La Tilia Villanova: AED 1.1bn contract for 850 townhouses

La Tilia Villanova has been awarded an AED 1.1bn construction contract to deliver 850 townhouses within the Villanova masterplan in Dubailand.

Dubai Properties, part of Dubai Holding Real Estate, has contracted UAE-based Metac General Contracting Co. to build La Tilia, the newest cluster at Villanova. The project comprises 500 three-bedroom townhouses and 350 four-bedroom townhouses, split across two phases, and continues Villanova's Mediterranean-inspired design with parks and pedestrian streets.

Phase 1 of La Tilia will deliver 410 homes while Phase 2 adds 440, increasing Villanova's stock of 3,834 homes and reinforcing the development's mid-market and upper mid-market focus, according to Dubai Properties and a statement from Khalid Al Malik, CEO of Dubai Holding Real Estate.

Dubai Properties awarded an AED 1.1 billion contract to Metac General Contracting Co. to build 850 townhouses at La Tilia within the Villanova masterplan.

The award covers La Tilia, a new residential cluster of 500 three-bedroom townhouses and 350 four-bedroom townhouses. The contract value is stated as nearly AED 1.1 billion, which the developer also notes equals roughly USD 300 million in public briefing. The contractor named is UAE-based Metac General Contracting Co., and Dubai Properties placed the work through Dubai Holding Real Estate oversight.

This contract confirms a substantial expansion of Villanova's mid-market housing supply. Adding 850 units to an existing 3,834 homes is equivalent to about a 22.2% increase in Villanova's stock (Binayah Research Team calculation). That scale raises delivery and market-absorption questions, but it also shows developer confidence in family-focused housing demand in Dubai, as cited by Khalid Al Malik.

La Tilia is being delivered in two phases: Phase 1 will supply 410 townhouses and Phase 2 will add 440 townhouses, for a total of 850 homes.

The housing mix is explicit: 500 three-bedroom townhouses and 350 four-bedroom townhouses across both phases. Phase 1's 410 units and Phase 2's 440 units together produce the 850-unit total that Dubai Properties announced. These figures set clear expectations for unit availability and help buyers and investors plan for timing and portfolio allocation.

Phasing at this scale affects sales timing and community fill rates. Developers normally stagger handovers to match market demand and infrastructure readiness; although Dubai Properties did not publish handover dates in the announcement, the split of 410 and 440 units provides a measurable blueprint for launch schedules and marketing tranches.

La Tilia will continue Villanova's Mediterranean-inspired design with landscaped streets, parks, walking and cycling tracks, retail outlets and neighbourhood amenities.

Dubai Properties describes Villanova as a pedestrian-friendly masterplan with a landscaped setting. The new cluster adopts the same design language and adds to a community that already contains 3,834 homes, reinforcing the scale and amenity base available to residents. Those design choices aim to attract families seeking outdoor space and local retail within walking distance.

From a resident perspective, the emphasis on parks, tracks and retail increases daily convenience and lifestyle quality, which can support stable resale demand. For community managers and buyers, the larger footprint also means ongoing maintenance and operational planning, factors that will influence running costs and service-charge budgets as the 850 new units are integrated.

• Pedestrian-friendly streets
• Landscaped parks and open space
• Walking and cycling tracks
• Retail outlets within the cluster
• Community amenities for families

The Villanova expansion matters because adding 850 townhouses to an existing 3,834 homes increases the community's supply by roughly 22.2%, reinforcing mid-market family housing stock in Dubailand.

The AED 1.1bn contract awarded by Dubai Properties, part of Dubai Holding Real Estate, signals developer confidence in family-focused demand for mid-market and upper mid-market buyers. Khalid Al Malik framed the award as evidence of sustained demand, and the scale of the build 500 three-bed and 350 four-bed units targets households seeking larger layouts outside central Dubai.

For market observers, the project will test absorption of mid-market product at scale and could influence comparable pricing and rental dynamics in Dubailand. The main risk is the timing of delivery, which Dubai Properties has not specified; timely handovers and infrastructure activation will be central to whether the added supply eases pressure or simply reshapes demand patterns.

The La Tilia cluster at Villanova represents an AED 1.1bn investment to build 850 townhouses, split into 500 three-bedroom and 350 four-bedroom homes delivered across Phase 1 (410 units) and Phase 2 (440 units). Adding 850 units to Villanova's 3,834 homes increases community stock by about 22.2%, underlining Dubai Properties' focus on family-oriented mid-market supply.