Media, September 2026, Episode 2
In the latest episode of On the Record with Atara Development, we sit down with Khaled Assaf, Commercial Director at Marjan, to explore the thinking, vision and long-term opportunity behind Al Marjan Island and Ras Al Khaimah's evolving real estate landscape. It is the kind of conversation that gets to the heart of Ras Al Khaimah real estate investment, not through numbers alone, but through the people shaping the ground itself.
Episode 2 of the series: a conversation with Khaled Assaf, Commercial Director at Marjan.
Before Investors Choose a Project, They Choose a Destination
Before investors choose a project, they often choose a destination.
That idea sits at the heart of the latest episode of On the Record with Atara Development, where we take a closer look at Ras Al Khaimah and the continuing evolution of Al Marjan Island.
Our guest, Khaled Assaf, Commercial Director at Marjan, joins us for a conversation that goes beyond individual developments and into the fundamentals shaping the island itself. It is a theme we come back to often, because a home is only ever as strong as the ground it stands on, and the ground on Al Marjan Island has been decades in the planning.
Ras Al Khaimah's Growing Role in the UAE's Real Estate Story
Over recent years, Ras Al Khaimah has emerged as an increasingly important part of the UAE's tourism, hospitality and real estate story.
The emirate has moved from a quieter neighbour of Dubai to a destination with its own gravity. Government-backed infrastructure, an expanding freehold offering, and a wave of international hospitality names have all played a part. For anyone tracking Ras Al Khaimah real estate investment over the past few years, the direction of travel has been hard to miss.
Within that growth, Al Marjan Island has developed a distinct identity of its own, bringing together waterfront living, international hospitality, leisure and residential development within one master-planned destination.
Al Marjan Island's Own Identity Within That Growth
What makes Al Marjan Island stand apart is not just its address on the map. It is the way the island has been planned as a complete environment rather than a collection of separate projects. Waterfront residences, resort-grade hospitality, leisure and retail all sit inside a single master plan, which is a very different proposition to a standalone tower or villa community with no wider destination behind it.
During the episode, Khaled shares his perspective on what it takes to build that kind of destination and, importantly, how the different elements need to work together to create long-term value.
What It Takes to Build a Destination, Not Just a Project
One of the central themes of the conversation is the growing relationship between hospitality and residential real estate.
Today's buyers are increasingly looking beyond the individual apartment or residence. They are considering the wider environment around it: the quality of the destination, accessibility, lifestyle offering, hospitality brands, services and the experience the location can provide over time.
That shift is also helping to drive the growth of branded residences, particularly in destinations where hospitality forms an integral part of the masterplan. It is a pattern we have watched play out first-hand through our own Sheraton Residences Al Marjan Island, where the residential component and the resort operate as one address rather than two separate ideas bolted together.
What International Investors Should Understand
The conversation also explores what international investors should understand when evaluating an emerging destination.
While established real estate markets offer familiarity, growing destinations can offer a different proposition, particularly when supported by long-term planning, infrastructure, global hospitality brands and a clear vision for tourism and lifestyle.
For investors looking at Ras Al Khaimah today, understanding that wider picture is becoming increasingly important. It is easy to focus on price per square foot and forget to ask who is behind the masterplan, what infrastructure is already committed, and whether the hospitality anchor tenants are actually breaking ground or still on a slide deck. Those questions tend to matter more over a ten-year hold than any single launch price.
Why This Conversation Matters to Atara Development
For Atara Development, the conversation is particularly relevant as we continue our presence on Al Marjan Island through Sheraton Residences Al Marjan Island.
Our involvement in the destination gives us a natural interest in understanding not only where the island is today, but where it is heading. We were the first developer to bring Sheraton branded residences to the GCC on this island, a milestone we walked through in detail in our announcement with Marriott International, and one we have continued to build on with visible construction progress since breaking ground on the project.
That is why this episode deliberately looks beyond a single project.
It is a conversation about the island, its masterplan, the changing profile of Ras Al Khaimah and the factors continuing to draw international attention to the destination. If you are weighing up Ras Al Khaimah real estate investment against more established markets, this is the kind of ground-level perspective that rarely makes it into a brochure.
Watch the Full Episode
Watch the full episode of On the Record with Atara Development: Why Al Marjan, Why Now? and discover the thinking behind one of the UAE's most closely watched waterfront destinations.
Watch Episode 2 with Khaled Assaf of Marjan. If the player does not load here, watch it on YouTube.
New to the series? Start with Episode 1, the pilot conversation filmed inside Isola Villa on Pearl Jumeirah Island.
Explore More on Al Marjan Island
If this conversation has you thinking about what Al Marjan Island actually offers as an address, a few places worth a closer look:
Al Marjan Island Property - the full picture of the island's four communities, its freehold status, and what is planned across the archipelago.
Sheraton Residences Al Marjan Island - the GCC's first Sheraton branded residences, built and sold directly by Atara.
Ras Al Khaimah Apartments for Sale - what to check before buying, and where Al Marjan Island fits into that decision.
Contact Atara Development - speak directly with our team about availability on Al Marjan Island, no agents involved.
Episodes are released across Atara Development's official channels. Guest titles and affiliations are as shown at publication.
