Latest news with #LagunaResidence
Entrepreneur
20-06-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Thriving on Agility: Ali Al Gebely, Founder and Chairman, ONE Development
It took less than a month for ONE Development to sell out Phase 1 of its new Laguna Residence development. But for Ali Al Gebely, this is just the beginning. Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Phase 1 of Laguna Residence sold out in less than a month after launch. Were you surprised by such a strong performance? The swift sell-out of Phase 1 of Laguna Residence in under a month was a significant milestone, yet it aligned with our expectations. This success underscores the trust and confidence that both local and international investors place in ONE Development's vision and execution capabilities. It reflects our strong understanding of the market dynamics and its readiness for innovative, AI-integrated living spaces. This achievement has encouraged our teams to deliver exceptional developments that meet and exceed our clients' evolving expectations. Can you expand on the new showroom in Abu Dhabi – the key features that make it such an important step forward? Our new showroom on Saadiyat Island represents a pivotal step in our expansion across the UAE. Strategically located in the capital Abu Dhabi's cultural and lifestyle hub, the showroom embodies ONE Development's commitment to innovation and personalised client experiences. The showroom is designed to provide an immersive experience, featuring advanced displays, carefully selected design elements, and interactive spaces. It serves as a gateway for clients to explore our unique approach to boutique real estate, allowing them to experience firsthand the quality and innovation characterising our projects. ONE Development is a newcomer to the property scene yet has managed to make a huge impact already. What are the reasons for this? ONE Development thrives on agility and a client-centric approach. Our focus is on delivering tailored, high-quality experiences that resonate with today's discerning residents. We differentiate ourselves in a competitive market by integrating advanced technologies and sustainable practices. Our developments, like Laguna Residence, exemplify this philosophy by blending innovative design, lifestyle amenities, and AI-powered solutions to create communities that foster connection, comfort, and a sense of home. How do you see the company evolve over the next five years, and what are the biggest obstacles you see to growth? Over the next five years, ONE Development aims to lead the transformation of community living by prioritizing connection, sustainability, and innovation. Our vision is to redefine the boutique real estate segment, setting new benchmarks for residential experiences through tech-driven, customer-centric design. This strategy is now extending beyond the UAE, marked by our recent international expansion with the launch of DO New Cairo in Egypt, and upcoming developments in Saudi Arabia and Europe by the end of the year laying the foundation for a truly global presence and a future shaped by visionary living. Laguna Residence is very well known for its integration of AI and other technological advancements. However, these industries are fast-moving. Do you have a vision for the type of home we will be living in ten years from now? Laguna Residence represents our vision for the future of living, where AI and technology seamlessly integrate into daily life. Through an innovative app, residents enjoy automated home management, personalised services, and intelligent facility control, all powered by AI. This ensures an efficient, smart, and connected lifestyle, elevating everyday living to new heights. Looking ahead, we envision homes that adapt to residents' needs in real time, utilising AI to enhance comfort, security, and sustainability. Our commitment is to continue pioneering advancements that redefine residential living, ensuring our communities remain at the forefront of innovation. Can you share how the concept of DO Hotels & Residences was born through your collaboration with the iconic Amr Diab? The idea was developed from a shared vision to create something that didn't exist—a hospitality experience that truly moves people. Amr Diab brought the soul: his global energy, passion for music, and timeless influence. We brought our expertise in designing spaces that inspire and connect. Together, we envisioned a new brand that blends music, wellness, and technology into an immersive lifestyle journey. This vision took shape with the launch of DO Dubai on Dubai Islands, followed by our first international debut with DO New Cairo in Egypt. By the end of the year, we are set to expand further into Riyadh and Greece, marking the beginning of a global footprint for DO Hotels & Residences. You will be aware of the record sales numbers for the Dubai property market in Q1 – what do you see as the reasons for this? Dubai's record Q1 property sales were driven by strong international investment, government visa reforms, limited supply in prime areas, and growing demand for branded, lifestyle-centric developments. Economic stability, population growth, and a global shift toward secure, high-yield assets