Makers District is one of the most anticipated projects by the master developer IMKAN. The area is a mixed-use waterfront development with 3,700 residential units, a boutique hotel, library, retail and F&B spots as well as co-working office spaces. Makers District is the first community in the UAE created to cultivate creativity and culture andis set to attract artists, artisans, SMEs, curators and entrepreneurs from across the globe.
Makers District covers over 1,900,000 sq. ft. with the total innovative project amounting to AED 1.9B (USD 540M). The first phase of the community involves construction of 1,000 residential units as well as 118,403 sq. ft. of commercial and retail space.
*The price is valid for 2021
IMKAN gathered a team of world-renowned architects to develop the concept of Makers District. They include the UAE-based Dewan, MRDV from the Netherlands as well as the Danish company Bjarke Ingels Group.
The upcoming project will house The-Artery, a multi-use building that integrates makerspaces and a parking garage. The development will also include the Pixel area which will be a mixed-use community with residential clusters among other projects. The construction of Makers District started in 2017 and is expected to be completed by 2023
Makers District lies in the north-east of Reem Island, which means it is just across the water from the sought-after attractions of Abu Dhabi, such as Guggenheim Abu Dhabi and Louvre Abu Dhabi. These destinations on Saadiyat Island as well as Abu Dhabi International Airport can be reached within a maximum of 30 minutes’ by car. As for those who frequently travel to Dubai, you should expect to spend about one hour and a half in the car.
Reem Island itself is connected to the mainland of Abu Dhabi and Al Maryah Island by two bridges ensuring a no-fuss commute for its residents. It will take under 20 minutes’ to get to these locations. Thus, homeowners of Makers District will have easy access to Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi, Galleria Mall and Abu Dhabi Mall among other places.
Moreover, Makers District is in close proximity to a number of attractions on Reem Island, providing residents with a range of recreation and entertainment options. For instance, Reem Central Park is 10 minutes’ away and covers 1,000,000 sq. ft. and features a city beach walk, playground, lawn and a skating area. As well as this, adults and children will enjoy world-class sporting amenities such as football and basketball courts.
As for education, residents of Makers District will benefit from many nurseries and schools in the vicinity of their homes. These include the Hummingbird Nursery, Repton School Abu Dhabi and Paris Sorbonne Abu Dhabi, just to name a few. The latter academic institution is the first international campus of the world-renowned French university and has been awarded the Best University in Humanities in the Middle East at the Forbes Middle East Higher Education Awards.
Pixel is the first project launched by the master developer of IMKAN at Makers District. The construction of the mixed-use development started in 2019 and is expected to be completed by Q4 2021. Set in a beautiful open and green space, it will comprise 7 mid-rise towers with 525 residential units in total. It is worth noting that the master developer is building these towers simultaneously so that new homeowners will not live in a state of ongoing construction.
Additionally, the master plan of Pixel includes a pedestrianized plaza as well as commercial and leisure spaces in order to create a dynamic living and working hub. Residents of Pixel will also be able to benefit from a range of retail and F&B outlets within the community. As well as this, homeowners will be able to benefit from full access to a state-of-art gym, community center and a beach.
End-users and investors can choose from an array of stylish studios and 1, 2, 3 and 4-bedroom apartments with a living area ranging from 481 to 4,359 sq. ft. One can purchase a 1-bedroom apartment of 721 sq. ft. with 2 bathrooms for the starting price of AED 860,000 (USD 235,000).
*The price is valid for 2021
According to the Abu Dhabi 2030 plan, sustainability is a key factor regarding every new building constructed within the emirate. The development should combine cost-efficiency and liveability as well as correspond to the Estidama sustainability initiative. Thus, when creating Makers District, the developer focused on applying sustainable strategies to make the project environmentally friendly throughout its lifetime. One of these technologies involves low energy consumption to ensure that the target for carbon reduction can be met both now and in the future.
Furthermore, Makers District will be located in the vicinity of the highly-anticipated grand development – Reem Mall. Due to open in Q1 2022, it is expected to become a leading entertainment, leisure and entertainment destination on Reem Island. Besides featuring the world’s largest indoor snow park, Reem Mall will become the first omnichannel shopping center in the world. It will provide the ultimate offline-to-online shopping experience with the help of a customer app. Customers will benefit from digital access to all the brands presented within the mall, hands-free online shopping, navigation, smart parking and so much more.
In Q1 2021, Reem Island had the highest number of sales transactions across Abu Dhabi with AED 1.6B (USD 436M), according to the Department of Municipalities and Transport Abu Dhabi. It is one of the most popular designated areas for investments by foreigners and its strategic location makes it an important destination for tourism, education and business.
The average ROI for 1-bedroom apartments across Reem Island has reached 7%, while the rental price amounts to about AED 60,000 (USD 16,500). When calculating net profit from investments, one has to consider 5% VAT of approximately AED 3,000 (USD 820) and management fees, about AED 4,500 (USD 1,200). In this case, the estimated net profit from a 1-bedroom apartment on Reem Island amounts to AED 57,000 (USD 16,000).
*The price is valid for 2021
Makers District is set to offer a vibrant community where contemporary living and creative culture coexist at the same time. There are 2 major attractions included in the master plan of the upcoming development – Cove Beach and The-Artery. Let’s take a closer look at the features of these projects.
Back in July 2020, Dubai shoreline hangout Cove Beach announced that they were planning to open their second location in the UAE. Later that year it turned out that Makers District will be home to the sought-after beach destination. Opened in November 2020, Cove Beach Abu Dhabi features an infinity pool deck, cabanas, a sea-pool set in the ocean and 984 ft of private beach surrounded by beautiful island waters. The exciting beachfront venue also organizes music sessions such as “Unplugged” where the finest musical talents of the country perform live. The other popular events at the venue are Saturday Brunch with international cuisine and Ladies’ Day with special discounts.
Created by the famous artist Jenny Sabin, the art piece Purl takes a central position at Cove Beach Abu Dhabi. It was made of thousands of digitally engineered and knitted fiber cells and canonical forms. The centerpiece absorbs solar energy during the day and transfers it into various glowing forms of light at night. Furthermore, Purl includes a canopy structure with a misting system designed to cool down visitors of Cove Beach during hot days. The sprays of water together with the sunlight create a mesmerizing rainbow effect. The beachside piece was installed in December 2020 and will stay for 2 years.
The-Artery is planned to become an innovative art space where entrepreneurs, artisans and artists will be able to create and showcase their pieces. The total area of the multi-use building is almost 280,000 sq. ft. and it sits in the center of the project. The development will skillfully integrate a maker’s space with a parking garage. It will look like a domed structure with a central atrium which will ultimately become a performance center. The-Artery was launched in Q2 2017 and its estimated completion date is Q4 2022.
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