Founded in 1997 by Mohamed Alabbar with UAE government backing. Emaar built the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall, Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina, Dubai Hills, Arabian Ranches, and a significant portion of the city's residential stock. The name appears on more buildings than any other in Dubai, and on several thousand properties in 36 other countries.

The Emaar relationship for most residents is involuntary and ongoing: you will live in, work near, or pass through an Emaar development daily. Service charges, maintenance timelines, and resale dynamics all run through Emaar's scale. Quality varies by project and decade, but the ambition has been consistent since the Burj Khalifa was a hole in the desert.