SHA Emirates Island: The Island Designed Around Health
Between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, a private island is being developed with a clinic, resort and wellness residences. We examine how the project is designed—and where architecture ends and longevity promises begin.
On the AlJurf coast, roughly halfway between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, a private island is being developed with wellness not as an optional residential amenity, but as the organising principle of the entire project. SHA Emirates Island brings together homes, a clinic, a resort, a natural setting and personalised health programmes. It is an ambitious proposition, which makes it especially important to separate the project’s confirmed specifications from the attractive—but as yet untested—promise of a longer, healthier life.
The project is being developed by the Emirati company IMKAN in partnership with the Spanish brand SHA Wellness Clinic. It remains under construction: SHA’s current website gives 2027 as the opening year. For now, it should therefore be assessed through its master plan, stated infrastructure and contractual terms—not through guest reviews or results from a clinic already operating on the island.
Not Dubai, but AlJurf
SHA Emirates Island is located at AlJurf on the coast of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. The developer describes this stretch between the country’s two largest cities as the “Riviera of the Emirates.” Travel to either Dubai or Abu Dhabi is expected to take around an hour, depending on the precise destination and road conditions.
The geography matters for more than map coordinates. This is not an urban development woven into Dubai’s daily rhythm, but a largely self-contained coastal environment. It is intended for people deliberately choosing distance from the city, privacy and access to facilities within the development. Describing it as “residents only,” however, would be inaccurate: official materials refer to both residence owners and guests of the wellness resort.
What Is Planned for the Island?
IMKAN’s original announcement listed 86 villas with beach access, 49 apartments and two penthouses. The residential range is expected to include four- and five-bedroom Garden Villas, five- and six-bedroom Shoreline Villas, five-, six- and seven-bedroom Beach Villas, one- to four-bedroom apartments and five-bedroom penthouses.
The homes are only one layer of the project. The master plan includes the SHA Wellness Clinic, a wellness resort, Mind & Body, Healthy Nutrition, Movement and Wellness Kids pavilions, a beach club, marina pavilions, art spaces, gardens, walking and cycling routes, and both private and public beaches. The final range of services, access arrangements and paid options will need to be confirmed closer to opening.
Turning Wellness into Infrastructure
Many premium residences already offer a gym, a spa and healthy menu options. SHA Emirates proposes a deeper form of integration: building orientation shaped by sun and wind, passive shading, energy-efficient equipment, intelligent resource monitoring and the use of solar energy. The residences are also planned with open layouts and home automation.
The point is not that stone, timber or a sea view can treat illness. A well-designed environment can make healthier everyday behaviour easier: supporting natural light cycles, reducing heat exposure, encouraging movement, and creating space for sleep and recovery. These are conditions that may support a way of life, not guaranteed medical outcomes.
VELORA PRIVATE editorial visualisation: wellness expressed through light, air and everyday routines. This image is not an official rendering of SHA Emirates.
What the SHA Method Means
SHA describes its method as a combination of medical assessment, preventive and integrative medicine, nutrition, physical activity, sleep recovery and emotional balance. A programme normally begins with an evaluation of the individual, after which the team proposes a personalised plan. Depending on the programme, this may include consultations with doctors and therapists, training, nutrition and different wellness treatments.
Three clarifications will be essential for future residents. First, which treatments will be delivered directly on the island and which will rely on external partners. Second, which medical licences and specialists will be in place at opening. Third, which services will be included in the cost of ownership and which will be billed separately.
Terms such as “regeneration,” “anti-age” and “longevity” do not guarantee a clinical result. Any medical programme should take account of diagnoses, contraindications and the evidence supporting each treatment. Even an exceptionally well-designed environment cannot replace independent medical advice.
A Quieter, Lower-Traffic Island—Still an Intention
Mobility is another part of the concept. IMKAN and the technology company Bayanat announced an agreement to explore autonomous, AI-enabled transport intended to reduce the use of conventional vehicles on the island. The logic is clear: less traffic could mean less noise and lower local pollution.
