ELEVATE, the visionary lifestyle real estate brand behind Mondrian Al Marjan Island Beach Residences, developed in partnership with globally recognised lifestyle hospitality company Ennismore, has announced a landmark transaction exceeding AED 127.5 million at the project, underscoring the extraordinary demand for premium branded beachfront residences on Al Marjan Island.

The transaction was made by THRIVESTATE Square Real Estate, reflecting growing investor confidence in Ras Al Khaimah’s evolving luxury residential landscape and the increasing global appetite for design-led waterfront living experiences in the emirate.

The deal underscores sustained momentum within Al Marjan Island, where demand continues to accelerate for premium beachfront residences that combine lifestyle, design, hospitality, and long-term value. With beachfront inventory on the island becoming increasingly constrained by geography, buyers are showing heightened interest in developments that offer both scarcity and cultural relevance.

Zeeshaan Shah, Founder & CEO of ELEVATE, said: “The market response has been nothing short of phenomenal, and we are honoured to have built this momentum alongside an exceptional community of broker partners and buyers who share our vision.

“This also marks the arrival of Ras Al Khaimah on the global stage. After the Burj Al Arab, the Burj Khalifa, and the Louvre Abu Dhabi, the Wynn Al Marjan is the UAE’s next global icon, and its opening next year will be a headline event felt around the world. At the heart of this transformation is Mondrian Al Marjan Island Beach Residences: a living destination for those who seek art, culture, beauty, and a deeper, more intentional way of life. Prime beachfront real estate here is now extremely limited, very soon, we will be speaking of it only in hindsight.”

Reflecting the project’s strong market momentum, ELEVATE recently hosted an exclusive gathering for leading UAE brokers at Delano Dubai, celebrating the broker community whose support and market conviction have contributed to the project’s continued success. The development has now achieved close to 200 residences sold, reinforcing the growing demand for branded beachfront living on Al Marjan Island and the broader momentum currently shaping Ras Al Khaimah’s luxury real estate market.

Lior Poly, CEO of THRIVESTATE Square Real Estate, added “Mondrian Al Marjan Island Beach Residences stood out for its strong lifestyle positioning, iconic branding, and clear appeal to both primary and second-home buyers. The project captures the essence of modern beachfront living by combining design excellence with a compelling cultural and hospitality offering.”

Following the strong uptake of its residential offerings, the project is preparing to introduce a limited collection of exclusive townhouses and sky villas, presenting buyers with a rare opportunity to own highly curated, design-led homes within one of the UAE’s most anticipated beachfront developments.

Construction continues to progress steadily on site, with shoring now 100% complete, anchor installation at 80%, and excavation progressing at 50%. Handover remains targeted for 2029.

Mondrian Al Marjan Island Beach Residences has emerged as one of the standout developments within this evolving market. Following its Q4 2025 launch, residences were reserved within hours, highlighting strong demand from both regional and international buyers seeking a more experience-led approach to luxury living.

By Haya Bitar – leadership and personal transformation expert, founder of Blue Turtle, and wellness advocate.
What stands out to me about the burnout epidemic is that I don’t believe we are necessarily burning out because we are busier than previous generations. I think we are burning out because we have become disconnected from our bodies and because rest has slowly lost its value in modern life.

Somewhere along the way, rest became associated with laziness or lack of ambition. Productivity became the measure of worth. Achieving, performing and constantly moving became the norm while slowing down started to feel uncomfortable for many people. Yet the body was never designed to operate in a constant state of output.

Rest is no longer something that simply happens naturally in the rhythm of the day. In the past, there were pauses built into life. Prayer times, slower afternoons, moments of gathering, quiet evenings and even siestas created space for the nervous system to reset. Today, life has become more flexible in many ways, but flexibility without intention often means we never truly stop.

This is why I believe we need to schedule rest into our lives in the same way we schedule meetings, deadlines and responsibilities. If we don’t intentionally create space for recovery, it simply gets swallowed by the next task.

What matters equally is the quality of that rest. Many people take time off physically while mentally remaining in performance mode. Even during moments of pause, the mind is still trying to optimise, improve and prepare for the next achievement. True rest cannot exist when the brain still feels like it is being evaluated.

I often speak about something I call the art of fulfillment. These small moments of pause become opportunities to acknowledge ourselves, celebrate progress, appreciate the small wins and reconnect with gratitude rather than pressure. Sometimes ten quiet minutes of presence can shift the entire quality of a day.

Mental fatigue is also very real. The brain uses around 20 percent of the body’s energy, which means constant stimulation, decision-making and information overload come at a cost. When the brain never gets moments of recovery, people begin to experience emotional exhaustion, reduced focus, irritability and a growing sense of disconnection from themselves.

This is also where our homes become incredibly important. A home should not only look beautiful, it should feel regulating. The spaces we live in either signal safety to the nervous system or contribute to overstimulation. Lighting, noise, clutter, constant notifications and even the absence of quiet corners all affect how the body feels within a space.

