Every address in this portfolio makes a case for why it belongs in it. The Alba’s case is architectural, before it’s anything else, this is the only development in the collection carrying a Zaha Hadid Architects design, and that fact alone changes how the building has to be evaluated.
The Position
The Alba sits on the Eastern Crescent of Palm Jumeirah — a different stretch of the island from Orla’s apex position or AVA’s base-of-the-crescent placement. It’s part of the same broader Palm Jumeirah cluster that anchors much of the portfolio’s beachfront presence, but its own site and orientation are distinct from either.
The Design Team
This is where The Alba separates itself from the rest of the collection. Zaha Hadid Architects designed the building envelope — the only Dorchester Collection Dubai address to carry that name. Interiors are by Gilles & Boissier, and the landscape design is by Vladimir Djurovic — the same landscape architect behind other addresses in the portfolio, giving The Alba a design lineage that’s both distinct and connected to the wider collection at once.
It’s also the only address in the portfolio introduced this way: The Alba launched at the Monaco Yacht Show in September 2024, positioning it from day one as a resort-style destination rather than a standard residential tower — a different kind of debut from anything else in this collection.
The Numbers
The Alba comprises roughly 60 residences, including 3 penthouses. It’s also worth understanding the building isn’t a single standalone tower — the complex includes multiple buildings, and a second building, The Alba 2, is tracked separately within the portfolio as its own distinct address, sharing the same design team and site.
The Timeline
Handover is currently targeted for 2028 — later than Orla’s confirmed end-of-Q4-2026 date, positioning The Alba as one of the portfolio’s longer-horizon holds. As with any development this far from handover, treat the completion date as a target rather than a locked commitment, and confirm directly before making time-sensitive decisions.
On Pricing
Reported pricing for The Alba varies significantly across sources — widely enough that quoting a specific figure here would be more misleading than useful. If pricing is central to your decision, get a current, direct quote rather than relying on any published range, including this one.
Where This Leaves You
The Alba isn’t the fastest route into this portfolio, and it isn’t the cheapest. What it offers instead is a design pedigree nothing else in the collection has — a genuine Zaha Hadid building inside a Dorchester Collection address, with the runway of a 2028 handover for buyers thinking in longer time horizons.
If The Alba is on your shortlist, message me directly — I can walk you through where it sits relative to the rest of the portfolio, and what’s actually confirmed versus still in motion this far from completion.