Sun Islands is a luxury residential project in Ajmal Makan City, located in Sharjah, representing one of the strongest alternatives for investors seeking asset stability throughout the real estate cycle. Known for its smart villas of between four and seven bedrooms, this private community has maintained occupancy above 53% since its launch, setting it apart from other artificial developments in the Emirates. The liquidity of Sun Islands is generated through multiple channels: purchase-sale, long-term rentals, and holiday leases, allowing owners to monetize their investments in any market phase without waiting for property booms.
The Sun Islands phenomenon emerges in a context where international investors flee saturated markets in Dubai. The geographic proximity to major airports, combined with a capital appreciation of 66.67% since the initial launch, has consolidated Sun Islands as a destination for diversified assets. Unlike abandoned projects such as The World Islands, this community maintains complete infrastructure and operational services from the outset, minimizing risks associated with unfinished or speculative developments that characterized previous cycles in the Persian Gulf region.
THE EVOLUTION OF ISLAND REAL ESTATE IN EMIRATES
Artificial islands in the Emirates have undergone radical transformations over the past two decades, moving from symbols of opulence to refuges of controlled profitability. The initial boom of Palm Jumeirah in the 2000s created overblown investment expectations that collapsed with the 2008 crisis, leaving three unfinished archipelagos and thousands of abandoned investors. Sun Islands is born out of this historic lesson, implementing models of progressive occupancy and full completion before marketing its units, avoiding empty promises that typified speculative projects.
The fundamental difference between Sun Islands and previous developments lies in the immediate occupancy strategy. Whereas The World Islands were marketed as land without infrastructure, leaving 300 empty islands after the financial crisis, Sun Islands offers turnkey residences with integrated smart systems, operational private beaches, and fully functioning community services from the first resident. This approach reduces uncontrolled speculation and attracts investors focused on cash flow rather than long-term bets.
OCCUPANCY AND PROFITABILITY: THE HIDDEN METRICS OF SUN ISLANDS
Sun Islands occupancy has reached approximately 53% of the total 321 villas, which translates into 170 properties currently occupied. This percentage is significant compared to other developments in the region, where private communities maintain occupancy between 15% and 35% in early phases. Sun Islands’ profitability emerges from a three-layered model: property value appreciation, long-term rental income, and seasonal monetization via platforms like Airbnb, generating multiple simultaneous sources of return for the investor. Comparative studies in similar destinations show that beachfront properties with professional management reach vacation occupancies above 65% annually.
The initial launch price of 3.3 million dirhams has evolved to between 5.5 and 6 million dirhams in secondary market transactions, consolidating a visible appreciation in two years. This revaluation is due to the full functionality of infrastructure, the opening of amenities, and the recognition by international investors who see Sun Islands as a secure asset anchor with no abandonment risk. Unlike speculative investments, Sun Islands offers continuous liquidity because there are always willing buyers, renters seeking returns, and tourists demanding vacation spaces.
COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES IN RECESSIVE ECONOMIC CYCLES
Sun Islands is designed to withstand economic contractions that typically erode speculative real estate developments. When markets collapse, as in 2008, properties without occupancy or operational services depreciate rapidly; Sun Islands, by contrast, generates consistent income from secure residential rentals that maintain demand even in a recession. Sophisticated investors recognize that premium housing in strategic locations never loses demand entirely, especially when the community offers world-class amenities: private beaches, restaurants, spas, integrated smart systems, and controlled access.
The structure of Ajmal Makan City, where Sun Islands is the anchor project, includes eight islands connected with shared infrastructure. This approach reduces individual risks because if one island experiences weak demand, others compensate through commercial synergy. The future development of a themed amusement park announced for later phases will amplify visitor traffic and collateral demand, generating positive externalities that benefit existing properties. Investors buying today are advantageously positioned ahead of this expansion.
LIQUIDITY IN EVERY ECONOMIC CYCLE: THE DETERMINING FACTOR
Sun Islands offers three liquidity channels that operate independently, allowing owners to exit the market at any time without losing capital. First, the secondary purchase-sale market where international buyer demand keeps upward pressure on prices. Second, the residential rental market, where expatriate families seek luxury homes for annual or multi-year contracts, generating predictable cash flow. Third, professionally managed vacation rentals that energize properties through short-term guest rotation, maximizing utilization in peak seasons.
This flexibility radically contrasts with traditional investments where the owner depends on a single channel of exit. In Sun Islands, an investor faces prolonged recession and simply rents residentially; faces a lull in seasonal demand and activates vacation channel; needs urgent cash and executes a secondary sale. Sharjah, where Sun Islands is located, has experienced rental increases upwards of 86% in villas, evidencing demand pressure that transcends specific cycles.
COMPARISON WITH GHOST DEVELOPMENTS AND ABANDONED PROJECTS
The World Islands, launched with a budget of 12 billion dollars, became a symbol of real estate failure after 2008. Of 300 projected islands, less than 5% were developed; thousands of investors lost full deposits; banks repudiated financing. This disaster was possible because the project was marketed without infrastructure, services, or guarantee of completion, turning investors into pure speculators. Sun Islands learned from this tragedy: it does not sell bare land, it sells property finished, occupied, and profitable from day one.
Sun Islands also avoids the overdimensioning mistake that characterized Palm Jebel Ali. This project, started in 2002, was judicially canceled after 16 years, forcing developers to restart at adjusted prices. Original investors lost millions of dirhams waiting for a resolution that never came. Sun Islands, by contrast, maintains a modular and predictable development pace, completing phases before announcing the next, reducing risks of cancellation or indefinite delays. Operational transparency and proven compliance generate confidence in international markets.
SUN ISLANDS’ POSITIONING FOR INFLATION AND RATE CYCLES
Economists recognize that premium real estate in strategic locations acts as an inflation hedge because it absorbs global excess liquidity when monetary markets offer negative returns. Sun Islands benefits from this phenomenon: when global interest rates rise, investors seek tangible assets; when rates fall, real estate investment becomes relatively attractive. The price in dirhams, pegged to the US dollar, provides currency stability that is especially valued by European and Latin American investors.
The flow of expatriates toward the Emirates never completely stops, even in global recessions. Professionals from technology, finance, and resilient sectors seek tax refuge and political stability offered by Emirates. Sun Islands, as a private community with restricted access, attracts exactly this segment of high purchasing power, generating structural demand independent of cycles. Analysis of previous real estate cycles suggests that while global markets contract 20-30%, premium real estate in Emirates maintains only minor adjustments of 5-10%, amplifying relative attractiveness.
EXIT STRATEGY AND TIME HORIZON FOR INVESTORS
Sun Islands allows multiple investment horizons according to investor profile. Short term (1-2 years): turnkey sale to new investors, capturing initial appreciation of 10-15% annual. Medium term (3-5 years): residential rental with 4-6% annual return plus appreciation, accumulating capital. Long term (7-10 years): stabilization as a patrimonial asset generating cash flow, with the possibility of inheritance or legacy for beneficiaries. This flexibility contrasts with investments that require a single horizon or face early exit penalties.
The Emirates tax policy, with no income tax or capital gains in most cases, maximizes net return for international owners. Spanish, Mexican or Argentine investors who invest in Sun Islands re-insure their holdings outside jurisdictions with rising fiscal pressure. Also, the three most relevant videos on Ajmal Makan and Sun Islands show how international real estate professionals position this project as a defensive opportunity in the context of geopolitical fragmentation and emerging institutional distrust.
