Sobha Siniya Island Breaks Ground on 125-Key Anantara Resort With Minor Hotels

Sobha Siniya Island and Minor Hotels broke ground on Oct. 6, 2026, on the Anantara Siniya Island Resort and Anantara Residences Sobha Siniya Island in Umm Al Quwain, United Arab Emirates. The project will include 125 hotel keys and 125 Anantara-branded residences and is scheduled to open in 2030.

His Highness Sheikh Rashid bin Saud bin Rashid Al Mualla, Crown Prince of Umm Al Quwain, attended the ceremony, which took place on Sobha Siniya Island. The groundbreaking followed the announcement of a strategic partnership between Sobha Siniya Island and Minor Hotels to bring the Anantara Hotels & Resorts brand to Umm Al Quwain for the first time.

Partnership Structure for Sobha Siniya Island

The partnership was established through Sobha Al Siniya FZC, the joint venture between Sobha Realty and Umm Al Quwain Properties. Sheikh Mansour Al Mualla, Board Member, and Mr. Francis Alfred, Managing Director of Sobha Siniya Island, signed the agreement on behalf of Sobha Siniya Island. Mr. Amir Golbarg, Chief Operating Officer, Middle East and Africa, signed on behalf of Minor Hotels.

Also present at the ceremony were His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saud Al Mualla, Deputy Ruler of Umm Al Quwain; Mr. Ravi Menon, Chairman of Sobha Group; and Mr. William Heinecke, Founder and Chairman of Minor International, along with officials and representatives of relevant entities.

Anantara Resort and Residences: Project Details

Anantara Siniya Island Resort and Anantara Residences Sobha Siniya Island will comprise 125 hotel keys and 125 Anantara-branded residences, a total of 250 units. The branded residences are separate from the hotel keys. The project will form one of the leading hospitality destinations within the island's masterplan.

The resort's design is inspired by the island's natural features, including its mangroves, beaches, wildlife and marine life. The resort will bring Anantara's approach to experiential luxury hospitality to the island.

The project is the first Anantara-branded property in Umm Al Quwain. It expands Anantara's UAE presence alongside properties in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Ras Al Khaimah and a planned opening in Sharjah.

Executive Comments

Alfred said the island was designed to celebrate its natural beauty and that Anantara's approach to hospitality complements the island's natural character. He said the partnership with Minor Hotels brings together a commitment to thoughtful design, distinctive experiences and the highest quality standards. He added that the groundbreaking marks a new step toward turning the island's vision into reality and reflects the shared confidence of the project partners and the Government of Umm Al Quwain in the future of Siniya Island as an integrated destination for residents and visitors.

Heinecke said the UAE is an important part of the group's growth journey and that Siniya Island's location and natural assets make it a valuable addition to the destinations where the group operates. He expressed his pleasure at partnering with Sobha Al Siniya FZC to bring the Anantara brand to Umm Al Quwain and at contributing to a new chapter in the emirate's tourism development.

Siniya Island Masterplan and Location

Siniya Island is located off the coast of Umm Al Quwain and is one of the UAE's largest natural islands. It is home to mangroves, beaches and a variety of wildlife and marine life, as well as archaeological sites, including a sixth-century monastery and stone circles that reflect the island's historic role in trade across the Arabian Gulf.

Sobha Siniya Island spans approximately 23 million square feet and is being developed as a low-density waterfront community of apartments, villas, resorts, leisure facilities and open green spaces. More than 60% of the masterplan is dedicated to water features, open spaces and greenery. The island is approximately 50 minutes from Dubai and is connected to the mainland by a bridge approximately 1.7 kilometers long.

Market Context

The project is in line with Umm Al Quwain's direction to support growth across the tourism, residential and economic sectors. The emirate is positioning Siniya Island around lower-density development, natural assets and a resort-led destination model, in contrast to the denser, urban schemes more common in other parts of the UAE.

The development also adds to the UAE's branded-residence pipeline, in which hospitality brands extend their names to residential units alongside hotel components. For Sobha Realty, the project extends its activity from residential development into a destination model combining homes, hospitality, leisure and open space. Sobha Realty has separately said it expects 6,819 units to be handed over in 2026, a figure that relates to its broader operations rather than Siniya Island.

The 2030 opening target gives the partners several years to build the resort and residences and establish the island as a tourism destination. The bridge connecting the island to the mainland is a key access element for the masterplan.

Sources

Sobha Realty press release, "Umm Al Quwain Crown Prince attends groundbreaking of Anantara Sobha Siniya Island Resort and Residences," Oct. 6, 2026: https://sobharealty.com/media-center/press-releases/umm-al-quwain-anantara-sobha-siniya-groundbreaking