EXCLUSIVE: Hilton to launch first waterfront branded residences in UAE at Dubai Maritime City

Hilton will launch its first waterfront Hilton-branded residences in the United Arab Emirates at Dubai Maritime City, a project disclosed publicly for the first time in an interview with Arabian Business.

Guy Hutchinson, Hilton’s President for Middle East and Africa, said the Hilton Residences Dubai Maritime City development marks the company’s entry into waterfront residential projects under the core Hilton brand. It is being developed with Prestige One Development.

“This is one of two newly signed Hilton-branded residences in Dubai and it reflects the scale of demand in what is now the number one market globally for branded residential,” he said.

Hilton expands branded homes in UAE

The second Dubai project, Hilton Residences Dubai Jumeirah Lakes Towers, is already on sale and includes studios, one- to four-bedroom apartments and sky villas. Sales for Hilton Residences Dubai Maritime City will begin soon. Both are standalone branded residences rather than mixed-use hotel developments and are scheduled to complete within three to four years.

Branded Residential by Hilton stretches across the global hospitality company’s luxury, lifestyle and full-service brands, including Hilton, DoubleTree, Curio Collection, Conrad and Waldorf Astoria.

The Middle East now accounts for nearly one-third of Hilton’s global branded residential pipeline. The region has 1,847 branded residential units in development out of 5,700 globally, with seven projects in the UAE alone.

“Dubai has supercharged the branded residential segment,” Hutchinson said. “Residential demand is so strong here that it is creating new space for branded concepts across all price points.”

He added that Dubai’s appeal to both residents and overseas buyers continues to strengthen. “This is now the permanent home of many people,” he said. “For many people from around the world, different nationalities, different cultures, this is one of the amazing things about Dubai.”

Hutchinson said the buyer mix is broad. “People are looking for primary homes, second homes and long-term investments,” he said. “There is a lot of comfort that comes with understanding that there is a brand associated to it that will bring the right technical specification and standards. People are prepared to pay a premium for those standards.”

Branded homes surge across the Gulf

Hilton is advancing several branded residential developments across the UAE. In Dubai, these include Waldorf Astoria Residences Dubai Business Bay, which the group says will be the first standalone Waldorf Astoria residences outside the United States, along with Mallside Dubai under the Curio Collection and DoubleTree by Hilton Dubai Jumeirah Gardens.

In Abu Dhabi, the company is preparing Waldorf Astoria Residences Yas Island, the emirate’s first Waldorf Astoria-branded residences, while in Ras Al Khaimah it is planning Waldorf Astoria Residences Ras Al Khaimah.

Hilton’s regional pipeline also extends into Egypt with Signia by Hilton Residences Cairo Skywalk.

Dubai is the world’s top branded residential market with 64 completed schemes and 87 in the pipeline. Real estate consultancy Savills expects branded residences in the Middle East and Africa to grow more than 270 per cent by 2031, with Dubai projected to account for 40 per cent of regional supply.

“The Gulf is going to lead the next global phase of branded residential growth,” Hutchinson said. “Dubai has created the proof of concept. The rest of the region is now following.”

On Saudi Arabia, Hutchinson said Riyadh will become one of its fastest-growing branded residential markets in the region once foreign freehold ownership opens to international buyers in early 2026.

“Saudi Arabia is only at the starting point of its branded residential journey, but once foreign ownership opens the market will expand very quickly – Riyadh, Jeddah and the holy cities will accelerate fastest,” he said.

Hilton has now signed two branded residential projects in the kingdom: Hilton Residences Madinah Knowledge Economic City (its first) and Curio Residences OSUS Eye in Riyadh.

The hotel group has created a specialist branded residential team in Dubai to support partners across the Gulf, and its wider regional pipeline includes several branded residential projects at different stages of development.