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Sobha and UAQ Properties launch downtown project

30 April 2025

Dubai-based private real estate developer Sobha Realty has announced the start of its latest real estate project in the UAE emirate of Umm Al-Quwain.

Sobha has signed a partnership agreement with Umm Al-Quwain Properties to develop the project jointly.

The project, named Downtown Umm Al-Quwain, will span an area of about 25 million square feet (sq ft).

According to an official statement, the masterplan includes an 11-kilometre coastline featuring 7km of natural beaches and parks.

The mixed-use development will be divided into three zones: North Beach, Trade Centre and South Beach.

These developments will offer residential units, commercial centres, office spaces, hotels and other associated facilities.

The statement added that the project’s main feature is the Trade Centre, a 15 million sq ft free zone operating under an independent legal framework.

The project is Sobha’s second major development in Umm Al-Quwain. In July last year, MEED reported that Sobha Realty and UAQ Properties had launched a mixed-use real estate project on Al-Siniya Island in Umm Al-Quwain.

The Al-Siniya Island project will include a waterfront community, a golf course, a pavilion, event spaces and other facilities.

GlobalData expects the UAE’s construction industry to expand by 4.2% in real terms in 2025 and register an average annual growth of 4% from 2026 to 2029, supported by investments in transport, oil and gas, energy and housing infrastructure projects.

The residential construction sector is estimated to expand by 3.4% in real terms in 2025 and record a growth of 3.1% between 2026 and 2029, supported by public and private sector investments in the housing sector, amid an increase in real estate transactions owing to an improvement in demand.

MEED’s May 2025 report on the UAE includes:

> COMMENT: UAE is poised to weather the storm
> GOVERNMENT & ECONOMY: UAE looks to economic longevity
> BANKING: UAE banks dig in for new era
> UPSTREAM: Adnoc in cruise control with oil and gas targets
> DOWNSTREAM: Abu Dhabi chemicals sector sees relentless growth
> POWER: AI accelerates UAE power generation projects sector
> CONSTRUCTION: Dubai construction continues to lead region
> TRANSPORT: UAE accelerates its $60bn transport push
> DATABANK: UAE growth prospects head north

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Yasir Iqbal

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