First look
This is Cheval Blanc’s first Maison in the Middle East, and the brand is going about it the way LVMH usually does: a single property on a brand-new private island. Cheval Blanc Naia Island Dubai is slated for roughly 2029, built with Shamal Holding on Naia Island off the Jumeirah coast. The reported program is about 70 keys split into 30 suites and 40 private-pool villas, with branded beachfront residences on the side. Announced in August 2025, it is a genuine LVMH Cheval Blanc Maison, not to be confused with the unrelated Cheval Collection serviced-apartment company that shares part of the name.
On paper the appeal is the combination of a small key count, a villa-heavy mix, and an island that does not exist yet, which gives the developers room to shape the setting from scratch. There is no dedicated official property page yet, and 2029 is far enough out that the details will move. What we will be watching for is whether the villa-to-suite balance holds, how the residences sit against the hotel, and what the Gulf debut means for a brand that has so far kept its Maisons rare. For now this is anticipation, not a verdict.
