BNW Developments has established a Sydney presence, joining Arada and Sobha Realty among the growing number of UAE developers pursuing Australian buyers and development opportunities.
3 min
A growing number of major UAE property groups are turning their attention to Australia, with BNW Developments the latest to establish a local presence.
BNW has officially opened a Sydney office after hosting more than 300 investors, property professionals, wealth advisers and industry figures at its launch event.
The new office will give Australian buyers local access to BNW’s portfolio of residential and hospitality-led developments in Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah. Its projects include branded residences and waterfront developments combining private homes with hospitality, dining, leisure and tourism facilities.
BNW has an AED32 billion development pipeline, equivalent to approximately $12 billion, spanning projects in Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah. Its portfolio includes developments associated with Tonino Lamborghini, Radisson Blu and Wyndham Hotels & Resorts.
Among them is Tonino Lamborghini Residences in Ras Al Khaimah. BNW is also active on Al Marjan Island, the waterfront destination where the Wynn Al Marjan Island integrated resort is under development.
The developer recently announced Dolce Residences in partnership with Wyndham Hotels & Resorts. Billed as the world’s first residences carrying the Dolce name, the boutique Al Marjan Island project is planned to include 93 premium residences and five retail tenancies.
BNW Developments chairman and founder Dr Ankur Aggarwal said attendance at the Sydney launch indicated that Australians were increasingly interested in the UAE as both a property and lifestyle destination.
“The response to the opening of our Sydney office has been extremely encouraging,” he said.
“Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah offer a very different lifestyle proposition to Australia, from waterfront living and luxury hospitality to world-class dining, entertainment and tourism.”
Dr Aggarwal said the Sydney office would allow buyers to examine BNW’s portfolio locally and work with a team familiar with the Australian market.
The move comes as Australia attracts increasing interest from UAE-based developers seeking opportunities beyond their home market.
Arada entered Australia in 2024, initially announcing a $2.5 billion Sydney pipeline expected to deliver more than 2,500 homes. Its Australian plans have since expanded to eight projects comprising more than 5,000 homes, including a recently announced twin-tower development at Broadbeach on the Gold Coast.
The company has also acquired the NSW arm of tier-one contractor Roberts Co, giving it greater control over construction and delivery as it builds its Australian business. Globally, Arada says its portfolio of existing and future developments across the UAE, Australia and the United Kingdom is valued at AED130 billion.
Dubai-headquartered Sobha Realty is also laying the foundations for a substantial Australian presence. The developer has established local operations and acquired sites in Sydney and Queensland, describing its entry as a long-term commitment to the market.
Sobha has expressed interest in opportunities across Brisbane, the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast, while its Australian website says new projects will be announced shortly. The expansion follows AED30 billion in global sales during 2025 and forms part of a wider international growth strategy encompassing Australia and the United States.
BNW’s Sydney opening reflects both the international ambitions of UAE developers and growing Australian awareness of the Emirates’ property market.
While the UAE and Australian markets differ considerably, the arrival of BNW, Arada and Sobha points to a broader exchange of capital, expertise and buyers between the two countries. For Australians considering offshore property, the opening of local offices may also make it easier to assess projects, understand the purchasing process and undertake appropriate due diligence before committing.
BNW Developments has established a Sydney presence, joining Arada and Sobha Realty among the growing number of UAE developers pursuing Australian buyers and development opportunities.
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A five-bedroom Palo Alto home designed by Steven Ehrlich is listed for $44 million, making it the city’s most expensive listing. Built around a dramatic concrete spine, the home features four courtyards and a pool.
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For years, tech entrepreneur Asher Waldfogel and his wife, Helyn MacLean, dreamed of building a modern house in Palo Alto, Calif.
The couple, however, worried about clashing with the Mediterranean-style architecture typically associated with their neighborhood of Old Palo Alto.
So they tapped architect Steven Ehrlich to create a design that paid homage to its surroundings with stucco, mahogany and titanium zinc cladding. They spent $20 million over several years building the house, completed in 2005.
Now looking to be closer to their adult daughter on the East Coast, they are putting the five-bedroom home on the market for $44 million—the most expensive listing in Palo Alto.
Waldfogel is an angel investor who co-founded Redback Networks, a telecommunications-equipment company. MacLean previously had a career in fundraising.
The couple purchased the roughly 0.4-acre site for $7.1 million in 2000 and demolished a circa-1930s Spanish Colonial home. The house they built pinwheels around a central staircase. It has 7,900 square feet of livable space, with four distinct courtyards and a pool.
A key feature of the home is a cast-in-place concrete wall, or spine, that is two stories high and about 80 feet long. “There’s a little bit of controlled chaos in what comes out of the form,” unlike a perfectly uniform surface, Waldfogel said. “If you want that, you do it in plastic.”
Waldfogel said he and his wife are thinking about the next phase of life now that their daughter is grown, although they have not decided where they will move. They also have a home in Sun Valley, Idaho.
“Right now we’re just trying to emotionally let go and decide what to do next,” he said.
Palo Alto, an epicenter of venture capital and tech startups in Silicon Valley, is home to some of the country’s biggest tech titans. Sales volume and prices are rising, with a median sale price of $3.5 million for the three months ending in August, up 5.8% year-over-year, according to real-estate brokerage Redfin.
Arthur Sharif of Sotheby’s International Realty—San Francisco Brokerage has the listing.
