OVERVIEW

Soho Development is a Dubai-based boutique residential developer, active in Dubai Hills Estate through The Berkeley — the community’s first fully furnished, hospitality-inspired residence. 

The company was established in 2008 by the father-son duo Somendra and Sahil Khosla, with the elder Khosla as chairman and Sahil Khosla as CEO and Creative Director. In Dubai Hills Estate, the developing entity is registered as Soho Hills Limited, operating through its subsidiary Soho Development.

COMPANY BACKGROUND

Soho Development positions itself as a design-led developer specialising in hotel-inspired living. 

According to company materials and press releases, its history began with a flagship commercial development on Sheikh Zayed Road hosting the Ethan Allen brand, followed by nine luxury villas on Palm Jumeirah and SOHO Palm on Palm West Beach — a build-to-rent residential building the company retained rather than sold.

This history is worth reading carefully. The Berkeley in Dubai Hills Estate is, by the company’s own announcement, its first build-to-sell project.

 The Palm Jumeirah villas and SOHO Palm demonstrate construction delivery capability, but a build-to-rent landlord answers to itself on timelines and quality, while a build-to-sell developer answers to hundreds of individual buyers, escrow rules, and RERA handover obligations. 

That transition is the single most important fact in assessing this developer, and buyers should weigh the track record accordingly: real, but short in the segment that matters for an off-plan purchase.

PROJECTS IN DUBAI HILLS ESTATE

The Berkeley (Soho The Berkeley 1) is an 11-storey building of 116 fully furnished residences — studios, one- and two-bedroom apartments from 377 to 1,389 sq. ft. — positioned on the park side of Dubai Hills Estate. 

The architectural consultant is National Engineering Bureau, with interiors involving LW Design Group and XBD Collective, and the main contract awarded to New System Engineering.

The specification is genuinely above segment norms: EGGER woodwork, Pianca and Snaidero cabinetry, Bagno Design fixtures, and Bosch appliances. 

The estimated handover is October 2026, and the project was reported as roughly 90% sold around contractor appointment. Original announcements also referenced twin buildings in Dubai Hills, so a second Berkeley tower may follow — buyers should confirm the current plot and phasing status directly.

Sales and marketing for The Berkeley are handled by Devmark as master agent; Devmark is a sales consultancy, not the developer, and contractual obligations sit with the Soho entity named in the SPA.

DUE DILIGENCE NOTES

As with any first build-to-sell project from a boutique developer, standard verification applies before committing funds. 

Confirm the project’s registration and escrow account details with the Dubai Land Department, and make all payments strictly into the RERA-registered escrow account named in the sales agreement — never to any other entity.

 Check the developer entity in the SPA matches the DLD-registered developer (Soho Hills Limited / Soho Development) and review the construction progress reports available through DLD channels. 

Claims of decades of experience found on broker websites conflate the company’s 2008 founding and commercial/rental history with its residential sales track record, which effectively begins with The Berkeley; treat aggregator descriptions of a long delivery record with appropriate caution.

None of this is a criticism of the project — the specification, consultants, and location are credible, and pre-sales performance was strong. It is simply the correct framework for assessing any developer whose first handover to individual buyers is still ahead.

SOHO DEVELOPMENT PROPERTIES FOR SALE

Current listings in The Berkeley and other Soho Development projects within Dubai Hills Estate are published on this site as they become available. For assignment opportunities and below-market resales in The Berkeley ahead of handover, contact us directly.