Sheikh Youssef Al Shelash Talks Building The First Residential W In The World

W Residences Dubai — Downtown is a one-of-a-kind living experience. Sheikh Yousef Al Shelash, the chairman of Saudi Arabia-based real estate development firm Dar Al Arkan, oversees the project, which offers hotel-inspired living in one of the most bustling cities in the world. What sets this luxurious project, partnering with the famous W Hotels brand, apart from the others worldwide “is that it is the first W residence,” explains Yousef Al Shelash. “This does not have a hotel element, whereas all the rest are combined with a hotel.”

Privacy is one of the perks of living at any of the 384 apartments inside Dar Al Arkan’s W Residences Dubai — Downtown. Since these are residences, Al Shelash says, “you don’t have the check-in, check-out, hassle of losing your privacy in that development.” According to Yousef Al Shelash, “This is your own private W residence with your own private W spa, pool, and meeting rooms. Think of it as though the residents of those 384 units own that hotel.”

IMAGE: UNSPLASH

Sheikh Yousef Al Shelash On Perks Of Living In Dubai

According to Al Shelash, “Dubai is [a lot like] Manhattan, but it is very secure, and there are no taxes.” He explains that Dar Al Arkan is working in Dubai to provide unique products to the people who are investing and want to live in Dubai. “Because so far, we have only taken plots that are in key locations, either on the water or in the center of the downtown,” he says. “So far, we’ve only presented in Dubai co-branded products. We presented the limited edition of the real estate market in Dubai.”

In addition to establishing Dar Al Arkan as a global brand, Al Shelash strives to present the world with another image of what Saudi Arabia is. “By being successful in places like Dubai, Oman, Qatar, Spain, China, and the United Kingdom, we can plant the Saudi flag outside of Saudi,” says Al Shelash. “We can do that by showing the Saudi values in delivering on promises and delivering on quality and delivering on time.”

Al Shelash, in conjunction with the property developer, strives to accomplish that in all of its real estate projects outside of Saudi. “The very first project we did outside of Saudi was the Urban Oasis [in Dubai], with interiors by Missoni,” says the chairman of Dar Al Arkan. In fact, he points out that co-branding is in vogue in luxury living right now. “Co-branding in hospitality brands is a big trend in real estate,” says Al Shelash.

Yousef Al Shelash adds that one reason co-branding is a big trend is because of the increased demand for a limited number of units. “When you do a project in a certain city with a certain brand, you only present a limited number of units,” says the Middle Eastern business leader. “That is why there is a big trend around the globe today of people who like to buy [real estate] units with limited numbers, just like they’re buying watches or jewelry. Some people want everything that is a limited edition. So the co-branded real estate is the limited edition of the real estate industry.”

The W Residences Dubai — Downtown Is Marketed To 52 Nationalities Around The Globe

Al Shelash says that the company markets The W Residences Dubai — Downtown to 52 nationalities because Dubai is “a place where all these nationalities are converging. So already Dubai [acted as] the platform for all of these nationalities who take Dubai as their first home, or second home, or perhaps their business home, or their touristic place, or their weekend place. So luckily, since Dubai has been visionary in building this area since 2002, we have had so many of these people around us.”

How does Dar Al Arkan market its exquisite projects, especially the W residences? “We market to the people who are in Dubai or who have been to Dubai at one time using a lot of online media tools, definitely Google, and all the social media that we have,” says Al Shelash. “We use influencers.”

Real Estate – A Preserver Of Wealth

Another trend in real estate today is the utilization of real estate as a preserver of wealth for the future. Instead of putting money in the stock market, bonds, or a pension plan, people are investing in real estate as a more tangible investment opportunity. It’s a physical assurance of the preservation of wealth. “We are hard-core business people, and the main driver of our business is to make money, but also to see that we build houses and apartments in which families are growing, and people are building families,” says Al Shelash.

W Residences Dubai — Downtown, which is set to be managed by Marriott International, is a perfect investment property for those interested in the preservation of wealth as well as luxury living in one of the most affluent neighborhoods anywhere in the world.

“We are delighted to work with Dar Al Arkan to launch this residential development under the W brand. With its vibrant design and impeccable service, W Residences Dubai — Downtown will be a great fit in Dubai’s iconic Downtown district,” said Jaidev Menezes, the regional vice president, mixed-use development — Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA), Marriott International.

Not only does it offer breathtaking views of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest human-constructed structure in the world, but it’s only a short walk away from the Mall and Dancing Fountains. According to the company, “W Residences Downtown — Dubai is a distinct residential tower strategically located by Business Bay, where Dubai’s major landmarks are your natural view. The sophisticated architecture of the tower recalls the beat of a vibrant city. The perfect repetition of geometric beauty pulsating in the heart of downtown Dubai.”

The architecturally majestic tower’s interiors are outfitted with state-of-the-art appliances for the epitome of elegantly functional living. In addition, residents will enjoy the W’s premier brand of around-the-clock service for dining, catering, housekeeping, babysitting, and dry cleaning. Ziad ElChaar, the vice chair of Dar Al Arkan, said, “The W Residences Dubai — Downtown sets a new standard for extraordinary hotel living in the heart of a bustling city like Dubai, catering to clientele who like to be close to the action but have their own luxurious private space close by.”