, and Meraas). Developer and brand names also referenced on this site include ALAIN, Four Seasons, Emirates Developments, Elie Saab, Jumeirah, Ohana Development, Manchester City and Advanced Properties. This is not an official Aldar Properties PJSC, Eagle Hills, Modon, Reportage Properties, or Meraas website. It is also not an official ALAIN, Four Seasons, Emirates Developments, Elie Saab, Jumeirah, Ohana Development, Manchester City or Advanced Properties website. No ALAIN, Emirates Developments, Ohana Development or Advanced Properties agency agreement is claimed unless confirmed in writing. Confirm details with us and licensed advisors before you commit. Forward-looking statements are subject to official confirmation by the relevant developer.
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