Aldar Properties was due to start handover the  four- and five-bedroom villas within its Dh3.2-billion ($871 million) West Yas community in Abu Dhabi, UAE, last month.

The handover is to be undertaken in phases – the first of which comprises 300 villas – and will continue 2018, according to Aldar.

Client inspections, snagging and disinfecting of villas is well under way. The garden plots will feature sweet soil instead of sand, to enable home owners to start grassing their lawns and put in their own plants, it adds.

 Launched in September 2015, the West Yas community consists of 1,014 four- and five-bedrooms villas, ranging from 488 to 580 sq m.

As part of the handover process, Aldar is offering customers the opportunity to incorporate a number of smart technology options into their homes which focus on safety and security, cost saving, sustainability and lifestyle and convenience. Solutions being offered include smart lighting and thermostats, smart locks, fire alarm systems, security cameras, smart door and window sensors, motion sensors and smart home assistants.

 West Yas features attractive amenities and facilities for its community, including a mosque for 2,000 worshippers, two schools, a retail centre, sports facilities, a petrol station, and extensive landscaping and greenery overlooking the mangroves surrounding Yas Island.

Meanwhile, Aldar Properties has sold more than 50 per cent of the land plots at its Nareel Island, a premium high-end plot development located on the coast of Al Bateen, in Abu Dhabi. The island comprises 161 plots with a total area of 351,000 sq m. The villas that are being developed in Phase One are explected to be handed over to customers within the next two years.