Maryam Island

TL;DR: Maryam Island is a landmark AED 4.5 billion master-planned waterfront community in Al Khan, Sharjah, developed by Eagle Hills (founded by Mohamed Alabbar of Emaar) in joint venture with Shurooq (Sharjah Investment and Development Authority). The community comprises 3,500-plus freehold apartments, penthouses, and townhouses across 18-plus residential buildings on a 459,000-square-metre island overlooking Al Khan Lagoon and the Arabian Gulf. Multiple phases have been delivered (2020 to 2024), with further buildings targeting Q3 2026 to Q4 2027 completion. Studios start from AED 385,000 and the community features a 900-metre beach promenade, Maryam Boulevard retail street, a 4,000-square-metre community park, pools, gyms, spas, and hotel components. Gross rental yields average approximately 7.5 percent, with 18 percent rental demand growth in H2 2024.

Overview — Sharjah's Premier Waterfront Master Community

Maryam Island is Sharjah's most ambitious and internationally recognised waterfront residential master development — a AED 4.5 billion (approximately USD 1.22 billion) project that represents the transformation of Al Khan, a peninsula in the heart of Sharjah city overlooking Al Khan Lagoon and the Arabian Gulf. The development was jointly announced in January 2018 by Eagle Hills and Shurooq and has progressively delivered residential, hospitality, retail, and community components since 2020, establishing itself as the UAE's premier affordable luxury waterfront community outside of Dubai.

Eagle Hills Properties was founded in 2014 by Mohamed Alabbar — the visionary founder and chairman of Emaar Properties, the company behind Burj Khalifa, Downtown Dubai, Dubai Mall, Dubai Marina, and Arabian Ranches. Eagle Hills is a private Abu Dhabi-based entity distinct from the publicly listed Emaar, focused specifically on large-scale masterplan developments in emerging and growth markets. Eagle Hills currently operates in approximately 17 to 20 countries including Serbia (Belgrade Waterfront, €12.4 billion), Morocco, Jordan, Bahrain (Marassi Al Bahrain), Oman (Mandarin Oriental Oman project), Ethiopia, Georgia, Albania, Latvia, Egypt, and across the UAE.

In Sharjah, Eagle Hills operates through the Eagle Hills Sharjah joint venture entity. Shurooq (the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority — SIDA) is chaired by Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi and serves as the emirate's sovereign development and investment promotion authority. Shurooq contributed the Al Khan land and sovereign regulatory support; Eagle Hills provides development capital, design management, construction oversight, and international best-practice community planning. The partnership has also jointly developed Kalba Waterfront and Palace Al Khan.

The Island — Scale, Setting & Master Plan

Maryam Island occupies a 459,000-square-metre (approximately 4.9 million square feet) peninsula in the Al Khan district of central Sharjah. The island — connected to the mainland via the Al Khan Bridge — is positioned with its inner face overlooking the calm waters of Al Khan Lagoon and its outer face toward the open Arabian Gulf and the Al Mamzar coastline, providing a dual-aspect waterfront setting.

The master plan accommodates:

• 3,500-plus residential units across 18-plus buildings of studios, 1-bedroom, 2-bedroom, 3-bedroom, and 4-bedroom apartments, duplex penthouses, and podium townhouses
• 900-metre beach promenade (confirmed by SSH Architects and Eagle Hills)
• Four-star and five-star hotels (planned; brands not publicly confirmed)
• Maryam Boulevard — the island's retail and F&B promenade linking buildings and the waterfront
• 4,000-square-metre community park with jogging trails and sports facilities
• Souk/traditional market component
• Office space and retail podium units across multiple buildings

Completed Phases (Delivered 2020–2024)

Phase 1 — Maryam Beach Residence (Four Beachfront Buildings, 688 Units) The founding cluster of four eight-storey beachfront buildings — Sapphire Beach Residence, Azure Beach Residence, Cyan Beach Residence, and Indigo Beach Residence — delivered between Q4 2020 and Q4 2022. These fully occupied buildings face the beach directly and established the community's premium positioning. Studios (322 to 388 sqft) were available from AED 395,000; 1-bedroom units (524 to 791 sqft) from AED 451,000; 2-bedrooms (741 to 1,378 sqft) from AED 607,000; and 3-bedrooms (1,011 to 1,888 sqft) from AED 838,000.

Maryam Gate Cluster (Six Buildings, Delivered 2023–2024) A second residential cluster of six low-rise buildings:

• Shams Residences (59 units): Fully sold out and delivered Q2 2023; 1BR from AED 463,888
• Sama Residences (57 units): Delivered Q2 2023
• Nada Residences (74 units): Delivered Q1 2023
• Naseem Residences (58 units): Delivered Q2–Q3 2023; includes 3-bedroom townhouses
• Noor Residences (87 units): Delivered March 2024
• Rimal Residences (203 units): Studios (320–372 sqft) from AED 411,888; delivered Q3 2024 — now ready to move in

Mesk Residences (G+5): Studios (320–374 sqft), 1BR (618–670 sqft), 2BR (949–1,046 sqft); from AED 385,888. Delivered/ready as of early 2026.

