Arada lands majority stake in a London housing project: Arada Developments — co-owned by Prince Khaled bin Al Waleed bin Talal and Sharjah’s Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi — acquired an 80% stake in Thameside West, central London’s longest undeveloped riverfront, according to a press release. The stake was purchased from UK-based developer Keystone for GBP 225 mn, with Arada adding GBP 100 mn in equity, CEO Ahmed Alkhoshaibi told Bloomberg. Keystone will retain a 20% share. The project is set to deliver at least 5k homes.

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The details: Arada will develop the 47-acre site in collaboration with the London Borough of Newham, Greater London Authority, Transport for London, and major landowners Keystone and GLAP. The project has a development value of GBP 2.5 bn, including homes, retail, schools, parks, and transport links. Around 35% of the project will be allocated to affordable housing and 50% to green space. Arada also plans to deliver an additional DLR station in partnership with Transport for London.

The timeline: Construction on the first 1k homes is scheduled to begin in 2027 and wrap up in 2029. The full development will roll out over five phases, featuring about 30 towers and an on-site light-rail station.

ICYMI- Not Arada’s first London acquisition: The transaction follows Arada’s purchase of a 75% stake in London-based developer Regal for USD 680 mn in September, part of plans to build 30k homes in the city over the next three years.

The rationale: London’s stalled housing market creates potential despite the capital facing a sharp construction slump. Only 15k-20k homes are expected to be under construction by the start of 2027, a significant drop from 60k–65k in the five years through 2020 before the pandemic disruptions kicked in, the business news service reported, citing a Molior London study. Alkhoshaibi said the city’s rising rents show underlying demand, even as buyers face tighter lending and limited government incentives. Arada can tap Gulf buyers if local demand weakens to sell the first phase, with pricing aimed at middle-income buyers, Alkhoshaibi added, while remaining confident in London’s long-term fundamentals.

ALSO- Arada’s global push comes as cashrich Gulf developers look abroad for growth and to hedge against any slowdown at home.

Looking ahead: Arada is considering a USD 400 mn issuance of convertible Islamic bonds with JPMorgan to fund land acquisition and UAE expansion, CEO Alkhoshaibi said. The company, valued at over AED 30 bn (USD 8.2 bn), is also weighing an IPO of up to 20% of its shares by 2028, subject to market conditions.

Earnings forecast: Arada expects AED 17 bn in sales this year, up from AED 6 bn in 2024. Alkhoshaibi sees only limited corrections in some Dubai submarkets, citing continued strong demand and affordability for new residents.

ALSO- Dar Al Arkan’s luxury real estate arm Dar Global partnered with The Trump Organization to develop the world’s first tokenized resort development, Trump International Hotel Maldives, slated to open by the end of 2028, according to a press release published yesterday. The Trump-branded resort — its first in the Maldives — will feature around 80 ultra-luxury beach and overwater villas, and will be accessible via a 25-minute speedboat ride from the capital Malé.

SIGN OF THE TIMES- Instead of applying blockchain to transfer ownership of already-built real estate, this development aims to tokenize the project during its construction phase, potentially dividing its assets into digital shares that investors could buy as tokens. Tokenizing the development process will “transform how the world invests in hospitality,” Dar Global CEO Ziad El Chaar said, though neither company detailed how the mechanism would work.

A growing partnership: Dar Global announced in September its plans to launch the USD 1 bn mixed-use Trump Plaza Jeddah, marking the second collaboration with the Trump Organization. This followed the SAR 2 bn Trump Tower in Jeddah — unveiled last December and scheduled for completion by December 2029. Meanwhile, the Trump Organization is reportedly in talks to add a Trump-branded property to the Kingdom’s USD 63 bn Diriyah project.

The story also got ink from Bloomberg and the Financial Times.

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