ARADA Expands in London with Third Acquisition in Three Months

ARADA, a leading Emirati real estate developer, has announced the completion of its acquisition of a strategic site in the heart of London, representing the third major deal for the company in the UK market within just three months.

ARADA acquired the site located at 99-101 Newington Causeway in the Southwark area of South London, just a two-minute walk from the Elephant & Castle metro station. The site includes two vacant buildings, one being a 10-story building with a basement, which previously housed the British Salvation Army before it relocated to Denmark Hill in 2023.

Arada London, the company's UK arm, plans to transform the site into a hotel and Co-Living project, marking the Emirati developer's first entry into the Co-Living sector in the British capital. The company is expected to submit a planning application soon.

The site is located at the heart of the new Southwark regeneration plan and benefits from investments exceeding AED 20 billion in the surrounding area, including the redevelopment of Elephant Park and the former shopping center.

Ahmed Alkhoshaibi, CEO of ARADA Group, stated, "Our ongoing investment in London reflects our strong belief in the long-term strength of the British capital as a global real estate market. Since entering the city, we set a clear goal to expand our residential pipeline, and the rapid growth to more than 16,000 homes underscores the ability of the Arada London team to execute quickly and to high standards."

Jonathan Seal, CEO of Arada London, added, "The former Salvation Army headquarters represents a unique opportunity. This acquisition marks a significant step for Arada London as we launch our third project in Southwark and enter the Co-Living space for the first time."

This acquisition comes just two months after ARADA acquired local developer Regal (renamed to Arada London) in September 2025 with an initial investment of AED 2.5 billion ($680 million), followed by the acquisition of 80% of the massive Thameside West project on the River Thames for AED 12 billion ($3.2 billion) in November 2025.

This is ARADA's third project in the Southwark area, where the company is currently developing the Devonshire Place project, providing 941 student beds and 200 affordable housing units, as well as the Blackpool Road project, which combines affordable and student housing.

The Arada London pipeline currently exceeds 16,000 residential units, with ambitions to triple this figure to reach 30,000 units within the next three years as part of the company's global expansion strategy, which also entered the Australian market in August 2024 with investments of AED 6 billion.