Inside the World's First Mercedes-Benz Branded Luxury City

Luxury is rarely known for its restraint. We live in a world, for example, where the Bugatti Chiron has an engine so overpowered its top speeds are illegal on most of the world’s roads.

And where Graff’s US$55m Hallucination watch is so encrusted with diamonds that its function is all-but buried.

In that same spirit, when it comes to luxurious living, why design a single building when you can craft a whole city? 

The thinking, perhaps, behind Mercedes-Benz Places | Binghatti City, the world’s first Mercedes-Benz branded city and master-planned community, set to be built in the Meydan district of Dubai. 

The US$8.2bn project transforms the concept of branded residences from luxury single buildings to a 10 million square foot ‘city-within-a-city’ that fuses Mercedes-Benz’s approach to automotive design with state-of-the-art urban infrastructure. 

Speaking at the launch event, Mathias Geisen, Member of the Board of Management, Mercedes-Benz Group AG, Sales & Customer Experience, discussed the unique approach.

“This masterplan represents the purest expression of the brand’s design philosophy, extending our DNA from the automobile into a living environment crafted with technical precision,” he said.

Rooted in Mercedes-Benz’s design philosophy

Mercedes-Benz Places | Binghatti City is a 12‑tower city community concept, bringing more than 13,000 branded residences to Dubai’s Nad Al Sheba district through a construction programme that will be delivered three phases.

Each of the 12 ‘synchronised skyscrapers’ within the development are inspired by Mercedes-Benz's most iconic vehicles, including the Vision One-Eleven, Vision AVTR and Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6. 

“Our collaboration with Mercedes-Benz continues to evolve beyond individual buildings into a fully integrated Masterplan Community,” says Muhammad BinGhatti, Chairman of Binghatti Holding.  

“Mercedes‑Benz Places | Binghatti City represents our shared ambition to redefine how branded living is experienced at scale where design, innovation and community come together to shape the future of urban life in Dubai.”

The development is organised around the central 341-metre high ‘Vision Iconic’ tower, conceived as a central anchor on the skyline and the primary expression of Mercedes‑Benz’s design language at urban scale.

The tower is designed as the tallest structure in the city, with a sculpted, aerodynamically influenced silhouette created to echo the brand’s flagship concept cars. It will feature a collection of four and five bedroom luxury, bespoke homes. 

Each of the residences within the city has been designed to deliver customers with "the experience of the Mercedes-Benz brand in every sense".

Interiors across the collection of studios and individual homes echo the automotive brand's 'Sensual Purity' design concept, a core philosophy that balances emotional and clean design with advanced technology and innovation.

An expansive grand promenade sits at the heart of the complex. Mercedes says the master-planned city concept is designed to combine luxury with sustainability and environmental consciousness.

With that approach in mind, Binghatti City organises amenities around wellness, recreation and community.

Water plays an important role in this philosophy, with features including family pools, infinity pools and splash zones.

Fitness areas include gyms, yoga spaces, outdoor decks and sky jogging tracks, plus twelve sports clubs for padel, squash, golf simulators, climbing, fencing, archery, Pilates and spin. 

The development is expected to be completed in phases, with the final handover anticipated around mid-to-late 2029.

The rise of luxury branded real estate

Mercedes-Benz is not the only luxury automotive brand creating branded residences. Bugatti is developing a luxury residential apartment complex in Dubai's Business Bay area.

Set to open in 2027, the 43-story Bugatti Residences by Binghatti Properties are the first Bugatti residential buildings in the world. 

Also designed in partnership with Binghatti Holding, the project will feature a collection of ‘Riviera Mansions’ and 11 ‘Sky Mansion Penthouses’.

Bugatti says each residence within the tower will feature a bespoke, curated layout for its owner. 

According to the company: “The first Bugatti residence is also designed with a peerless luxurious amenities, including a Riviera-inspired beach, private pool, jacuzzi spa, fitness club and two garage-to-penthouse lifts.”

A recent report by estate agent company Knight Frank, finds growing global demand for luxury branded residences. It reveals that, while the number of projects was 169 in 2011, it rose to 611 in 2024 with a forecast of 1,019 by 2030. 

Faisal Durrani, Head of Research at Knight Frank Middle East told the BBC: “Branded residences appeal most to individuals with extreme brand loyalty - people who want to live and breathe a particular brand.”

Research from property company Savills says that Dubai is leading the luxury branded residence market on a city-by-city basis. 

Other luxury car brands including Porsche and Aston Martin have also entered the ultra-luxury real estate market with projects in Miami, Bangkok, Dubai and New York.