Creating a calmer home does not need to mean creating perfection. Sometimes it is as simple as creating intentional pauses within the environment. A chair near natural light where no screens are allowed. Softer lighting in the evening. Moments of silence. Areas that invite stillness rather than stimulation.

The nervous system responds to what we repeatedly experience. When a home allows space to breathe, slow down and reconnect to the body, it becomes more than a place we live in. It becomes a place that restores us.

Summer in the UAE is not just a seasonal shift, it is a test of how homes are designed to perform. With rising temperatures and longer periods of intense sunlight, residential spaces are increasingly expected to do more than look good; they must actively support comfort.

Rather than relying solely on mechanical cooling, small but intentional design decisions can significantly reduce heat gain and improve how a home feels throughout the day.  Here are five approaches that can make a measurable difference by NKEY Architects.

Let Minimalism Do the Cooling

Summer is an opportunity to reassess what a home is carrying; visually and physically. Heavy furniture, cluttered surfaces, excessive textiles, and bold colour palettes can make interiors feel more intense.

A useful starting point is to edit the home with intention. Reviewing furniture, kitchen items, and appliances—and removing what is no longer needed—creates immediate spatial relief. This sense of openness allows light to travel further and air to circulate more freely, improving both comfort and perception of space.

Colour plays a functional role. Lighter tones and softened natural materials help create a cooler visual environment, while darker shades tend to absorb and intensify the effect of direct sunlight. Even a simple wall adjustment can shift the atmosphere of a room.

Beyond interiors, comfort also begins at the building edge. Controlling how much sunlight enters the home is one of the most effective passive cooling strategies. Shading systems that filter harsh light and introduce a buffer zone between exterior and interior surfaces help reduce heat transfer into the building envelope, improving overall thermal performance without relying on mechanical systems.

Turn the Backyard Into a Night-Time Retreat

While daytime outdoor living in peak UAE summer can be challenging, evenings offer a completely different opportunity to reclaim outdoor spaces. A balcony, terrace, porch, or backyard can be reimagined as a night-time retreat designed around comfort.

Comfortable seating, soft layered lighting, gentle cooling fans, and weather-resistant furniture can transform an underused outdoor area into a calm and inviting extension of the home after sunset.

Material selection plays an important role in durability and comfort. Naturally resilient materials such as teak wood perform well in high temperatures and humidity, while also aging gracefully outdoors. This can be complemented with softer layers by including cushions, lanterns and warm string lighting to create a relaxed, lived-in atmosphere.

Greenery further enhances the spatial quality of outdoor areas. Layered planting across different heights introduces depth and softness, helping to reduce the harshness of built surfaces. Potted palms, hanging planters, and climbing plants can quickly shift even compact balconies into more shaded, and refreshing environments.

Bring the Outdoors Inside

For those who prefer to stay indoors during summer, biophilic design offers a simple yet effective way to reconnect interior spaces with nature. Beyond aesthetics, greenery plays a functional role in improving indoor environmental quality. Plants including areca palm, snake plant, peace lily, and aloe vera, are particularly well-suited to UAE homes, due to their resilience in controlled indoor conditions. When thoughtfully positioned, planting can introduce a subtle sense of freshness while softening architectural surfaces and interiors.

Water elements can further enhance this effect. Small indoor fountains or cascading features help create a more stable and calming microclimate. The movement and sound of water add a sensory layer that offsets the intensity of outdoor heat, making interior spaces feel more grounded.

Choose Materials That Work With the Climate

Natural materials such as stone, clay, and adobe contribute to a more stable indoor environment due to their high thermal mass, allowing them to absorb heat during the day and release it gradually as temperatures drop.

Additionally well-insulated walls, roofs, and flooring systems help regulate internal temperatures more effectively, reducing heat gain and limiting reliance on mechanical cooling.

Complementary natural materials such as bamboo, cork, and plant-based fibres can further support a healthier indoor environment. When used appropriately, they contribute to a more balanced material palette suited to the regional climate.

Make Small Changes With Big Impact

Windows are among the primary points of heat gain in residential design. Managing direct sunlight through layered solutions such as blackout curtains, thermal blinds, UV-filtering sheers, and heat-reducing films can significantly reduce solar penetration while still allowing natural daylight to filter through.

In homes with larger glazing areas or open-plan layouts, motorised shading systems offer a more responsive solution, automatically adjusting based on time of day or indoor temperature to maintain visual comfort and thermal balance.

Interior layout also plays an important role in airflow efficiency. Keeping furniture clear of windows and avoiding obstruction of cross-ventilation paths helps air circulate more effectively—particularly in villas and low-rise homes where natural ventilation can still be leveraged.

Ultimately, summer-ready design is about responsiveness rather than transformation. Through considered editing, strategic shading, the integration of greenery, and the use of climate-appropriate materials, homes in the UAE can become more adaptive environments and more comfortable throughout the season.