Speak to me now and buy up to 2 days early
There are no expressions of interest on Talay. Villas are booked in person by appointment, and Aldar opens to the public on Friday 25 September. Through me, two groups of buyers book before that, while every plot is still on the table. Register with me now to secure your appointment and confirm you qualify.
Taking several villas? My bulk clients book the day before non-resident investors, with first pick of the plots. Speak to me for details.
Buyers who live outside the UAE book at Aldar’s non-resident launch, a day ahead of everyone else.
The general market, on the same day, choosing from whatever the first two days have left.
Etihad Rail high-speed station, on your doorstep
Marsa Al Saadiyat has an underground Etihad Rail high-speed station inside the masterplan. The station is about 1.5 km from Talay. The line runs at up to 350 km/h and puts Abu Dhabi and Dubai around 30 minutes apart. Very few addresses in the UAE will be able to say that, and none of the villa communities on Saadiyat today can.
- Saadiyat Island Your stationUnderground, inside Marsa Al Saadiyat, about 1.5 km from Talay.
- Reem IslandAcross the water from Al Maryah Island and ADGM, Abu Dhabi's financial centre.
- Yas IslandAbu Dhabi's leisure capital: theme parks, Yas Marina Circuit, and the site of Disneyland Abu Dhabi.
- Zayed International AirportAbu Dhabi's airport, by rail rather than by road.
- Al Maktoum International Airport, DWCDubai World Central, the airport Dubai is building to become its main hub.
- Al Jaddaf, DubaiOn Dubai Creek, integrated with the Dubai Metro for DIFC, Downtown and the rest of the city.
Matt Siddell, on why this mattersA high-speed station on your doorstep turns Saadiyat from an island you drive off into a node on the national network. Two airports, ADGM and Dubai all come within a train ride.
Infrastructure like this reprices land around it, and the people who benefit most are the ones who buy before it opens. That is extremely valuable to early movers.
Stations, speed and journey time are from Etihad Rail's published plans for the Abu Dhabi to Dubai high-speed line. The Marsa Al Saadiyat station is in Aldar's masterplan. An opening date for the high-speed service has not been announced. The 1.5 km distance is Aldar's approximate figure.
Abu Dhabi's largest marina, 1 km from Talay
Marsa means harbour, and the marina is the centrepiece of the whole district: more than 350 berths for sailing boats and superyachts, a yacht club, and a 1 km promenade of restaurants and shops along the water. Beside it, Frank Gehry's Dar al Funoon, Abu Dhabi's new home for opera, ballet, theatre and jazz, with the Saadiyat Cultural District minutes away.
- Dar al Funoon Opens 2030Frank Gehry's last design: a 2,000-seat main hall, a 3,500-seat open-air amphitheatre, a studio theatre and a jazz venue, programmed 365 days a year.
- Louvre Abu DhabiOpen, in the Saadiyat Cultural District.
- Guggenheim Abu DhabiGehry again, in the Cultural District.
- Zayed National Museum and teamLab PhenomenaBoth open, in the Cultural District.
- NYU Abu DhabiAbout 1 km from Talay.
Matt Siddell, on why this mattersDar al Funoon alone makes a compelling argument: four performance spaces and more than 6,000 seats, against Dubai Opera's single stage and 2,000. Put that next to the largest marina in the capital and the Louvre, and this stops being a housing scheme. It becomes the address in Abu Dhabi.
That is the kind of anchor that holds value for decades, and Talay owners are the first to have it on their doorstep.
Marina, promenade, yacht club and Dar al Funoon capacity from Aldar's Marsa Al Saadiyat launch and Abu Dhabi government announcements. Dubai Opera's capacity is about 2,000. The 1 km marina distance is Aldar's approximate figure from the sales centre. Dar al Funoon is scheduled to open in 2030.
The lowest price per square foot Marsa Al Saadiyat is likely to see
Aldar's first homes at Marsa Al Saadiyat. Every release after this is priced against it.
More villas, apartments and beachfront homes follow over the coming years, each one launching into a market Talay has already set.
Schools, retail, the beach and the rail station arrive around you. That is when a place reprices.
Matt Siddell, my viewThis is the point I would make above all others. On a masterplan this size, the developer prices the first release to sell out, because it sets the benchmark for years of launches behind it. From here Talay prices the market, and prices at Marsa Al Saadiyat will inevitably creep up over time.
If you want to own at Marsa Al Saadiyat, this is the cheapest you are likely to get in. Buy the first release, not the fifth.
46 km of cycling track, from your front door
Marsa Al Saadiyat is planned around people moving on foot and by bike. At Talay the green corridor and cycling loops run straight past the villas, and connect into the network across the whole district: to the beach, the schools, the retail hub and the rail station.
For families this is the thing you notice every day. Children who cycle to school, a morning ride along the water, and a car that stays in the garage.
A sunset over the Abu Dhabi skyline, every evening
The beach at Marsa Al Saadiyat faces west. Evenings here end with the sun going down over the water, with the skyline of Reem Island, Al Maryah Island and ADGM across the channel, and the Gate Towers, Abu Dhabi's three towers joined by a sky bridge, catching the last of the light. You cannot build a view like that later. It is either where you live or it is not.
