DEVELOPERS
Judge the record, not the render
Every developer sells a lifestyle. The only question that protects you is what they have delivered, on time, and what happened when they did not. Below: the documented record, kept strictly apart from market perception.
THE RECORD
Developer by developer.
Emaar
DOCUMENTED RECORDConfirmed
- Approximately 79,000 units delivered since 2002.
- 47,200+ units under development.
- AED 120.4bn backlog.
- No documented delivery issues found in credible press. That is absence of evidence, not a certified clean record.
MARKET PERCEPTION
Master-community resilience is the common perception: Emaar communities are held to resell and lease more predictably than the market average. Perception, not a measured claim.
Damac
DOCUMENTED RECORDConfirmed
- 50,000 units delivered, 54,000+ under construction, 8,800 targeted for 2026.
- The DIFC Court ordered AED 1.7M to the Gaffneys over the late Park Towers unit; the appeal was dismissed with AED 200,000 costs.
- Damac Hills and Celestia handover delays reported; Lakeside refund demands; the acknowledged Lakeview delay.
- All Confirmed, Gulf News and court record.
MARKET PERCEPTION
A lingering delay perception, anchored by the cases in the record block rather than by rumour. Perception, stated as such.
Sobha
DOCUMENTED RECORDConfirmed
- 6,819 units targeted for 2026, the largest annual delivery to date.
- No documented delivery issues found in credible press. That is absence of evidence, not a certified clean record.
MARKET PERCEPTION
Finish quality is the reputation buyers cite most often. Perception, not measured here.
Azizi
DOCUMENTED RECORDConfirmed
- 45,000+ units over two decades, with a pipeline of approximately 150,000.
- The Riviera masterplan slipped from a target of roughly 2019-20 to final buildings completing Q2 2026. Confirmed via Azizi's own press.
- Consumer-site complaints beyond that are allegations and are worded as such.
MARKET PERCEPTION
Volume-led delivery at accessible price points, with programme risk on large phased masterplans. Perception.
Danube
DOCUMENTED RECORDConfirmed
- Record deliveries; Opalz and Pearlz handed over early; 11 projects in 12 months.
- No documented delivery issues found in credible press. That is absence of evidence, not a certified clean record.
MARKET PERCEPTION
Payment-plan-led sales and fast programmes. Perception.
Aldar
DOCUMENTED RECORDConfirmed
- AED 71.7bn backlog at FY2025; 3,500+ units targeted for 2026.
- A gap, stated: no official lifetime delivered total exists. The 155,000 figure is units managed, not delivered.
- No documented delivery issues found in credible press. That is absence of evidence, not a certified clean record.
MARKET PERCEPTION
The default institutional counterparty in Abu Dhabi. Perception.
Nakheel
DOCUMENTED RECORDConfirmed
- 13,357 units to FY2018. That figure is stale and we state it as such; no current figure is published.
MARKET PERCEPTION
Master-community resilience, as with Emaar, is the common perception. Perception, not a measured claim.
Ellington
DOCUMENTED RECORDIndicative
- Approximately 3,500 units across 22 developments. Private company.
- No documented delivery issues found in credible press. That is absence of evidence, not a certified clean record.
MARKET PERCEPTION
Design-led positioning; occupancy claims are developer-reported. Perception, hedged.
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SERVICE CHARGES
One thing nobody publishes.
No developer-level service charge league table exists. Anyone presenting one has built it from selective buildings.
The building-level lookup is the only reliable route, and it is public.
Sources
- Developer annual and quarterly disclosures, FY2025 and 2026
- DIFC Court judgment and appeal record, Gaffney v Damac
- Gulf News reporting on handover delays
- Azizi press releases on the Riviera masterplan
Last verified: August 2026 · Next review: quarterly, on earnings