Nakheel
Building Happiness and Prosperity
Opportunity
Nakheel has long been synonymous with Dubai’s extraordinary journey of growth, creating iconic landmarks such as Palm Jumeirah, The Palm Tower and Palm West Beach. Yet, despite its scale and influence, the brand lacked a singular, compelling story. Many of the good things Nakheel brought to Dubai went unrecognised, while the brand itself felt outdated and failed to reflect the company’s ambitious vision for the future. Working closely with internal and external teams, it became clear the brand needed to do three things: highlight Nakheel’s unique position as Dubai’s premier developer of waterfront living, create stronger associations with the quality of life it brings to the city, and craft an identity that feels human, modern and premium.
Solution
Inspired by Dubai’s 2040 Urban Master Plan, which aims to enhance happiness and quality of life, the rebrand positioned Nakheel as a developer with purpose: ‘building happiness and prosperity’. Moving away from bricks, towers and blueprints, the brand focuses on the positive human experiences Nakheel creates for residents and visitors. To reinforce its distinctive waterfront proposition, a series of generative patterns were introduced across physical and digital touchpoints, visually linking premium assets back to the Nakheel brand. Photography shifted the spotlight from buildings to people, capturing authentic moments of life within Nakheel’s communities. A refreshed narrative and launch campaign further articulated the ambition to shape Dubai’s future by creating places where meaningful and rewarding experiences thrive.
Result
With a clear purpose and shared behaviours, Nakheel’s internal culture has undergone a major shift. Teams across the organisation are now energised and aligned behind a common goal of improving people’s experiences in every community they build. Supported by new brand assets, experiences and initiatives, the external perception of Nakheel has improved significantly, with residents, visitors and partners recognising the brand’s role in shaping a more rewarding and prosperous Dubai.
Using typography to increase Nakheel's presence and to create a visual link between their developments
In close collaboration with F37 Foundry, we've designed a custom made typeface which provides Nakheel a distinctive way to communicate throughout all of their digital and physical touch points. The unique Logo cut of the font is crucial to Nakheel's updated brand architecture, as it visually unites all of the master developments and links them back to the corporate brand.
