AHS Properties bets on boutique exclusivity as Dubai’s luxury market booms

In the space of a few years, AHS Properties has built a $3.3bn portfolio of boutique projects in Dubai. By emphasising scarcity, design pedigree and lifestyle innovation, the developer is positioning itself at the top of the city’s luxury property market

When Abbas Sajwani launched AHS Properties in 2021, the Dubai property market was still recovering from the pandemic and long-term doubts over supply gluts.

Four years later and the 26-year-old chief executive has assembled a portfolio with a gross development value of $3.3bn, placing his company among the city’s fastest-growing developers.

Dubai has become one of the world’s most competitive real estate markets, drawing capital from Europe, Asia and the Middle East. High-net-worth investors, many seeking a hedge against global uncertainty, have poured into the emirate’s prime districts. To distinguish itself in this crowded market, AHS Properties has carved a niche in ultra-luxury living by creating residences designed for an international clientele.

According to Sajwani, each project is conceived as a boutique development that emphasises rarity and personalised service as much as square footage, with the founder personally overseeing land acquisition, design and delivery.

Its emphasis on design has led AHS to partner with names such as Shaun Killa, the architect behind Dubai’s Museum of the Future, and international interiors group, HBA.

The aim, Sajwani told us, is to make AHS developments immediately recognisable, even in a crowded skyline.

He told The European: “From the moment we acquire land to the delivery of the finished residence, I am involved in every stage. The aim is to ensure consistency of vision and uncompromising quality throughout the process.”

Rather than building large towers or sprawling, generic compounds, AHS offers homes in limited numbers, often with infinity pools, private spas and fitness suites, meditation rooms and technology-driven concierge systems.

This approach aligns with a broader trend in global prime property, where buyers are increasingly looking for homes that double as sanctuaries. And it explains why its properties are marketed as curated “lifestyle journeys” rather than mere square-foot investments.

Dubai’s prime residential market has seen record inflows of international wealth since 2021, with Knight Frank and Savills ranking the city among the fastest-appreciating luxury markets globally. Overseas buyers have been especially active, with demand focused on waterfront and branded residences.

“Dubai, once seen as a market of excess scale, has in recent years shifted towards projects that emphasise craftsmanship and personalisation,” Sajwani said.

“Buyers now want homes that combine privacy, wellness and individuality. Our role is to meet that demand with residences that stand apart for their detail and design.”

Dubai’s reputation as a global hub for investment has been a constant theme of the city’s growth story. The emirate’s tax framework, connectivity and relative stability have helped attract international capital, reinforcing demand for high-end real estate even during periods of wider market uncertainty.

But its property market is also prone to cycles of boom and correction, and developers face persistent questions about oversupply, shifting regulations and the durability of foreign demand.

For AHS, maintaining momentum means relying on exclusivity and design-led differentiation to shield its portfolio from wider volatility.

“Growth has to be measured,” he said. “We want to expand, but never at the cost of the exclusivity and quality that define AHS. That balance is what will protect our brand and our clients in the long term.”

Main image: Luxury waterfront residences developed by AHS Properties in Dubai. Credit: AHS Properties