further fueled momentum. ONE Development is well-positioned within this landscape, catering to demand for premium, design-led real estate in strategic locations. What were the key factors you believe in driving the sales for Laguna Residence? Laguna Residence's success stems from its pioneering AI integrated residential concept, the UAE's first of its kind, offering personalized, tech-enhanced living. It also features the region's largest sandy beach lagoon on a podium, framed by lush landscaping and panoramic skyline views—creating a resort like environment that appeals to modern urban buyers. The offering of diverse, meticulously designed units—from studios to Sky homes combined with over 40 world-class amenities, enhances its broad market appeal. Strong demand was further driven by a globally diversified investor base and strategic international partnerships. Related: How ONE Development Founder and Chairman Ali Al Gebely Took The Dubai Real Estate Market By Storm
Entrepreneur
17-06-2025
- Business
- Entrepreneur
The UAE Advantage: Kevin O'Leary's Perspective
You're reading Entrepreneur Middle East, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Kevin O'Leary, known as Mr. Wonderful, is a Canadian entrepreneur and international business investor. But now, O'Leary is also the brand ambas sador of UAE-born international real estate company ONE Development. Forming a strategic partnership with Ali Al Gebely, founder and Chairman of ONE Development, O'Leary will support the company's international expansion. "When I met Ali [Ali Al Gebely] and learnt about his vision for Laguna Residence [an AED 2.4 billion real estate develop ment that is the UAE's first AI-integrated residential community], I thought it was such an extraordinary idea," O'Leary said on the sidelines of an exclusive event orga nized by ONE Development. "I'd never heard anybody combining an AI platform into a real estate develop ment. Usually AI is just a marketing talk. We've talked about smart homes for over 15 years, but they are still pretty dumb. There are five different apps that you have to use when you walk into your apartment or villa, but the idea he's got is to put it all into one integrated app - ONE AI App. In my view, that in itself is the number one selling feature of the whole project." "What sets ONE Develop ment apart," O'Leary explains, "is its unapologetic focus on technology. This isn't just another real estate developer — it's the first of its kind to fully integrate a tech-first approach into every stage of development. From AI-driven design modeling to data-pow ered decision-making, they're not just building properties — they're building the future of how real estate operates." Ali Al Gebely, founder and Chairman of ONE Development with Kevin O'Leary in Abu Dhabi. Image source: BNC Publishing/ONE Development O'Leary will be supporting the remarkable growth trajectory that is ahead of ONE Development which includes expansion to international destinations, but also developing unique initiatives, such as DO Hotels, the world's first musical themed hotel that integrates AI, music, and wellness. DO Hotels launched its first development at Dubai Islands and second one at New Cairo and has plans to launch in Saudi Arabia and other international markets soon. "I have a very simple rule that my mother taught me. She said no more than 5% in any one stock and no more than 20% of your portfolio diversification in any one sector. So 5% stock, 20% sector, except for one asset class - real estate," O'Leary points out. "That's my largest asset class. I love real estate. It's always about a third of my net worth. Why? It's a hard asset. It has superlative returns, and if you have the right vision in terms of where you want to develop, you can have outsized returns, because great real estate projects, such as ONE Development, attract capital because they get critical mass. That's what happens." The partnership with ONE Development reconfirms O'Leary's belief in the MENA market's long-term potential. "I have a history in the Middle East because my mother's Lebanese, and I've been coming here for decades, but I didn't really think much about investing here until I started to realize how fast the economy was growing here," O'Leary says. "The key here that most investors don't understand, the one thing they don't get, is that so much growth is not in energy. There's been a lot of sectoral diversifications here in all kinds of different technologies, advances in biotech or in AI development or in real estate. You want to catch the growth of all these new sectors. A lot of people don't realize that, for example, if you look at spending in AI, you've got the US, China, and then UAE. That's what's going on here, and if you're not part of that, you're missing out on huge growth opportunities." Image source: BNC Publishing/ONE Development In 2023, O'Leary announced on his LinkedIn page that he had become a citizen of the UAE, a citizenship given by exception to people who are believed to be able to benefit the UAE economy. "There's a lot of disruption going on in global trade, but that gives you a reason to start looking at the UAE," O'Leary says. "You can't understand it unless you physically come here and