Muraba

| Attribute | Detail | |---|---| | Name Origin | Arabic: "square / cube" — a perfect geometric form | | Type | Ultra-Luxury Boutique Real Estate Developer | | Market | UAE (Dubai, Palm Jumeirah) | | Focus | Ultra-luxury minimalist residences | | Signature Project | Muraba Residence, Palm Jumeirah | | Architecture | RCR Arquitectes (Pritzker Prize 2017 laureates) | | Unit Count | 24 units (deliberate scarcity) | | Price Range | AED 20 M – 60 M+ |

TL;DR Snapshot

Muraba is one of Dubai's most exclusive ultra-luxury developers — delivering only 24 residences on Palm Jumeirah's East Crescent, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architects RCR Arquitectes. The name "Muraba" (Arabic for "square") reflects the developer's conviction that the perfect form — geometric, honest, resolved — is the highest form of architecture. With prices starting at AED 20 million for a view of the Arabian Gulf and the Dubai skyline, Muraba serves the most discerning global UHNWI buyers who reject ostentation in favour of architectural integrity.

The Muraba Philosophy: Perfect Form

In Arabic, muraba (مربع) means "square" — the most geometrically perfect, resolved form. No excess; no ornamentation; no arbitrary decoration. Just perfect, rational proportion and honest material expression.

Muraba the developer applies this geometric philosophy to ultra-luxury real estate:

What perfect form means at Muraba:

| Principle | Application | |---|---| | Geometric precision | Façade is a pure cube; no arbitrary curves or decorative elements | | Material honesty | Concrete, glass, timber — each material expressing its natural character | | Negative space | As much attention to the empty space as the filled; rooms breathe | | Light as material | Daylight is designed as a material; changes throughout the day, season | | No decoration | No applied ornament; beauty emerges from proportion and material | | Restraint | Less is more; each element earns its presence |

This philosophy places Muraba firmly in the architectural tradition of Mies van der Rohe, Luis Barragán and tadao Ando — the great minimalist masters — and firmly outside the mainstream of Dubai's typically maximalist ultra-luxury aesthetic.

RCR Arquitectes: Pritzker Prize Architecture

Muraba Residence is designed by RCR Arquitectes — the Catalan architecture firm awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2017 (architecture's equivalent of the Nobel Prize):

RCR Arquitectes profile:

| Achievement | Detail | |---|---| | Pritzker Prize | 2017 — architecture's highest honour | | Headquarters | Olot, Catalonia, Spain | | Founded | 1988 | | Philosophy | Architecture as mediation between nature and human experience | | Notable works | La Lira Theatre (Ripoll), Soulages Museum (Rodez), Les Cols Restaurant (Olot) | | Materials | Weathering steel; glass; natural landscapes |

For Muraba Residence, RCR designed a building where the architecture is the luxury — not the amenities. The building's relationship with light, water and the natural horizon of the Arabian Gulf is the primary resident experience.

Muraba Residence: The Project

Muraba Residence on Palm Jumeirah is a statement of absolute architectural restraint in a market that celebrates excess:

Project overview:

| Feature | Detail | |---|---| | Location | Palm Jumeirah, East Crescent | | Units | 24 (deliberate; no additional phases) | | Architect | RCR Arquitectes (Pritzker Prize 2017) | | Floors | 12 floors | | Unit types | 3, 4 and 5-bedroom residences | | Penthouse | Full-floor; double height; 360° view | | View | Arabian Gulf; Dubai skyline; Palm fronds | | Completion | Delivered | | Price range | AED 20 M – 60 M+ |

Interior specification:

• 4 m ceiling heights throughout
• Floor-to-ceiling glazing; 270° view from most units
• Concrete, glass, timber — honest materials only
• No marble-look porcelain; no gold fixtures; no faux-luxury
• Bespoke kitchen: custom-designed by RCR; integrated; invisible
• Master bathroom: like a spa treatment room; stone; water; light
• No furniture included: "bring your own life; we've provided the space"

The Scarcity Value: 24 Units

Muraba's deliberate limitation to 24 residences is its most powerful investment argument:

Why 24 units matters:

| Consideration | Impact | |---|---| | Supply constraint | Only 24 Muraba units exist in the world; no further phases | | Resale liquidity paradox | Rare supply + high buyer demand = faster-than-market resale | | Community quality | 24 households; no anonymity; actual community | | Service ratio | Full-building services (concierge, management) for 24 households; hotel-level attention | | Price floor | No undercutting of value by adjacent identical units |

Palm Jumeirah frond villas have demonstrated how scarcity creates permanent appreciation floors. Muraba's 24-unit ceiling creates equivalent scarcity dynamics in the apartment category.

