Founded in 2004 with Abu Dhabi government backing. Aldar developed Yas Island (Ferrari World, Warner Bros. World, Yas Marina Circuit, Yas Mall, multiple hotels), Saadiyat Island (Louvre Abu Dhabi, NYU, the future Guggenheim), and a wide range of residential communities across the emirate.

To understand Aldar's role: replace every 'Emaar' in a conversation about Dubai real estate with 'Aldar' and move the conversation to Abu Dhabi. The scale is similar; the geography is more manageable; the sovereign wealth fund sitting behind it is considerably larger.