Al Reem Island: What the Area Actually Is

Al Reem Island is a natural island in Abu Dhabi linked to the mainland by bridges, one of the areas already described in Republic's area directory. This guide sets out, in plain language, what the district actually is and what matters before renting or buying here.

A natural island close to central Abu Dhabi

The island sits about 600 metres off Abu Dhabi's northeastern coast and is linked to the mainland by several bridges over the Khor Al Maqta channel. Development is led mainly by Aldar Properties, following its 2013 merger with Sorouh Real Estate, and the island combines high-rise residential towers, offices and waterfront promenades across sub-districts including Shams Abu Dhabi, Najmat Abu Dhabi and Marina Square.

Life along the waterfront promenades

Life centres on the waterfront promenades and high-rise towers rather than a single low-rise core: residents walk along the Corniche-style walkways in Shams Abu Dhabi and Najmat Abu Dhabi, shop at Reem Mall and neighbourhood retail strips, and use Reem Central Park as open green space. The island houses Repton British International School and the international campus of Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, and Reem Hospital opened on the island in 2020.

What stands out, and what to weigh

The island sits only about 600 metres from the mainland with several bridge connections, Reem Hospital has served residents since 2020 alongside established schools, and two new marine bridges opened in March 2026 link the island directly to Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Highway, cutting peak-hour travel times by up to 15 minutes. Against that: Abu Dhabi has no metro system at all, so residents rely on cars or buses, some routes to the mainland can still be busy at peak hours, and parts of the still-developing island remain under construction alongside completed sub-districts.

What to do next

This overview does not replace a look at current listings: use the project and property sections above on this area page for units available on Al Reem Island right now, browse the apartments segment for options across Abu Dhabi, or use the calculators section to estimate costs before making an offer.