Al Reef Villas in Abu Dhabi, the first planned community in the UAE exclusively for the middle class, have turned out to be a major attraction for mid-income level buyers amid a shortage of housing in the UAE capital, said its promoters.

The Specialists, a provider of real estate solutions in the Gulf region, said the Al Reef  has emerged as one of the company's most popular offerings as the projected demand of around 100,000 housing units in the UAE's capital continues to be driven by a major supply gap in the mid-income level.

Offering an integrated environment with a range of lifestyle options in one location, Al Reef Villas is prominently located near Al Raha Beach, (a 10 minute drive to Abu Dhabi Island).

It features affordable villas that come in four themes – Mediterranean, Desert, Contemporary and Arabic. The housing complex also offers an excellent range of modern apartments in various sizes and styles.

The Specialists delivers a comprehensive range of services to cover all types of property transactions within both the commercial and residential markets, for lease and for sale.

The company recently signed an agreement with project developer Manazel Real Estate to provide a complete range of real estate solutions including sales, leasing and property management services for Al Reef Villas.

"With residential properties being high in demand in Abu Dhabi, investor interest has remained very strong since The Specialists started offering units from Al Reef Villas in the market," said Sobhi Agha, general manager of The Specialists.

"We have received an increasing number of reservations and bookings on a daily basis for properties within the integrated development project and we expect the trend to continue as we intensify our awareness campaign about the excellent features of this project," he noted.

"Al Reef Villas is certainly a highly strategic development that addresses the increasing residential demand in the UAE capital, particularly within the burgeoning working class of Abu Dhabi," he added.

According to Agha, Al Reef has emerged as one of the most exciting property offerings in the UAE for this high-potential niche market as it features a select range of modern facilities and lifestyle options.

"Accordingly, The Specialists has prepared a full range of complementary real estate services that enhance Al Reef Villas' reputation as a truly smart investment for home owners and investors," he said.

Al Reef Villas' integrated development concept incorporates verdant public parks, swimming pools, lush landscaped gardens, health clubs, mosques, a retail area, education facilities and a medical clinic, while it also offers 24-hour, gated security and high-tech equipment to secure all properties.

Moreover, the leasehold residential facility offers affordable prices as well as flexible and easy payment facilities through trusted Islamic and traditional finance partners.

According to a report by Colliers International, current supply levels of residential property remain insufficient to meet the increasing demand in Abu Dhabi. Moreover, the emirate will have to wait at least until 2013 when an expected delivery of some 140,000 residential units could address the significant shortage.

The Specialists additionally offers comprehensive property management services to clients in the UAE, while it has also been expanding across other key markets in the Middle East including Lebanon.-TradeArabia News Service