H&H Development is building Water Gardens, a USD 1.4 billion (about AED 5.1 billion) mixed-use scheme in the heart of DIFC. It is one of the last pieces of the original Gate District masterplan, and construction is under way.
The scheme has four buildings: two hotels, residences and an office tower. Completion of the wider development is reported for 2028.
01What is in Water Gardens
| Part | What it includes |
|---|---|
| Branded residences | About 85% sold, at more than AED 8,000 per sq ft |
| Second hotel | 154 rooms and 40 residences |
| Eden House | 132 apartments, kept by H&H as a rental building |
| Office tower | 12 storeys, 236,430 sq ft of Grade A space, with a members' club; targeting LEED Platinum |
| Retail | Raised above street level and linked directly to Gate Avenue |
Gulf News, 28 October 2026. AED figure converted from USD 1.4 billion.
Two Four Seasons-branded homes recently sold for AED 35 million and AED 45 million. Our Four Seasons Private Residences Dubai at DIFC page lists 59 residences and two penthouses across four towers, with the homes due in 2029.
02Built to hold, not only to sell
H&H chairman Shahab Lutfi said most of the development will be leased and operated rather than sold. He linked the plan to more people choosing to live, not just work, in the financial district.
DIFC Investments' Chief Real Estate Officer, Saleh Al Akrabi, said the scheme ties together offices, hotels, shops, public space and homes. JLL is the leasing partner for the offices.
03DIFC keeps growing
DIFC passed 10,000 registered companies for the first time by 30 June 2026. Around 50,200 people worked in the centre in 2025.
That base of senior, well-paid staff is what drives demand for homes within walking distance of the office.
04Why it matters for buyers
Prime DIFC pricing is holding up. Branded homes trading above AED 8,000 per sq ft, with single sales at AED 35 to 45 million, show how deep the top end of the Dubai market remains. Use these figures as a benchmark when comparing other branded launches.
Little new stock in the district. Water Gardens is one of the final plots in the Gate District plan, and most of the branded homes are already sold. Buyers who want a DIFC address should look at the remaining Four Seasons units early.
Rental supply stays tight. H&H is keeping Eden House as a rental building rather than selling it. That adds managed rental homes, but leaves very few new units in DIFC for sale.
For more prime options, compare Dubai's AED 10 million-plus home sales in Q3 2026 and H&H's canal-side Eden House The Park.
ProjectsThe project in this story.
SourcesWhere this story comes from.
Sources
- Gulf News: H&H starts Dh5.1bn Water Gardens in the heart of DIFC, 28 October 2026
Corrections
- No corrections to this story. If something has changed or is wrong, tell us and we will correct it and log the change here.
28 Oct 2026, 16:21 GST · Reported by OffPlan Insider Newsdesk, checked against the developer's own material before publication.
