Dubai's billionaires' row

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A tranquil residential retreat being created in a corner of Dubai is fast becoming an attractive haven for the world's super-rich wanting to escape from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Drawn by the promise of unprecedented luxury living, the mega-wealthy are snapping up properties within Al Barari, turning the development within the royal area of Nad Al Sheba into Dubai's answer to billionaires' row.

"We have more billionaires per square metre than anywhere else," Zaal Mohammad Zaal says with a smile.

He is chairman of Al Barari, the developer behind the $6.4bn real estate project of the same name located off Emirates Road in Dubailand.

Open space is something the development has in abundance too.

Over 300 secluded villas surrounded by trees and lakes are spread over 14.2 million sq ft, making Al Barari the lowest density development in the region with over 80 percent un-built area.

Added to this tranquil landscape are open spaces, botanical gardens, waterways, walking and jogging tracks, dedicated outdoor yoga areas as well as recreational and community facilities.

Phase one of the project, which is 75 percent complete, is made up of 300 villas.

Infrastructure and earthworks will start at the end of the year on phase two, which includes a six-star boutique hotel, 32 villas, a spa and resort, a healing haven of alternative medicine, apartments, shopping areas, gardens, a grand mosque and a cultural village.

Al Barari, which translates from Arabic as ‘The Wilderness', is the brainchild of Zaal, a charismatic Emirati with an uncompromising vision of how he sees the development unfolding.

"When I went to my consultants and bankers five years ago with this idea of gardens and lakes and quality of life with everything within walking distance, they said to me ‘Zaal you're putting 300 villas in 10 million sq ft of land, you are out of your mind.

We love you but this doesn't make economic sense. Do like Emaar, Nakheel, turn these boxes out on a conveyor belt and you'll make a fortune.' And I said ‘no thank you.'

"I walked away and took a risk and never looked back, for the very simple reason I knew there were customers who want this kind of life and are willing to pay for it," says Zaal.

Not only has he got his way, but with 200 villas already sold from phase one and demand high for phase two, his approach has been vindicated.

‘Exclusive' and ‘luxury' are superlatives often overused by Dubai real estate firms eager to promote their new developments.

But even by Dubai standards, Al Barari is unashamedly high-end. However, Zaal insists it will more than meet expectations.

Infinity swimming pools, hanging gardens, home theatres and private home spas feature within the apartments labelled the Billionaire Collection.

A personal chef and butler is provided for each of the guests staying at the 120-suite hotel in phase two, while the 55 secluded spa villas all have private treatment pavilions and swimming pools.

"The unfortunate thing is everyone is calling their development ‘luxury', it's really an overused and abused word," continues Zaal.

"I personally look at every single detail of a plan as I know what I want and I know what my customer wants. This is the driving force, I don't compromise on quality. I would rather pay the extra, absorb it myself, and have the smile on my customer's face.

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READERS' COMMENTS

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opinion
Posted by Barb, Dubai, UAE on Thursday 30 October 2008 at 08:35 UAE time

Agree Ametis! All individuals have their choice to live, buy and enjoy where and with who they want to!
Zaal will find the people who think the way he does and Im sure there are more than 300 in the world.
His competitors with their cheap quality, high density, poor service and misleading marketing will find their audience as well.
No need to bitch about each other....you have a better plan? Lucky enough to execute it? Come up with it and make it reality instead of critisizing someone who is actually doing it.

Congratulations to Mr. Zaal
Posted by Ametis, Dubai, UAE on Wednesday 22 October 2008 at 05:35 UAE time


Congratulations to Mr Zaal for his vision and putting his money where his mouth is to achieve his vision.

To those posting vitriolic comments, being a Billionaire means exactly that I can have my Villa in South of France, My beach house in the Caribbean, my Island in the Mediterranean, and you never know maybe a lunar mansion??

While you are still sitting in your room in the shared Villa, bitching about those who fulfilled their dream by sheer hard work, and taking the risk

Different definitions of Luxury!!
Posted by SR on Monday 20 October 2008 at 18:45 UAE time


What is amazing is that every developer has their own definition of luxury!! Just for the purpose of making their sale. No wonder as greed is a natural phenomina in this part of the world.
If anybody wants to live close to nature, I dont think they are in the right place!

Delusions, Fantasies, and Mirages
Posted by Trojan on Monday 20 October 2008 at 11:36 UAE time

What a joke man! Billionaires from "all over the world"... are you kidding me? If I have millions to spend, I sure won't go to Dubai to escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life - did anyone forget Dubai's nightmarish traffic and aweful weather? I'd rather buy a villa on Greece's coast, the French Riviera, the Bahamas, or Florida's and Califronia's beach-front properties. Or how about a cabin in one of Colorado's ski resorts? Has anyone been out to Al Barrari? I have, and I can tell you no amount of vegetation you plant in there is going to stop do anything about the nasty sand-laiden wind whipping you in the face while you enjoy the tropical landscape. Obviously Al Barrari is getting desperate because only 200 of the 350 villas have been "snapped up" by billionaires rushing in from all over the world. Get real people!

The Desert was meant to be a desert not a rainforest
Posted by debbie, Dubai, United Arab Emirates on Monday 20 October 2008 at 09:14 UAE time


so if you will carpet it green and grow plants and all kinds of lush fauna, you will have to recreate that environment which costs water (precious in this environment) and energy thereby creating a larger carbon footprint than you think. A desert is meant to be a desert, lets enjoy the beauty of that!

Villas
Posted by Paul, Dubai on Sunday 19 October 2008 at 15:52 UAE time

Wonder if DM will also be evicting any billionaires who happen to live in villas with people who aren't members of their family...like, a girlfriend, for instance? I can't see billionaires sharing housing to cut down on rent costs (well, maybe not yet...)

Dubai's Billionaires' Row
Posted by Ramon Imperial Lapak, Dubai, UAE on Friday 17 October 2008 at 16:48 UAE time


Congratulations to Mr. Zaal and his Family for their vision to create a good place for those who can afford it. Having enough space and greens has become very expensive and in the future, places like these will not be available if visionaries like them are not around. Wishing you sucess and good luck in your endevour..

Tallest towers, tiniest billionaires - where will it all end?
Posted by Graham Plater, Munich, Germany on Friday 17 October 2008 at 12:50 UAE time

To quote the developer of Al Barari, "We have more billionaires per square metre than anywhere else". Yes, the place sounds really wonderful but maybe a little overcrowded ...?

wonderful! how about the environment?
Posted by nada, doha on Thursday 16 October 2008 at 23:19 UAE time


Good project and nice concept.. However, as long as this part of the world is a pure desert...How much water is needed and How much energy is needed to keep the greenery "green" and the turn the engines?
I've read somewhere in one of those serious reports that the middle east is harming the environment due to the consumption of energy to turn ACs on and to maintain the greenery... Such projects just add more worries and please few eccentric people...

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