Dar Al Arkan, the largest real estate developer in Saudi Arabia, delivers on its promise to create unique, luxurious living spaces with state-of-the-art amenities. The company believes that “every future homeowner or investor should enjoy a contemporary lifestyle that matches their aspirations and success, as well as develops and preserves their wealth for future generations.” It also has a knack for understanding the needs of its customers while keeping ahead of the top trends.

According to the company’s chairman, Yousef Al Shelash, co-branding is one of the biggest trends in luxury living. “When fashion designers start out, they create jackets, shirts, and tops first. And then, the co-branding evolves to glasses, jewelry, shoes, and handbags. Then maybe sofas. And now, co-branding extends to cars, yachts, and real estate,” says Yousef Al Shelash. “Co-branding with luxury brands is a big trend in both real estate and hospitality brands right now.”

Dar Al Arkan’s co-branded properties are in demand. “We have more and more people looking to buy a limited number of units,” he explains. “When the company does a project in a certain city with a certain brand, it can only present a limited number of units for a very long time.” The company has enjoyed bespoke collaborations with world-renowned designers, including Elie Saab, Versace, Pagani, and Missoni.

Al Shelash points out that there’s a worldwide trend of people who would like to buy limited edition units. “It is just like they are buying watches or jewelry. They want to buy everything that is a limited edition. So think of it as: The co-branded real estate is the limited edition of real estate, which is what makes it a major trend right now in real estate.”

Dar Al Arkan: Middle East Is Experiencing a Shift From Villas to Apartments

The real estate development enterprise, which was founded in 1994, celebrates and meets the evolving needs of the middle economic class. Less than two decades ago, a Saudi national wouldn’t choose to live in an apartment, but now luxury apartments are extremely popular. “We’ve seen a shift from stand-alone houses to apartments because real estate is becoming more expensive,” explains Al Shelash. Finances dictate a lot of living situations. “Many move from villas into apartments because utilities are becoming more expensive. An apartment’s utility bills are totally different from a villa’s utility costs. Apartments have become an acceptable way of living.”

The region has been undergoing an exciting transformation as it becomes more open to the external world. It’s more accepting of men and women mingling, which is resulting in a shift in the real estate market and beautification of communal areas. “This has allowed more and more people to live in apartments and to reduce the amount of fences around houses, which is really adding a different flair to the city,” says the company’s chairman. “Demolishing those walls makes a city more alive. The main cities of Saudi Arabia are really looking more and more alive due to this trend in the middle sector of the economy.”

How Real Estate Is a Preserver of Wealth

According to the company, another significant trend in Middle East real estate is the utilization of real estate as a preserver of wealth for the future. Consider it a tangible alternative to the stock market, bonds, or a pension plan.

Property is something you physically see and feel. This gives investors reassurance about preserving wealth because the house is an actual structure that can be passed down to future generations. While real estate has always been an implement for the preservation of wealth, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has helped increase the demand for housing. Dar Al Arkan offers hopeful homebuyers exceptionally low interest rates to allow them the opportunity to get on board with the trend of using real estate for the preservation of wealth.

A Look at Three of Dar Al Arkan’s Exquisite Projects

Aida is expected to be finished within the next three years. “This is really a bucket list item,” says Al Shelash. One look at the stunning all-glass hanging suites confirms that. He explains that from an engineering standpoint, the company is “proud to say that this has never been done before. We're doing Aida at the level of a five-star hotel.”

The development, only 20 minutes from downtown Muscat, is settled into the hilltops above the Arabian Sea, along the Gulf of Oman. It comprises a collection of medium-sized residential villas, low-rise apartments, and town houses, along with two hotels and a plaza with restaurants, cafés, and couture retail shops.

The real estate company designed a city within a city spanning over 5 million square meters called the Shams Ar Riyadh in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Al Shelash says, “Dar Al Arkan developed many communities, but because Shams Ar Riyadh was close to Riyadh, the company had the option of developing some of the most luxurious villas, with interiors designed by Roberto Cavalli, Versace, and Elie Saab. In addition, it was able to create more premium products because of its proximity to the city center. This was one of many master plans that the company does.”

The company is also responsible for creating the first residential project in conjunction with the world-famed W Hotels. According to Al Shelash, the 340-unit W Residences Dubai — Downtown is unique “because all the other Ws are combined with a hotel. This does not have a hotel element, so this is more private.” He explains that the company designed these residences “so residents don't have to check in or check out. This is your own private W residence with your own private W spa and pool.”

The company says that it “doesn’t simply adhere to global real estate guidelines. It puts expertise at the heart of it by continuously creating gold-standard principles for commercial, residential, and mixed-use projects, on-time delivery, construction, and maintenance.” With luxury atop its priority list, Dar Al Arkan continues to define grandeur throughout Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates as a global trendsetter.