Ohana by the Sea

A private stretch of coast

Ohana by the Sea sits on the Arabian Gulf coastline in Al Jurf, on the quiet stretch between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. The community is gated and deliberately low-density, wrapped by a nature reserve with protected wildlife, landscaped grounds, and its own private beach.

That combination is the point. Very few UAE communities are built beside a genuine reserve, and it creates a setting you can't replicate later by planting palms. The land itself is the amenity here, and it is why the place feels calm in a way engineered waterfronts rarely do.

A home built to your brief

What sets this apart is that the villas aren't fixed types. Ohana works with buyers from initial sketch through to completion, so the layout, proportions, garden, and interior can be shaped around how you actually live.

In a market where almost every villa buyer chooses from three predetermined plans, that is unusual and worth real money in daily comfort. It also asks more of the buyer. You need a clear view of what you want, and you should expect to spend time on the process rather than picking a plan in an afternoon.

Two architectural languages

Buyers choose between modern and Mediterranean treatments. The modern villas follow current architectural thinking, with clean forms and contemporary detailing. The Mediterranean homes draw on authentic Mediterranean design, which suits the coastal setting naturally.

Offering both matters over time. A community where every house wears the same elevation dates quickly, whereas two distinct languages add variety to the streetscape and let owners express something of themselves.

The villas

The collection runs from four to six bedrooms, with four-bedroom homes starting around 330 sqm, five bedrooms from roughly 415 sqm and six bedrooms from about 507 sqm. Villas come with private swimming pools.

Kitchens are delivered equipped, and a furniture package is available as an option rather than imposed, which suits owners who intend to bring their own pieces or commission their own scheme.

Amenities and the water

Within the gates there is a fitness centre, a spa and wellness centre, a padel court, landscaped gardens and 24-hour security. Beyond that, the community has private marinas for yacht and sailboat berthing, alongside direct private beach access.

Berthing on your doorstep is the detail that will decide it for some buyers. For anyone who owns a boat, keeping it within the community rather than at a commercial marina changes how often it actually gets used.

Between two cities

Abu Dhabi International Airport is about 25 minutes away, Dubai Marina roughly 30, Dubai Parks and Resorts about 20, and the Ghantout Racing and Polo Club about 15.

That balance is the practical case for Al Jurf. You are genuinely between the two cities rather than committed to either, which suits families splitting their lives across both and second home buyers who want reach in both directions.

What I would focus on

Select the plot first, and take it seriously. In a low-density community backing onto a reserve, the difference between a plot facing the water, one bordering the protected land and one set inland is substantial, and it will follow the house for its whole life.

Then give the design process the time it deserves. The ability to shape your own home is the main reason to buy here, and it is wasted if you rush it. Ask to see completed homes rather than renderings, and speak to the design team early about what is genuinely possible within the plot.

Who it suits

Families wanting space, privacy and a safe environment, boat owners who want water access from home, and buyers who move between Abu Dhabi and Dubai and would rather sit between the two than commute into one. It will particularly suit anyone who wants a house designed around them, rather than selected from a catalogue.