Talay, and what is now on the table
The sizes, unit numbers, handover estimates, starting price and payment plan come from Aldar's Talay factsheet, floor plans and payment plan. Where a figure is my own view rather than theirs, it says so. Set the currency and the area unit at the top and the whole page follows you.
What Aldar has confirmed
Two collections of standalone villas in 4, 5 and 6 bedrooms: Talay, 167 villas, and Talay Beach, 184 villas. Gross areas from 502 to 634 sq m on average plots of 736 to 883 sq m. Prices from AED 13.5m. A 50 / 50 payment plan with 5% on booking. Handover estimated to commence Q4 2029 for Talay and Q4 2030 for Talay Beach. A gated community with 24/7 security and a school planned inside it.
What is still open
Aldar has priced Talay by villa type (AED 13.5m, 15.5m and 17.2m) but not Talay Beach yet. The instalment dates on the payment plan are for Talay; Talay Beach hands over a year later and its dates are not yet published. The premium for a beach or green-spine plot and plot-by-plot orientation are not published either. The resale threshold is 30%, to be confirmed.
All of this lands on launch day, for everybody at once.
What I would say about it
I have said before that good real estate needs good pricing and at least a 50 / 50 payment plan behind it. Aldar has given us the 50 / 50, and only 5% to book. That is the shape I wanted to see.
This is the first residential release in a district that will be launching for years. On a project this size the first release is usually the best price, because it sets the benchmark for everything that follows.
Two collections, three villas each
Talay sits inland along the green spine. Talay Beach sits closer to the water and hands over a year later. Gross area is the villa as Aldar measures it; plot is the average for that type. The plot ratio (FAR) is gross area divided by plot: around 0.7 on every type, so you get a lot of villa for the land you pay for. Open the floor plan or the images for any villa and swipe through them full screen.
What the mix tells you
| Villas available | Talay | Talay Beach | Both |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 bedroom | 60 | 81 | 141 |
| 5 bedroom | 49 | 42 | 91 |
| 6 bedroom | 58 | 61 | 119 |
| All villas | 167 | 184 | 351 |
Exactly what you pay, exactly when
Aldar's payment plan is 50 / 50: 5% on booking, 45% in six instalments through construction, and 50% at handover. There is no finance to model here, just the instalments. Set the villa price and the number of villas and every line rebuilds in your currency.
Talay from Aldar: 4 bed AED 13.5m, 5 bed 15.5m, 6 bed 17.2m. Talay Beach is not priced yet, so pick the nearest.
How the money goes in
What your money actually earns
Set how fast you think Talay appreciates and how that growth arrives. The returns below are calculated for the collection, villa price and number of villas you picked in the payment plan, on your real dated payments, so the IRR reflects the fact that your money goes in over three years, not on day one.
Compounded from the price you pay to the estimated handover. The three cases are anchored to Knight Frank's Abu Dhabi review for the year to June 2026.
A community with nothing open yet does not appreciate in a straight line. Slide right and more of the growth lands near handover, as the schools, beach and retail arrive. It changes when the value turns up, never how much there is by handover.
Your villa's value against the cash you have paid
The gap between the two lines is your equity. Hover or tap along the chart to read any month.
When the appreciation turns up
Three ways out, and what each one returns
The last row is the same villa bought for cash on day one, to show what the payment plan is worth.
| Exit | Your cash in | Value at exit | You receive | Profit | Profit on cash | IRR |
|---|
The number that matters
Rooted in Emirati tradition, built for families
Talay is designed around a landscaped green spine with water running through it. Three pieces of the design draw directly on Emirati heritage, one of them by Emirati designer Abdalla Almulla.
How close things are
- Community mosque100 m
- School300 m
- Beach club650 m
- The beachup to 1 km
- Retail hubup to 1 km
- NYU Abu Dhabi1 km
- Etihad Rail station1.5 km
Schools
- Three new schools inside Marsa Al Saadiyat
Two private and one public, one of them 300 m from TalayOn site - Cranleigh Abu Dhabi
A new AED 385.8m campus on Saadiyat, about $105m, for 2,178 pupils, with a 50 m poolFrom 2027/28 - Harrow International School Abu Dhabi
On Saadiyat, and the first boarding school in the emirateSaadiyat - NYU Abu Dhabi1 km
- American Community SchoolNearby
- Muna British AcademyNearby
- Lycée Français International (AFLEC)Nearby
Distances are Aldar's approximate figures and vary by community and villa location.
Marsa Al Saadiyat, the final chapter of Saadiyat Island
Talay is the first residential community in Aldar's last and largest district on Saadiyat, next door to NYU Abu Dhabi and a short drive from the Cultural District, with an underground Etihad Rail station inside the masterplan.
What Talay actually looks like
Tap any image to open it full screen, then swipe left and right on a phone, or use the arrows and your keyboard on a desktop. Filter by villas, community, interiors or floor plans.
