Tilal Al Ghaf has become a new dream destination for foreign investors as two more prime properties have been sold to European buyers at record prices, Khaleej Times has learnt.

The mixed-use Dubai community, developed by Majid Al Futtaim, has attracted a British family and a European investor to invest in prime properties on the island of Lanai.

The first prime property purchased by the British family, who are residents of Dubai and currently live on the iconic Palm Jumeirah.

The British buyer spent Dhs90.1 million in December 2022 to own the second most expensive property on the island of Lanai.

"This remarkable Dhs90.1 million mansion ($24 million) boasts an impressive plot size of 25,870 square feet and a floor area of 30,742 square feet," according to Knight Frank.

The real estate consultancy also sold Tilal Al Ghaf's most expensive property last month, with a European buyer purchasing a fantastic house for Dhs91 million on 26 January 2023. This is currently the most expensive property on record in the neighbourhood.

On Friday, Metropolitan Premium Properties revealed that it had completed the largest single transaction in its history with the sale of a Dhs90 million villa in the up-and-coming popular destination of Dubai.

An Indian family looking for a property for personal use bought the eight-bedroom villa, which is more than 30,200 square feet in size.

Designed by SAOTA with interior design by Kelly Hoppen and developed by Majid Al Futtaim, both properties have over 30,000 sq ft of floor space and customisable interiors.

Both buyers opted for bespoke interiors to create a huge super master with his and her wardrobes and a spacious second master, as well as six other bedrooms," says Knight Frank.

A separate guest bedroom was also customised as an executive office to enable the first owner to work from home. Both properties also have spacious underground parking for 13 cars and their own car wash.

A full family spa with steam, sauna, beauty salon and treatment rooms is also part of the property, while families will also be able to enjoy the home cinema and home gym facilities. In addition, two swimming pools and an internal waterfall from the main pool to the basement are also part of the property.

Andrew Cummings, partner and head of principal residences at Knight Frank Middle East, said that both properties recently sold have stunning views of the Crystal Lagoon.

"After selling my first villa in December, my clients told me to find good neighbours for them, so the next day I spent an afternoon on the beach at Atlantis calling people who I thought would indeed make good neighbours," he said.

"The response was incredible and I was delighted to have sold the neighbouring villa after six weeks and at the highest price in the neighbourhood. I have no doubt that these villas will be the best luxury homes in Dubai when they are completed and will make wonderful family homes and a smart investment," he said.

The Tilal Al Ghaf scheme will have more than 350,000 square metres of open space in addition to schools, hospitals, restaurants and other housing facilities. The development will also feature a lagoon consisting of 400 metres of open waterfront called Hive Beach, spanning 70,000 square metres of water.

Cummings says Tilal Al Ghaf is quite simply a game changer when it comes to developing villas in Dubai." Not only is there a stunning masterplan with plenty of lush greenery and a fantastic crystal lagoon, but there is also world-class retail, thanks to Majid Al Futtaim as the developer," he said.

In terms of residential, there is nothing like it in Dubai," he said. The villas are customisable and high quality, filling a gap in the market for those who demand quality products and finishes," he said.

World-class luxury

Once completed in 2026, Lanai will be the first of two private islands to be released by Majid Al Futtaim at Tilal Al Ghaf and will include new seven and eight-bedroom ultra-luxury mansions designed in collaboration with world-renowned South African architecture studio SAOTA and award-winning interior designer Kelly Hoppen.

The island consists of just 13 mansions, made up of nine coastal mansions and four prestigious fringe mansions - all of which are located on a private island in the middle of the 1.2km-long Crystal Lagoon.

Cummings says Lanai is the pinnacle of this community and the luxury homes on this island, a truly world-class offering that would not look out of place in London or Los Angeles.

"The decision to offer a product with interiors designed by Kelly Hoppen is a stark contrast to the usual villa offerings, which simply show buyers white walls. Instead, Lanai immerses buyers, offering a wide range of options for customisable spaces to suit buyers' tastes," he says.