Aysha Residences (137 units, 6 floors): Studios (380–389 sqft), 1BR (680–732 sqft), 2BR (1,082–1,140 sqft), 3BR+Maid (1,630–1,774 sqft); from AED 477,888. Handover Q1 2026.

Under-Construction & Upcoming Phases (2025–2027)

Jawaher Residences 1 & 2 (198 units): 1-bedroom to 4-bedroom apartments in two nine-storey towers. Prices from AED 460,000 to AED 2,100,000. Handover targeting Q4 2025 to Q2 2026.

Crystal Residences (234 units, 2 buildings): 1-bedroom to 4-bedroom apartments (667 to 1,973 sqft) and 3 to 4-bedroom podium townhouses (1,957 to 3,051 sqft); from AED 818,888. Handover Q4 2025.

Anbar Residences (162 units, G+P+9): Studios (~387 sqft from AED 512,888), 1BR (777–913 sqft from AED 776,888), 2BR (1,029–1,302 sqft from AED 1,149,888), 3BR (1,106–1,425 sqft from AED 1,539,888). Handover Q3 2026.

Rehan Residences (162 units, G+P+9): Studios (393–462 sqft), 1BR to 3BR; from approximately AED 444,000. Handover September 2026.

Oud Residences (162 units): Studios to 3-bedrooms. Handover 2026 to 2027.

Citrine Residences & Topaz Residences (shared podium, 123+5 townhouses each): 1-bedroom from AED 967,000 to AED 970,888; 4-bedroom from AED 3,571,888. Handover Q1 2027.

Layla Residences (131 units): 1-bedroom to 3-bedroom; from AED 860,888. Handover Q1 2027.

GEM Residences (98 units — premium beachfront): The most intimate and premium phase of Maryam Island. 1BR apartments from AED 879,000; 2BR from AED 1,450,000; 3BR from AED 2,600,000; 4BR from AED 3,000,000. Townhouses and penthouses available. Handover Q4 2027.

Community Amenities

Waterfront & Beach:

• 900-metre beach promenade — the longest and most defining community asset
• Direct beach access for all residents
• Waterfront cafes and restaurants along the promenade

Parks & Recreation:

• 4,000-square-metre community park with landscaped gardens, seating, and shade structures
• Jogging and walking trails
• Basketball court
• Children's playgrounds and children's pools
• Each residential cluster has its own community swimming pool

Retail & F&B:

• Maryam Boulevard — the island's main commercial street with retail shops, restaurants, cafes, and daily conveniences
• Souk/traditional market component within the master plan
• Office and retail podiums across multiple buildings

Wellness:

• Spas in multiple building clusters
• Fully equipped gymnasiums in each residential building cluster

Hospitality: Four-star and five-star hotel components are planned within the master plan — specific brand partnerships have not been publicly confirmed as of 2026.

Freehold Ownership — All Nationalities

Maryam Island offers 100 percent freehold ownership for all nationalities, enabled by Sharjah Law No. 2 of 2022 which allows absolute freehold ownership in specific designated projects with the Ruler's approval. Maryam Island was among the first Sharjah projects designated under this law — a landmark policy shift that opened one of the UAE's most affordable beachfront residential markets to international investors for the first time.

Prior to this law, foreign (non-GCC) ownership in Sharjah was heavily restricted to leasehold arrangements. The law change fundamentally improved Maryam Island's investment profile, enabling global buyers to hold title deeds on the same basis as UAE nationals.

Investment Performance

• Average gross rental yield: Approximately 7.5 percent across the community
• Rental demand growth: 20 percent increase in rental demand in H2 2024 versus H2 2023
• Price appreciation: 18 percent increase in price per square metre in H2 2024
• Sharjah market context: Sharjah real estate recorded AED 44.3 billion in transactions in the first nine months of 2025, a 58.3 percent year-on-year increase — the emirate's strongest transactional growth in recent history
• Capital appreciation: Estimated 5 to 7 percent annual price appreciation for Maryam Island waterfront units
• Average 1-bedroom purchase price: approximately AED 730,000; average annual rent approximately AED 80,000 to AED 90,000

Location & Connectivity

Maryam Island is situated in Al Khan, Sharjah — physically linked to the city via the Al Khan Bridge and accessible from both Al Taawun Road and the Sharjah Corniche arterial network.

Key Distances:

• Dubai International Airport (DXB): approximately 10 minutes by car — one of the community's strongest locational advantages
• Dubai border (Deira / Al Mamzar): approximately 15 to 20 minutes
• Sharjah City Centre and Sharjah Expo Centre: approximately 5 minutes
• Al Majaz Waterfront (Sharjah cultural district): approximately 12 minutes
• Sharjah International Airport: approximately 20 to 25 minutes
• Dubai Marina / Sheikh Zayed Road: approximately 35 to 40 minutes

The island's positioning at the confluence of Sharjah's Al Khan district and the Dubai–Sharjah border zone creates a unique dual-emirate catchment — attracting professionals, families, and investors who work in Dubai but prefer Sharjah's lower cost of living, beachfront lifestyle access, and expanding freehold residential market.