An agreement to develop a system is not the same as a completed transport network. Before buying, a prospective owner should request the final arrangements for access, parking, transfers, emergency vehicles and staff movement. These details will reveal whether the promise of a quiet island works in everyday operation.
Who Will Be Able to Use the Clinic and the Island?
The development is positioned as private, but not sealed off. The official launch announcement refers to both residents and guests, while the wellness resort implies a model for temporary stays. Owners are promised access to SHA facilities, but access does not necessarily mean that every programme or treatment will be included in the service charge.
A prospective owner should therefore request a written access matrix: what is available to family members, guests and tenants; whether advance booking is required; which services are medical and which belong to the spa; and whether annual limits, memberships or separate packages apply.
How Much Will It Cost?
IMKAN’s current official materials do not display a public price list; prices are available on request. Market publications in 2025 cited an indicative range of AED 9 million to AED 130 million—approximately USD 2.45 million to USD 35.4 million at the exchange rate at the time. This is not a current official price list, but a historical indication that may vary by property type, size, position and sales phase.
The comparison should not stop at the price per square metre. Service charges, maintenance of shared facilities, access to the clinic, health and nutrition programmes, insurance, residence management and rental rules may all contribute substantially to the long-term cost of ownership. Without those figures, the entry price tells only part of the story.
Why the Opening Date Needs Its Own Check
In its 2024 launch announcement, IMKAN gave 2026 as the anticipated completion year. SHA’s current website now states that the opening is planned for 2027. A timetable change is not unusual for a development of this scale, but buyers should rely on the contractual documents for their specific property rather than an earlier press release.
Several dates need to be distinguished: handover of the residence, opening of the resort, full operation of the clinic and completion of public spaces. They may not coincide. The contract should explain how delays are communicated, the permitted extension periods, available compensation and any right to withdraw.
What to Check Before Reserving
Ownership rights. The form of title, eligible buyers, registration costs and inheritance rules.
The timetable. The handover date for the selected residence and the launch dates for the clinic, resort and transport system.
The full cost of ownership. Service charges, medical or wellness packages, beach maintenance, transfers and property management.
The medical offer. Licences, the specialist roster, emergency protocols and links with external hospitals.
Health-data protection. Where assessment results are stored, who can access them and whether a medical profile can be kept separate from residence services.
Guest and rental rules. Short-term rental permissions, tenant access to facilities and any resale restrictions.
Sustainability commitments. Which measures are included in binding specifications and which remain part of the concept.
Can an Address Extend Your Life?
The short answer is that no address can provide such a guarantee. Lifespan and quality of life depend on many factors, including genetics, preventive care, sleep, nutrition, movement, mental wellbeing, the surrounding environment and access to healthcare. A good residence may make healthier choices more convenient, but it cannot override biology or turn a marketing term into a proven outcome.
This is why SHA Emirates is more interesting as an attempt to change the model of luxury property than as a promise to “live longer.” The principal product is not decorative opulence but a managed environment built around quiet, air, movement, nutrition, recovery and access to specialists. If the project delivers what it describes, it may become a notable example of health-first residences. If it does not, it will remain expensive property with a compelling wellness narrative.
The VELORA PRIVATE View
SHA Emirates Island deserves attention because it brings together four markets that usually operate alongside one another: premium property, medical wellness, hospitality and personalised service. Its strength is the coherence of the idea. Its central risk is the distance between a development-stage concept and daily reality after opening.
Until 2027, the sensible approach is to follow delivery rather than the volume of the promises: the readiness of the clinic, the qualifications of its team, transparency of charges, access rules and the extent to which the completed environment matches the master plan. For a project devoted to longevity, that will be its first genuine test of viability.
Published: 24 September 2026. Facts and links checked: 24 September 2026.
Timelines, prices, programme contents, access rules and ownership terms may change. Before purchasing or booking, verify current information with the developer, clinic operator and an independent legal adviser. This article is for information only and does not constitute medical or investment advice.
