Bab Al Qasr Royal 28

A French-inspired tower standing opposite Sorbonne Abu Dhabi

Plot C28 on Al Reem Island spans 54,324 square feet, and Burtville Developments is only building on 12,000 of them, or 22% of the site. The remaining 78% is landscaped. On this footprint, the developer is raising Bab Al Qasr Royal Residence 28: a ground floor, two podium levels, 21 residential floors and a rooftop, with handover set for the fourth quarter of 2029. The project carries the name of the Bab Al Qasr hotel, a five-star property on Abu Dhabi's Corniche. Every unit, from 1 to 5 bedrooms, is delivered furnished on a freehold basis. What really sets the address apart, though, comes down to one detail: the building sits directly across from the UAE campus of the Sorbonne.

Sorbonne across the street, three international schools within four minutes

Few developments on Reem Island can claim this kind of concentration of schools nearby. Sorbonne Abu Dhabi is right across the road. Nord Anglia International School is a minute away, GEMS World Academy three minutes, Repton School four minutes. For an expat family with children in private school, this removes the daily commute to the main island, which remains the biggest headache of life in Abu Dhabi during rush hour. On the retail side, Reem Mall is four minutes away, Abu Dhabi Mall and The Galleria ten minutes, and Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi also ten minutes. Zayed International Airport is roughly 25 minutes away.

Arches, columns and 3.6 metres between floor slabs

Burtville opted for an architectural style rarely seen in a district dominated by glass towers. The facade features arches, tall columns and classic French design cues, a deliberate nod to its university neighbour. The entrance lobby is built with a double-height ceiling. Inside the apartments, ceiling height reaches 3.6 metres, above the average for the Emirati market. Wood flooring runs throughout every room and the kitchens are semi-enclosed, a layout that suits families who actually cook. Vertical circulation relies on three OTIS elevators plus a service lift for the 21 floors.

Bab Al Qasr hotel beach and a 25% discount

The brand extends well beyond the name on the facade. Residents get free access to the private beach and pool at the Bab Al Qasr hotel. They also receive a 25% discount at the hotel's restaurants, the Ayana spa, the Allure salon, Sea Hero Watersports, and on health club memberships. Within the building itself, a hotel-style service menu remains optional and billed per use: valet parking, housekeeping and laundry, childcare, in-apartment dining, flight bookings and airport transfers. This pay-as-you-go model keeps fixed service charges down, quoted at between 16 and 18 dirhams per square foot.

Two infinity pools, on the 3rd and 21st floors

The third-floor podium holds most of the outdoor amenities. It includes a 20 by 10 metre infinity pool, a 10 by 5 metre children's pool, cabanas, a barbecue area, a multi-sports court and a padel court. On the 21st floor, a second pool measuring 12 by 12 metres overlooks the island, flanked by an adults-only rooftop garden and a separate family-oriented one. Indoors, a 2,500 square foot health club houses a hammam, sauna, aerobics studio and yoga room. The residents' lounge, at 3,050 square feet, combines a library, coworking space and games area, which fits naturally with the studious character of the address.

Siemens, Samsung, THE One: a furnished unit ready to rent out

The fit-out is spelled out room by room in the brochure. Siemens appliances (oven, hob, fridge, dishwasher, washing machine), a Samsung TV, Roca bathroom fixtures and THE One furniture, right down to mattresses, lamps and rugs. For an investor targeting rental income, this level of finish means the unit can go straight onto the market at handover, with no furnishing budget required. The target tenant profile is easy to picture: teachers and academic staff from the Sorbonne and nearby schools, expat families, and well-off students sharing the larger layouts. Parking allocation scales with unit size (one space up to 2-bedroom units, two beyond that), and 25 spaces come equipped with EV charging points.