Renewable 10-year residency, family sponsorship, no requirement to work in the UAE and no limit on time abroad. Off-plan villas qualify, and several properties can be combined. Confirmed by the authorities at application; not immigration advice.
How booking works through me
There is no expression of interest stage on Talay. You book on the day, in person, by appointment. What matters is which day you get and being ready when you sit down.
- Speak to me and secure your appointmentYour collection, villa type, how many villas and your budget. I confirm which booking day you qualify for and hold your appointment.Open now
- I come back with unit optionsCollection, plot, position on the green spine or towards the beach, and what I would take if it were my money.
- BookingBulk buyers on Wednesday 23 September, non-resident investors on Thursday 24 September, the public on Friday 25 September. You need 5% of the price plus the 2% registration fee, passport copies for every owner, and someone able to sign. If you are travelling, a power of attorney sorted in advance.From Wednesday 23 September, through me
- Then six instalments through constructionFor Talay: 5% in March 2027, September 2027 and March 2028, then 10% in August 2028, January 2029 and June 2029. The remaining 50% falls at handover, estimated from Q4 2029.
Why I think Talay sells out
Marsa Al Saadiyat has the potential to become seriously prime real estate. It is the last large piece of Saadiyat, next door to NYU Abu Dhabi and minutes from the Cultural District, and the underground Etihad Rail station inside the masterplan is extremely valuable to early movers.
Good returns need three things: a good product, good pricing and a good payment plan. The product is family villas on generous plots in a gated, landscaped community with a school inside it. The payment plan is 50 / 50 with 5% to book, which is better than I have come to expect from Aldar.
Pricing is the one we judge on launch day. There will be releases across Marsa Al Saadiyat for years, and the first one is where the benchmark is set. Only 351 villas, and I expect them to go quickly.
20 years across finance, offshore structuring and real estate development in London and the UAE. I advise UHNW investors, family offices and VVIP clients on the best assets in Abu Dhabi and Dubai, and I tell them what I actually think.
Can I book before the public launch? Yes, through me
Yes. My bulk clients book on Wednesday 23 September and non-resident investors on Thursday 24 September, ahead of the public launch on Friday 25 September. Register with me now to confirm you qualify.
When does the rail station open? Not announced
Etihad Rail has not announced an opening date for the high-speed line. The station is part of Aldar's Marsa Al Saadiyat masterplan. My view is that buying before it opens is where the value is.
When does it hand over? Estimated
Aldar estimates handover commences in Q4 2029 for Talay and Q4 2030 for Talay Beach. The final 50% is due at handover.
What exactly is the payment plan? Published
50 / 50. For Talay: 5% on booking, 5% on 1 March 2027, 5% on 1 September 2027, 5% on 1 March 2028, 10% on 1 August 2028, 10% on 1 January 2029, 10% on 1 June 2029, and 50% on handover.
Talay Beach is also 50 / 50 with 5% down. Its instalment dates have not been published yet.
What is the starting price? Published
Talay starts at AED 13.5m for the four bedroom, AED 15.5m for the five and AED 17.2m for the six. Talay Beach has not been priced yet.
What do I need on booking day? Checklist
5% of the price plus the 2% registration fee, a passport copy for every owner, and someone able to sign. Buying through a company, a copy of the trade licence too.
Can I sell before handover? 30%, to be confirmed
The resale threshold is 30% paid, to be confirmed by Aldar. On the Talay payment plan you reach 30% with the fifth instalment on 1 August 2028. From then the villa can be sold on, and your buyer takes over the rest of the payment plan.
Is there an expression of interest stage? No
No. There are no EOIs on Talay. Villas are booked in person by appointment: bulk buyers on Wednesday 23 September, non-resident investors on Thursday 24 September, and the public on Friday 25 September.
Does it qualify for the golden visa? Yes
Property from AED 2 million qualifies for the UAE's 10-year golden visa, and off-plan property from approved developers is eligible. On an off-plan villa you qualify once AED 2 million has been paid. On a single villa at AED 13.5m that is reached with the third instalment on 1 September 2027.
Can international buyers purchase here? Yes
Yes. Saadiyat Island is an investment zone where all nationalities can own freehold.
What about capital gains tax? Context
The UAE levies no capital gains tax on an individual selling property held in their own name. Hold it through a UAE company and 9% corporate tax can come into play, and if you are tax resident elsewhere your own country may still tax the gain. I am a broker, not your tax adviser.
WhatsApp me now to book your appointment.
Bulk buyers book on Wednesday 23 September and non-resident investors on Thursday 24 September, before the public launch on Friday 25 September. There are no EOIs on this launch: booking is by appointment, and your appointment is what gets you in early. It takes one message. These are the things you need in place when the villa is offered.
- Emirates ID or passport copyFor the buyer and any co-owner. Buying through a company, a copy of the trade licence too.
- 7% ready to move5% of the price plus the 2% registration fee. On a villa at AED 13.5m that is —.
- Someone able to signIf the buyer is travelling, a power of attorney or an authorised signatory sorted in advance.
- Your choice of collectionTalay hands over from Q4 2029, Talay Beach from Q4 2030. Know which you want, and your second choice.