SAMA YAS

TL;DR: Sama Yas is an exclusive 234-unit luxury residential community by Aldar Properties, comprising three low-rise buildings within the 115,000-square-metre Yas Park on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. Designed by Woods Bagot with interiors by Mustard & Linen and kitchens curated by celebrity chef Izu Ani, the development targets Estidama 3 Pearl, LEED Gold, and Fitwel certifications, with handover scheduled for Q3 2027 and prices starting from AED 1.9 million.

Introduction

Sama Yas occupies a singular position in Abu Dhabi's residential landscape — a boutique community of just 234 homes nestled within Yas Park, a 115,000-square-metre recreational parkland on the northern side of Yas Island. Developed by Aldar Properties, Abu Dhabi's largest listed real estate company, and designed by global architecture practice Woods Bagot, the project represents a deliberate departure from the high-density tower developments that characterize much of Yas Island's residential inventory.

The development's most distinctive feature is its culinary partnership with Chef Izu Ani, a British-Nigerian culinary entrepreneur whose restaurant portfolio spans Gaia (London and Monte Carlo), IZU at Mandarin Oriental (Doha), Shanghai Me, Alaya, Scalini, and Kai Enzo (Dubai). Ani has curated the kitchen designs for all 234 residences, focusing on professional-grade spatial flow, storage, and finishings — and will operate an exclusive on-site restaurant and deli within the community. This hospitality-residential integration is unprecedented in Abu Dhabi's residential market.

With only 234 units across three low-rise buildings on a 100,000-square-metre site, Sama Yas offers a density ratio that is exceptionally low by regional standards, creating a park-immersed residential environment where landscape — not built form — dominates the experience. The community is open to all nationalities under freehold ownership, with qualifying purchases above AED 2 million eligible for the UAE's 10-Year Golden Visa.

Location & Connectivity

Yas Island is Abu Dhabi's premier leisure and entertainment destination, a 2,500-hectare island with 32 kilometres of coastline that hosts some of the world's most visited theme parks and entertainment venues. Sama Yas is situated within Yas Park on the island's northern side, accessed via the established road network that connects all of Yas Island's attractions and residential communities.

The development benefits from Yas Island's exceptional proximity to Zayed International Airport (Abu Dhabi), located approximately 10 kilometres or 10–15 minutes by car. This makes Sama Yas one of the closest luxury residential communities to a major international airport anywhere in the UAE — a significant consideration for the frequent-traveller demographic that luxury island living typically attracts.

Key distance benchmarks from Sama Yas include approximately 5 minutes to Yas Acres Golf Club, 8 minutes to Yas Mall and IKEA Abu Dhabi, 8 minutes to Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, 8 minutes to Yas Waterworld, 10 minutes to Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi and SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, 10–15 minutes to Zayed International Airport, approximately 30 minutes to Abu Dhabi city centre and the Corniche, and 45 minutes to 1.5 hours to Dubai via the E11/E10 highways.

Yas Island's entertainment ecosystem is unparalleled in the region. Ferrari World Abu Dhabi houses Formula Rossa — the world's fastest roller coaster — within the world's largest indoor theme park. Yas Waterworld offers 45+ rides and attractions with an Emirati cultural theme. Warner Bros. World Abu Dhabi provides six immersive themed lands in a fully air-conditioned environment. SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, the island's newest addition, brings marine education and entertainment. The Yas Marina Circuit hosts the Formula 1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix annually, while CLYMB Abu Dhabi offers indoor skydiving and climbing experiences.

Architecture & Design

Sama Yas was designed by Woods Bagot, a global architectural studio with projects spanning over 60 countries. The architectural concept centres on creating a strong visual and physical connection between the residences and the surrounding parkland, achieved through terracing, laneways, and carefully framed view-shafts that draw the park landscape into the living experience.

The three low-rise buildings are oriented to maximize views across Yas Park while maintaining the community's intimate scale. The low-rise typology — in contrast to the towers that characterize much of Yas Island — ensures that every residence has a meaningful relationship with the ground plane and the surrounding landscape, whether through ground-floor garden access, intermediate-level terraces, or upper-floor panoramic views.

Interior design is by Mustard & Linen, led by designer Itsaso Bartolomé Yarza, who has created what the studio describes as "a harmonious blend of artistic and practical design principles." The material palette includes Italian marble countertops, engineered timber parquet flooring, and premium finishes throughout. Every kitchen in the development has been curated by Chef Izu Ani, who describes the collaboration as bringing "everything I have learned from our restaurants to the home," with particular attention to the energy flow from kitchen to dining space.

The development targets three sustainability certifications — Estidama 3 Pearl (Abu Dhabi's green building standard), LEED Gold (the U.S. Green Building Council's second-highest designation), and Fitwel (a health and wellness building certification for the masterplan) — making it one of the most comprehensively sustainability-targeted residential communities in Abu Dhabi. Measures include energy-efficient systems, water conservation technology, waste reduction programmes, and smart community design.

Unit Types & Floor Plans

Sama Yas's 234 residences are configured across seven distinct typologies designed to serve a range of luxury living requirements:

• One-Bedroom Apartments (approximately 1,023 sq ft / 95 sq m): Launched at AED 1.9 million in Phase 1, now sold out. Features include one bathroom, kitchen, living/dining room, powder room, laundry room, and balcony.

• Two-Bedroom Apartments (1,646–2,332 sq ft / 153–217 sq m): Starting from AED 3.3 million. Include two bathrooms, Chef Izu-designed kitchen, living/dining area, powder room, laundry room, maid's room with bathroom, and balcony.

