When will sold-out RAK Central welcome businesses, residents?

Ras Al Khaimah’s newest community, RAK Central, is set to welcome its first wave of businesses by 2027. Billed as the largest business district in the Northern Emirates, RAK Central’s master developer Marjan announced the completion of infrastructure works last week.

- Sahim Salim and Nasreen Abdulla

Abdulla Al Abdouli, CEO of Marjan, told Khaleej Times that RAK Central HQ — the office complex at the heart of the development — will open within 24 months, with piling already completed and construction contracts awarded. Serving as the anchor for the masterplan, the offices are designed to attract both international corporates and local businesses seeking a prestigious address. Residential units and hospitality projects will follow, creating a fully integrated “work-live-play” community.

Spanning 3.1 million square metres with 8.3 million square feet of gross floor area, RAK Central will accommodate over 6,000 professionals. Five interconnected Grade A office buildings will sit alongside more than 4,000 residential units and over 1,000 hotel keys, primarily urban and business hotels supporting the growing commercial ecosystem. Abdouli described the development as a “mixed-use residential community,” with offices comprising 15 per cent and residential and hospitality 85 per cent of the masterplan. “The offices will be the anchor,” he said. “They attract people first, and then the real estate follows after a year or so.”