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Arada, the Sharjah-based developer, has acquired a 75 per cent stake in UK residential developer Regal in a deal marking its entry into the London market and its second international expansion following Australia in 2024.
The acquisition, attended by His Highness Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed bin Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of Arada, involves an initial Dhs2.5bn ($681m) commitment to acquire and invest in Regal, which will be rebranded as Arada London.
The move gives the company a platform to deliver Regal's 10,000-unit pipeline across 11 projects, with plans to triple the pipeline over the next three years.
"London is one of the world's leading cities, and our expansion into this market represents a strategic step for Arada in response to the strong demand for residential space," Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed said.
Arada's expansion journey
Founded in 2017, the developer has launched 10 projects in the UAE including the Aljada megaproject, the Masaar community and Armani Beach Residences at Palm Jumeirah.
In Australia, it has nine projects totaling 5,000 units under development.
Across the UAE and Australia, the company's portfolio amounts to more than Dhs95bn, with over 42,000 units, 10,000 of which have been delivered.
Ahmed Alkhoshaibi, Arada's group CEO, said the deal would leverage the company's "design and placemaking capabilities, delivery track record and capital resources" to accelerate Regal's growth.
Read: How Arada is expanding its presence in UAE's luxury property market
Regal, which has a 30-year track record and has delivered more than 4,000 homes and 1 million sq ft of commercial space, will retain its executive team and founders.
Current projects include Fulton & Fifth in Wembley, comprising 876 homes, 40 per cent of which are affordable.
Jonathan Seal, CEO of Regal, said: "We have carefully chosen Arada as our partner, a business that shares our values and confidence in the London residential market."
Rated B1 by Moody's and B+ by Fitch, the UAE-based developer said the acquisition would create synergies across sales platforms and expand its residential-led mixed-use portfolio.
Rothschild & Co acted as sole financial and strategic adviser to Regal.