Lulu Island has spent decades sitting within sight of Abu Dhabi but without ever fully becoming part of it.
Eagle Hills Properties has confirmed that it will oversee the development of Lulu Island.
Lulu Island Abu Dhabi could become one of the capital’s most distinctive waterfront residential communities.
After decades as an undeveloped landmark in Abu Dhabi, Lulu Island is entering a new chapter.
Abu Dhabi is changing the way we live. Across the capital, new neighbourhoods are emerging, offering waterfront living, culture, wellness, open space and a slower pace of life. Few places capture that shift quite as clearly as Lulu Island Abu Dhabi.
Set off the corniche, Lulu Island has spent decades sitting within sight of the capital without ever fully becoming part of it. Now, that is beginning to change. The 400-hectare man-made island was created from reclaimed sand in the 1980s and completed in 1992, originally serving as a breakwater to protect the capital’s shoreline from waves and tides.
In 2007, Lulu Island opened to the public, featuring restaurants, coffee shops, riding tracks, artificial lakes, and a ferry service connecting it with the capital. However, when the ferry service ended in 2009, development plans were stalled, leaving much of the island quiet for years.
In 2023, the island became the setting for Public Art Abu Dhabi. Visitors rode buses around the island, discovering artworks installed among its sand and vegetation. For a brief period, the island once again became somewhere to visit rather than simply somewhere to look at. Now, the signs suggest it could become somewhere to live.
Now, Eagle Hills Properties has confirmed that it will oversee the development of the island, with construction activity already visible and several show homes appearing along the waterfront. While the full masterplan and development details have yet to be announced, the early signs point towards a low-rise residential community designed around the island’s waterfront setting.
Expectations suggest the development could include apartments, villas and larger homes, potentially limited to just three or four floors. If that vision takes shape, Lulu Island could offer the atmosphere of private living while remaining minutes from the centre of Abu Dhabi.
If the emerging vision becomes reality, Lulu Island could become one of the capital’s most distinctive waterfront residential communities, offering a combination of island living, proximity to the city and a setting unlike almost anywhere else in Abu Dhabi.
Where: Lulu Island, Abu Dhabi
Contact: https://eaglehills.com