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SharjahEnvironment

by Sofia Brontvein

How Sharjah Is Quietly Rewriting the Rules Of Urban Life

1 Jul 2025

Arada isn’t building just another community — it is building a new kind of city. In the heart of Sharjah, its flagship project Aljada is transforming the urban landscape into a lifestyle ecosystem, where education, culture, health, and sustainability coexist under one visionary roof. From the student-friendly Nest campus to the tree-powered Shajar program, led by landscape mastermind Graham Alderslade, Arada is betting big on people-centric design. At the helm of this evolution is Amit Arora, the company’s Chief Operating Officer, who knows how to turn big plans into daily life — and isn’t afraid to swap spreadsheets for smoothies.

What is Arada?

Founded in 2017 by Sheikh Sultan bin Ahmed Al Qasimi and Prince Khaled bin Alwaleed bin Talal, Arada is a UAE-based master developer known for its bold, lifestyle-driven vision of urban development. In just a few years, Arada has redefined what a modern Middle Eastern community can look and feel like — walkable, sustainable, diverse, and deeply human.
Its major developments include Aljada in Sharjah, a vibrant mixed-use megaproject; Masaar, a forest-inspired community focused on wellness and green living; and Jouri Hills, nestled in Dubai’s elite Jumeirah Golf Estates. Arada’s projects go beyond buildings — they are curated experiences built for a new generation of urban dwellers.

What is Aljada?

Spanning 24 million square feet, Aljada is the beating heart of Arada’s ambition — and Sharjah’s rising star. More than a residential district, Aljada is a city-within-a-city, designed to let people live, learn, work, and play in one interconnected ecosystem. And it is not just big — it is built smart.
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Source: arada.com

One of Aljada’s defining features is Shajar, an innovative urban landscaping initiative led by Graham Alderslade, which turns green space into public infrastructure. With over 130,000 trees grown and replanted, Shajar makes sustainability tactile and poetic — every tree has a story.
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Another major highlight is Nest, the UAE’s first student housing complex of its kind. Located beside the cultural district of Madar and the House of Wisdom, Nest is both academic and aesthetic. Wellfit, a next-gen fitness and recovery centre, anchors Aljada’s wellness credentials, while Manbat, a homegrown partnership with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment, celebrates farm-to-table living and supports UAE agriculture. Together, these elements make Aljada more than a development — they make it a prototype for future cities.
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Who is Amit Arora?

Amit Arora is the Chief Operating Officer of Arada, where he leads one of the most ambitious urban development portfolios in the Middle East. With over two decades of experience across hospitality, real estate, and operations, he is not your typical boardroom executive — more like a strategist with sneakers and a sustainability playbook.
A hospitality veteran with 28 years of experience in the UAE, Germany and the US, Amit has previously held leadership roles at The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company (where he spent over 15 years), Emaar Hospitality, FIVE Holdings and Erth Abu Dhabi.
At Arada, his focus is on ensuring that bold architectural visions translate into operational success, not only on opening day, but for decades to come. From creating new hospitality brands to launching wellness hotels rooted in biometric data, Amit’s approach is holistic, ambitious, and unapologetically human.
He is also a cyclist, early riser, and firm believer that cities can — and should — make people feel better.
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Sofia Brontvein, The Sandy Times Publisher, and Amit Arora, the COO of Arada

Interview with Amit Arora, Chief Operating Officer, Arada

— Let’s start from the beginning. Why Aljada? What makes it different?
— Aljada is the new downtown of Sharjah — a vibrant, purpose-driven community. Last year alone, we celebrated 8 million visitors. Our mission is to give back to the community by creating not just homes, but an integrated destination where people live, work, and play. We see ourselves as a destination developer now, not just a real estate company. Aljada brings everything under one roof — quality student accommodation, great food, wellness, culture — it is a holistic lifestyle that promotes health, happiness, and a sense of belonging.
— Since launching in 2017, how has Aljada evolved?
— We have delivered 10,000 homes and now host over 10,000 residents. It is a melting pot — young professionals, students, university faculty, airline crew, engineers, architects — all living within this 2.2-square-kilometre development. Our location is incredibly strategic, right by the airport and major highways. Sharjah Airport served 17.5 million passengers last year, and that is only going to grow. Once Dubai International Airport shifts to Jebel Ali, Sharjah will become a key transit hub — it already is, thanks to Air Arabia.
— Sharjah is often described as the UAE’s cultural capital. How does that influence your approach?
— Absolutely — Sharjah is family-centric, rooted in heritage, and rich in education. We are surrounded by two dozen universities and institutions like the House of Wisdom. In fact, at our NEST student campus, we opened a ‘Wisdom Vault’ — students can access 100,000+ books, borrow them directly from the House of Wisdom, and return them onsite. Culture and education are deeply woven into our developments.
— Let’s talk about Shajar. It is such a unique initiative.
— Shajar is one of our proudest projects. We have grown over 130,000 trees in our nursery, many of them rehabilitated from less-than-ideal conditions. Every time we open a new Arada community, we transplant these trees, which gives even new developments a mature, green aesthetic. But it is not just about beauty — it is a living sustainability lesson. We welcome students and colleges to visit, learn about hydroponics, farming, and climate resilience. It is design education in real life.
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— You are also responsible for hospitality, right? What is the strategy behind your F&B concepts?
— Correct — I oversee three verticals: lodging, F&B, and entertainment. We are building a diverse portfolio of food brands. One of them, Kashtat Amina, is an Emirati fine dining concept we are launching soon with a celebrity chef. Then there is Hungry Wolves, which offers guilt-free meals for the fitness crowd, and Boost Juice, our popular wellness drinks brand with 10 locations across the UAE. Everything is wellness-driven — even our central kitchen will serve meal plans and cater to universities.
— And outside Sharjah? Are you expanding?
— Yes — we are active in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Ras Al Khaimah. For example, we have a Boost Juice at Kite Beach in Dubai — a container-style stop that is loved by runners and cyclists. Personally, I’m a cyclist too. I ride early mornings, and we have designed communities like Masaar with cycling in mind. It is all about supporting active lifestyles.
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Kashtat Amina

— What about lodging? What is happening with the Nest Hotel?
— Nest Hotel is our first Arada-operated hotel — 431 rooms, located next to the NEST student campus. We realised visiting families needed close, comfortable accommodations, so we repurposed nearby buildings into a midscale hotel. Nest is already at 70% occupancy. We have got more hotels coming too: Vida Aljada, Rove, and others. Altogether, we will have around 1,680 keys plus 2,000 student rooms.
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Nest Hotel

— In a place like Sharjah, where alcohol isn’t served, how do you handle hospitality?
— We focus on healthy, creative alternatives. Our mocktails use local ingredients — dates, ghaf juice, herbs — to create unique beverages. It is not about what is missing, but what we are offering instead. One of our brands, Manbat, is a great example. It is a farmer’s market concept in partnership with local UAE farms. We source up to 70% of our ingredients locally, reducing our carbon footprint while celebrating Emirati agriculture.
— That is ambitious. Where is Arada headed over the next 10 years?
— We are moving toward integrated wellness. Our new brand, Akala — from the Sanskrit word for “timeless” — is a wellness hospitality concept that blends fitness, nutrition, and medical science. Think personalised programs based on your vitals: sleep, stress, diet, and recovery. The first Akala hotel will open in DIFC, and it is going to be unlike anything in the region — smart rooms, biometric-driven meals, precision wellness. It is bold, but Dubai is the right place for it. And we believe the future belongs to those who build for the body, mind, and planet.