After decades of false starts, Eagle Hills has confirmed it will develop the 400-hectare island opposite the Corniche. Here’s what’s real, what’s still speculation, and what buyers should watch next.
By a Senior Broker at Cielo Properties, a premium UAE off-plan brokerage
You know that moment when something has been in front of you for so long that you almost stop seeing it?
That’s Lulu Island.
If you’ve walked along Abu Dhabi’s Corniche, you’ve looked straight at it. A long stretch of sand and greenery sitting just across the water, close enough to feel part of the city but, for decades, somehow separate from it.
There have been plans before. Big ones. And then silence.
But now cranes, excavators and workers are visible on the island, and Eagle Hills Properties has confirmed that it will undertake the development. That matters. It moves the conversation beyond the usual “something may be coming” rumours and into something more concrete.
Still, let’s slow down for a second… because confirmed development isn’t the same thing as a confirmed property launch.
The island that’s always been there
Lulu Island sits roughly 500 metres from the Corniche and covers about 400 hectares. It was created from reclaimed sand, with work beginning in 1986 and finishing in 1992. Its first job wasn’t glamorous. It was built as a breakwater to help protect Abu Dhabi Island from high tides.
Its name, Al Lulu, means “the pearl.” Fitting, really, for an island facing a city shaped by the UAE’s pearling history.
And for a brief moment, the island wasn’t empty. It opened to the public in 2007 with two restaurants, four coffee shops, camel and horse-riding tracks, two artificial lakes and a ferry service from the city. A masterplan was also commissioned that year.
Then the 2008 financial crisis arrived. Development stalled, the ferry stopped running in 2009 and the island slipped back into the background. It returned to public attention in 2023 when art installations and visitor buses brought people over during Public Art Abu Dhabi, but it still wasn’t a place to live.
That history is worth remembering. Not because the new plan is destined to repeat it, but because property has a long memory. Timing, funding and infrastructure matter just as much as a beautiful masterplan. The National’s account of Lulu Island’s history traces those earlier attempts and the activity now visible on site.
So, what has actually been confirmed?
The clearest fact is this: Eagle Hills Properties has confirmed that it will develop Lulu Island.
The developer hasn’t yet published the full masterplan, unit mix, prices, payment plans, sales date or completion timeline. It has said that further information will be released through official channels in due course.
What we can see is movement. Workers are being taken to the island by boat. Heavy machinery is operating there. A small number of show homes have appeared facing the city. Recent aerial images also show a canal taking shape through the island.
So yes, something real is happening.
But no, there isn’t yet an official villa price list hiding in a broker’s WhatsApp. If someone tells you otherwise, ask to see the developer-issued document.
Why this location is such a big deal
Look, Abu Dhabi already has exceptional waterfront communities. Saadiyat has culture and beaches. Yas has entertainment. Ramhan offers a quieter island lifestyle. Hudayriyat is becoming a major residential and leisure destination.
Lulu Island’s advantage is different.
It’s right there.
This isn’t waterfront land on the distant edge of the city. It sits directly opposite the Corniche, between the Breakwater and Mina Zayed. From parts of the island, the existing Abu Dhabi skyline would be the view across the water, not something you drive 30 minutes to reach.
Here’s what I mean: imagine leaving a low-rise waterfront home in the morning, crossing a bridge and arriving in central Abu Dhabi within minutes. If that access is designed well, Lulu could offer something unusually difficult to create: privacy and space without feeling cut off from the city.
Historic planning documents projected a community of up to 20,000 residents, with beaches and green areas. Property advisers quoted in recent reporting expect a low-rise mix that could include apartments, villas and mansions, with buildings of roughly three or four floors. Bridges have also been discussed as possible connections to Abu Dhabi Island and Mina Zayed.
But these details haven’t been confirmed as Eagle Hills’ final plan. That distinction matters. Old planning intentions can tell us what the island could become; only the new developer’s release will tell us what buyers are actually being offered.
My honest view as a broker
Lulu Island has the ingredients of a landmark address. Central location. Water on both sides. A large piece of undeveloped land. And a developer led by Mohamed Alabbar, whose track record includes some of the region’s most recognised destinations.
That’s the exciting part.
The part buyers need to study is less glamorous: access, phasing, infrastructure, service charges, and what happens around the first homes while the rest of the island is still being built.
Think about it this way. A home may be only 500 metres from the Corniche on a map. But if there’s one bridge, a long internal road and several years of surrounding construction, those 500 metres can feel very different on a Tuesday morning.
And views need to be understood properly. “Water view” sounds lovely in a brochure. Where is the next phase? Could another building sit between your balcony and the skyline? Is the beach private, shared, or public? Those questions don’t ruin the dream. They protect it.
Being early can be valuable in off-plan property. Buying blindly isn’t.
The timing also tells us something about Abu Dhabi
Lulu Island isn’t waking up in isolation. Abu Dhabi is approving and building at a much larger scale.
The Department of Municipalities and Transport approved about 20.8 million square metres of gross floor area in the first quarter of 2026, up 17.3% from the same period in 2025. New building-permit applications reached 5,096, a 14% annual increase. Those aren’t small signals. They show an emirate preparing for more residents, businesses and investment. Abu Dhabi Media Office published the figures in June 2026.
There’s another detail I find more interesting, honestly. Abu Dhabi introduced a Livability by Design Framework for new and updated masterplans intended for more than 2,000 people. It focuses on walkable neighbourhoods, connected transport, public spaces, accessibility, and the quality of everyday life. The framework was announced by the Department of Municipalities and Transport.
An updated Lulu Island plan at the scale previously discussed would appear to fall within that scope, although authorities haven’t publicly tied the two announcements together. Still, the direction is clear: Abu Dhabi isn’t only asking how much can be built. It’s asking what life will feel like once people move in.
And that’s the right question.
What buyers should watch next
When the official launch arrives, don’t begin with the render. Begin with the plan.
Ask:
- Who owns and delivers the infrastructure, and when will the bridges be ready?
- Which part of the island is the first phase, and what will be built around it later?
- What is the price per square foot compared with established Abu Dhabi waterfront communities?
- Which views are protected, and which depend on future development?
- What do the service charges cover, especially for beaches, landscaping, and marine facilities?
- Is the project registered, and where will buyer payments be held?
- What construction milestones sit behind the payment plan?
Also decide what you’re actually buying for. A family home and a five-year investment aren’t the same decision. One may prioritise school access, privacy and a finished neighbourhood. The other may place more weight on first-phase pricing, scarcity and future infrastructure.
At Cielo Properties, that’s the conversation we believe buyers deserve. Not “buy now because everyone else will.” More like: let’s open the masterplan, compare the numbers, and see whether this particular home fits your life and your strategy.
A pearl, finally coming to the surface?
For years, Lulu Island was Abu Dhabi’s unfinished sentence.
Now it looks as though the city is ready to complete it.
There’s every reason to pay attention. Few sites combine this much land, this much waterfront and this kind of proximity to the capital’s centre. If Eagle Hills gets the access, public spaces, phasing and homes right, Lulu Island could become one of Abu Dhabi’s defining residential addresses.
But we’re not at the point of choosing units yet. We’re at the point of watching carefully, asking better questions and waiting for the official documents.
That’s how you arrive early without arriving blindly.
Information is current as of 1 September 2026 and is provided for general guidance only. Project details may change following official announcements. This article isn’t financial or investment advice.