spend time here and find out who else is here and what's going on. Because no brochure, no online ad, no website is going to give you an idea of what's going on here- it's multicultural, a melting pot, a fantastic location. And the country is safe. I was like, why don't I incorporate here and start building businesses out of here? Why not think globally from here? Why not set up O'Leary Global and start doing new ideas from here and establish myself here? That's what I have done over the last three years." He adds, "What was really interesting about the process is that every single accounting firm, consulting firm, and law firm that I use in New York, or Boston, or Toronto is already established here. They're not stupid. They know exactly what's going on. So I can use the same team out of Miami and talk to professionals here that are part of the same group, which we've done. "I'm like everybody else. You start in New York, then you go to London, then you go to Zurich, then you go to Geneva. That's the stepping stones of how you start to develop internationally. Then one day you get here and you walk off the plane and go, 'What is this?' Until you see it, you can't even envision it. I have watched the growth of both Abu Dhabi and Dubai in the last five years. It's almost geometric growth. It's like New York City on steroids, but safe. "For me, I have become an ambassador to this place by saying, look, if you're not in the UAE, you're missing out." Apart from investing in real estate, O'Leary is bullish on new technologies, including cryptocurrencies. "I have been extremely involved as an investor in many different crypto projects, and my thesis is that you want to own the infrastructure for crypto. What are those? The exchanges. I feel that I now have shares in every single crypto exchange in the world that's going to be relevant. After that, I have start buying the individual assets," O'Leary explains. "My thesis is that you need to own these assets because as soon as regulation comes in, institutional capital will come in. Right now, it's mostly hedge funds, private individuals, high net worth family offices, but the real money isn't there yet. Yet, the minute this becomes approved by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and other regulators, the real money will come in. I've said this many times before. I believe that crypto and digital payment systems will become the 12th sector of the economy, because it will service all the other sectors." Image source: BNC Publishing/ONE Development 'TREP TALK: KEVIN O'LEARY'S ADVICE FOR ENTREPRENEURS DON'T BE AFRAID TO START "Most entrepreneurs have a hard time making the first step to start. They should do it in their 20s, because that is when you have time and you don't have as many responsibilities, and you can make plenty of mistakes, which is great. I would rather invest in an entrepreneur that has felt the sting of failure a few times than one who thinks they can do it right the first time. They never can. It is so hard." PREPARE YOUR PITCH "Learn to articulate the opportunity in 90 seconds or less, because no one is going to give any more time than that." FOCUS ON EXECUTION "More important than a great idea is your ability to execute on it. Because great ideas are a dime a dozen. Executional skills are very hard to find. If you can find a young man or woman who looks and has the confidence to execute, that makes me interested in investing." KNOW YOUR NUMBERS "You have got to know your numbers. How fast is the market growing? What are the gross margins? How many competitors are there? You got to know that stuff. That is the DNA of a great entrepreneur. Then obviously, you want to be in a market that is growing. It is like all boats rise in a rising tide, and so try and find regions of the world where businesses are being started in a high growth environment like here. There is a reason entrepreneurship is so prevalent here. The regulatory environment is very good. The tax rates are really competitive. The weather is great, and the economy is growing at an extraordinary rate because it is multi sectoral. I predict pretty good things for this place."
Gulf Business
22-04-2025
- Business
- Gulf Business
ONE Development's Ali Al Gebely is focused on innovation and technology across his projects
We sit down with Ali Al Gebely, founder and chairman of ONE Development — a leading UAE developer — and discuss the future of urban innovation, community-first design, and global expansion. Al Gebely tells us about the company's flagship project Laguna Residence, the Dhs2.4bn flagship community in Dubailand complete with an artificial beach lagoon, smart living features, and a record-breaking launch-to-groundbreaking timeline. He shares how 'customers inspire the company', and how brand ambassadors have helped convey the company's message to buyers around the region. Al Gebely talks about the inspiration behind DO Boutique Hotels, a disruptive hospitality concept born from a collaboration with Amr Diab, and how it aligns with the brand's vision for lifestyle innovation. The dynamic CEO also talks about values driving his leadership and success, offering great tips for entrepreneurs looking to make their mark in the industry.