Location: Palm Jumeirah East Crescent

Muraba Residence occupies the East Crescent of Palm Jumeirah — the curved tip of the palm that faces back toward the Dubai mainland skyline:

View profile:

| Direction | View | |---|---| | North | Arabian Gulf open water; clear to horizon | | West | Dubai Marina skyline | | South-West | Downtown Dubai; Burj Khalifa visible | | East | Dubai Creek; Deira |

Connectivity:

| Destination | Time | |---|---| | Palm Jumeirah Monorail | Adjacent | | Dubai Marina | 10 min drive | | Mall of the Emirates | 15 min drive | | DXB Airport | 28 min drive | | Downtown Dubai | 22 min drive |

UHNWI Buyer Profile

Muraba attracts a specific type of ultra-high-net-worth buyer:

• Architecture-literate: buyers who know Pritzker Prize, who know RCR, who have visited great architecture and choose to live in it
• Anti-ostentatious: UHNWI who reject gold-and-marble maximalism; who prefer quality materials in honest expression
• Global portfolio holders: buyers who own properties in Tokyo, London, New York — and recognise that Muraba's architecture quality is world-comparable
• Art collectors: buyers whose aesthetic sophistication extends to their homes
• Privacy seekers: 24 units means no tourist buzz in the lobby; genuine discretion

Investment Case

Documented scarcity premium:

• Palm Jumeirah frond villas: zero additional supply possible; 60–90% appreciation 2020–2025
• Muraba Residence: 24 units globally; similar scarcity dynamic; premium positioning

Architectural investment track record: Buildings by Pritzker Prize architects consistently outperform comparable non-architect buildings at resale:

• Zaha Hadid buildings: 30–50% premium at resale vs. market
• Herzog & de Meuron (Tate Modern, Bird's Nest): comparable premiums
• RCR: first UAE project; pioneer premium expected

Investment metrics:

| Unit | Price Range | Gross Yield | 5-yr Appreciation | |---|---|---|---| | 3-bed | AED 20M–35M | 2.5–4.0% | 35–65% | | 4-bed | AED 30M–50M | 2.5–3.5% | 35–70% | | Full-floor penthouse | AED 50M–75M+ | 2.0–3.0% | 40–80% |

Note: At Muraba's price point, capital appreciation — not yield — is the primary investment driver.

FAQ: Muraba

Q: What does "Muraba" mean? Muraba (مربع) is Arabic for "square" — the perfect geometric form. It reflects the developer's architectural philosophy: beauty through perfect proportion and honest materials, not decoration.

Q: Who designed Muraba Residence? RCR Arquitectes — the Catalan architecture firm awarded the Pritzker Architecture Prize in 2017, architecture's highest honour. Muraba Residence is their first UAE project.

Q: How many units are in Muraba Residence? 24 units. This is deliberate and permanent — there are no additional phases. The scarcity is a core part of the product.

Q: Is Muraba freehold? Yes — Palm Jumeirah is a designated freehold zone. 100% foreign ownership with DLD title registration.

Q: What type of buyer is Muraba designed for? UHNWI buyers (typically USD 50M+ net worth) who prioritise architectural integrity, privacy, scarcity and genuine quality over ostentatious display. Architecture-literate; globally mobile; anti-maximalist.

Muraba is the rarest thing in Dubai real estate: a building that says "no" to excess and "yes" to genuine architectural quality. With only 24 residences, Pritzker Prize architecture, and a Palm Jumeirah location that frames the Dubai skyline like no other, Muraba represents the absolute pinnacle of investor-grade scarcity combined with the kind of artistic integrity that transcends market cycles and endures as a permanent benchmark of quality.