Dubai’s luxury real estate developers are being urged to treat wellness as the new baseline for how homes are designed and built, as global demand grows for healthier living environments.
According to the Global Wellness Institute (GWI), the industry’s next phase is the normalization of health-supportive design as a standard expectation rather than a luxury feature.
The GWI believes the greatest opportunity now lies in closer collaboration between planners, architects, public health leaders, and wellness professionals to create homes and communities that proactively support long-term health.
Dubai luxury developer Keturah has welcomed the GWI’s findings, saying the shift towards health-focused design presents an opportunity for the wider industry to work together to raise standards and reinforce Dubai’s position as a global leader in wellness real estate.
“The next phase for the industry is collaboration rather than competition,” said Talal M. Al Gaddah, CEO and Founder of Keturah. “We need planners, architects, public health leaders, and wellness professionals working together—not developers acting alone. Dubai has the government vision and the market momentum to lead this globally, and now the wider industry needs to catch up.”
The GWI’s latest Initiative Trends report projects the global wellness real estate sector will exceed $1 trillion by 2029, reflecting the transition of wellness from a luxury aspiration to an evidence-based foundation of modern development.
Earlier this year, the GWI identified the UAE as one of the world’s fastest-growing wellness real estate markets. It reported that wellness real estate now accounts for more than 12% of all construction in the UAE, with the market growing from $3.3 billion to $14.6 billion between 2017 and 2025.
The report also noted that more than 555,000 wellness-focused residential units are in the pipeline across the UAE and Saudi Arabia. In Dubai, these include Keturah Reserve, the Dhs 5.7 billion bio-living community in Mohammed Bin Rashid City’s District 7, and The Ritz-Carlton Residences at Keturah Resort beside Dubai Creek, set to become the region’s first wellness-certified waterfront community.
Among the four key wellness real estate trends identified by the GWI is primal architecture, which incorporates softer lighting, natural materials, and intuitive wayfinding to help shift occupants from stress to calm. Another is neuroarchitecture, which applies neuroscience to understand how light, acoustics, and spatial design influence mood, cognitive performance, and long-term health.
The GWI also highlights the growing movement to design out microplastics by replacing synthetic finishes with natural materials such as wool, stone, and solid wood, recognizing the built environment as a vital component of preventive healthcare.
Finally, the report emphasizes the importance of healthier, more walkable communities in supporting mobility, independence, and healthy ageing, with thoughtfully designed environments helping people maintain their wellbeing throughout their lives.
tanvir@dubainewsweek.com
