Bab Al Qasr Garden 65

A garden crossed by a canal, facing Masdar's Central Park

A 275 metre canal, open to residents for paddling, runs through the plot at Bab Al Qasr Garden 65. That single detail says a lot about how Burtville Developments approached this project: the outdoor layout carries as much weight as the units themselves. The scheme is made up of four buildings, each with seven residential floors, set on a 310,000 square foot plot said to be the largest residential land parcel in Masdar City. The buildings themselves take up only 33% of the ground. Every unit comes furnished, managed under a hotel brand, with handover announced for the first quarter of 2030.

One minute on foot from Masdar City Central Park

The plot sits directly opposite Masdar City's Central Park, a one minute walk according to the developer. My City Centre Masdar mall is three minutes away, and Zayed International Airport around ten minutes by car. Yas Island, with its theme parks and racing circuit, is roughly a quarter of an hour away. Masdar City was originally conceived as an experimental low carbon city. It now hosts IRENA's headquarters and a Khalifa University campus, which brings in a steady base of working professionals and researchers. For residents, the real draw is the airport and Yas Island axis, which avoids having to cross Abu Dhabi's main island.

Arcades, symmetry and 3.60 metre ceiling heights

Each building follows the same layout: a basement, a ground floor, seven residential levels and a rooftop deck. The facades borrow from European architectural codes, with symmetry, arches and large glazed openings. Floor to floor height reaches 3.60 metres, above the standard for typical residential stock in the UAE. Two of the four entrance lobbies are 28 metre high atriums, while the other two are double height. The ground floor hosts 11 retail units facing the park, each with its own parking.

From one bedroom units with gardens to triplex Sky Villas

The unit range runs from one to five bedrooms, in simplex, duplex or triplex layouts, with the latter two sold as Sky Villas. The ground floor one bedroom units have an unusual layout for their size: a large private garden, a dressing room, a maid's room with ensuite, a laundry room and a guest toilet. On the typical floor plan, the living room measures 3.90 by 5.40 metres and the bedroom 3.50 by 3.50 metres. Every duplex and triplex comes with its own private elevator, on top of the 12 shared passenger lifts and 4 service lifts. On parking, the developer plans one space for each one or two bedroom unit and two spaces beyond that, plus 43 bays fitted with EV chargers.

Sand beach pool, canal and two shared hubs

Landscaping covers 67% of the plot, including 10% of water features. Along the canal, the masterplan lines up a sand beach pool, an interactive children's lagoon, walkways and pontoons. On the sports side there are padel, cricket and badminton courts, a multi sport court, a jogging track and a yoga garden. Shared vegetable garden plots, wood fired pizza ovens and a food court round things out. Two hubs, each linking a pair of towers, bring together a cinema, a juice bar, a children's playroom and small event spaces. On the rooftops, an infinity pool runs alongside an air conditioned lounge, next to an open air cinema.

Service charges of 16 to 18 AED, handover in early 2030

The developer quotes service charges of between 16 and 18 dirhams per square foot per year. That figure tracks with the scale of the shared amenities, though a canal, several pools and two hubs are not cheap to maintain over time. Handover is set for the first quarter of 2030, leaving close to four years of construction to track. The project targets families first, who will find maid's rooms, larger unit types and plenty of spaces built for children. Since units are handed over furnished and run under a hotel brand, they also suit buyers looking at rental income. Freehold status means the purchase is open to foreign buyers without restriction.