• Three-Bedroom Apartments (2,214–3,260 sq ft / 205–303 sq m): Starting from AED 4.9 million. Feature three bathrooms, kitchen, living/dining room, powder room, laundry room, maid's room with bathroom, and two balconies.

• Two-Bedroom Duplexes (2,486–3,118 sq ft / 231–290 sq m): Starting from AED 4.1 million. Dual-level living with enhanced spatial separation between entertaining and private areas.

• Three-Bedroom Duplexes (3,082–3,220 sq ft / 286–299 sq m): Starting from AED 6 million. The largest standard unit type, offering expansive dual-level family living.

• Garden Apartments (1,065–2,788 sq ft / 99–259 sq m): Starting from AED 3.3 million. Ground-floor units with direct access to private garden spaces and the surrounding park landscape.

• Five-Bedroom Penthouses (13,670 sq ft / approximately 1,270 sq m): Starting from AED 24.9 million. Only three full-floor penthouse units in the entire development, each featuring a private infinity pool, sweeping terrace with Yas Park views, Italian marble throughout, four dedicated parking spaces, and direct elevator access from a dedicated basement lobby.

The 10/50/40 payment plan structures payments as 10% at booking, 50% during construction (distributed across milestone-based instalments at construction start, piling, sub-structure, super-structure, and façade completion stages), and 40% upon handover in Q3 2027.

Amenities & Lifestyle

Sama Yas's amenity programme is branded with distinctive names that reflect a boutique hospitality sensibility rather than a conventional residential development:

• The Canopy Club: The community's social hub and residents' lounge, designed as a gathering space for social events and casual interaction
• Serenity Suite Spa: A boutique spa with sauna and relaxation lounge, providing wellness services within the community
• Vitality Club: A state-of-the-art gymnasium with advanced cardio and fitness equipment
• Curzon Lounge Cinema: A private boutique cinema for residents, offering an intimate screening experience
• The Reading Room: A curated library providing a quiet retreat for reading and study
• Maison Mocha: An on-site coffee shop within the community grounds
• Chef Izu's Restaurant and Deli: An exclusive dining venue operated by Chef Izu Ani, with a deli component and in-home fine dining delivery service for residents

Concierge and Services:

• 360-degree 24-hour concierge service
• 24/7 room service
• Exclusive house car with chauffeur service
• Catered picnics in Yas Park
• Pet concierge and dog walking services
• EV charging stations
• Valet parking

Outdoor and Recreation:

• Infinity swimming pool with sun loungers and children's pool with canopy
• Community gardens, grove areas, and mangrove zones
• Cycling and jogging tracks with exercise stations
• Covered sports courts
• Skate park and bounce park
• Dog park
• Outdoor working pods and co-working spaces
• Children's play areas and dedicated playroom
• Picnic areas with BBQ facilities
• Bicycle paths connecting to the broader Yas Park network

Developer Profile

Aldar Properties PJSC is Abu Dhabi's largest listed real estate development company, founded on January 12, 2004, and listed on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX: ALDAR) since 2005. The company's financial scale is substantial: FY 2024 revenue reached AED 23.0 billion (a 62% year-over-year increase), net profit after tax achieved AED 6.5 billion (47% growth), and total assets stood at AED 85.7 billion. Aldar carries a Moody's Baa2 credit rating with stable outlook.

Aldar's ownership structure reflects its strategic importance to Abu Dhabi: International Holding Company (IHC) holds approximately 33.61% as the largest shareholder, while Mubadala Investment Company — Abu Dhabi's sovereign wealth fund managing over USD 300 billion in assets — maintains a significant strategic stake. In September 2024, Aldar and Mubadala announced an AED 30 billion+ joint venture portfolio across Abu Dhabi.

The company's development portfolio includes some of Abu Dhabi's most iconic projects: the entire Yas Island masterplan (a USD 40 billion undertaking), the Yas Marina Circuit (home to the F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix since 2009), Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, Yas Mall, Saadiyat Island's cultural district, Al Raha Beach, and the Al Maryah Island joint venture with Mubadala. This track record of delivering world-class destinations provides assurance regarding Sama Yas's execution quality, community management standards, and long-term value preservation.

Investment Potential

Yas Island's rental market has demonstrated exceptional performance, with luxury apartments generating gross rental yields of 6.0–7.22% according to Bayut market data, while mid-range apartments achieve 7.0–8.0%. Capital appreciation has been equally compelling: average property prices per square foot on Yas Island rose by 7.8% in 2024, one-bedroom rental rates increased by 25.2%, and three-bedroom apartment rents grew by 10.7%.

Sama Yas's investment proposition is anchored in scarcity — only 234 units within a globally recognized leisure island — combined with the differentiated lifestyle offering that Chef Izu's culinary partnership, branded amenities, and park-immersed low-rise architecture provide. The development's rapid Phase 1 sell-out (one-bedroom units from AED 1.9 million cleared immediately) confirms strong market validation.

Combined total returns on Yas Island properties — incorporating both rental income and capital appreciation — are projected at 9–11% annually, with forecasts suggesting 6–9% yearly property value growth and 6–8% ROI through 2030. The ongoing expansion of Yas Island's entertainment infrastructure (SeaWorld's 2023 opening being the most recent addition) and the island's established position as Abu Dhabi's premier tourist destination create a structural demand driver for residential properties that few other locations in the emirate can match.

The freehold ownership structure, 10-Year Golden Visa eligibility for qualifying purchases, and Aldar's institutional-grade community management through Aldar Estates collectively position Sama Yas as one of the most compelling luxury residential investment opportunities on Yas Island.