The UAE government bought a 21,000-square-foot estate in McLean, Virginia, for $27.5 million, The Wall Street Journal reported — the most expensive home sale in the Washington, DC, area this year.
The purchase adds to at least 21 properties owned by the UAE government or citizens, worth about $200 million across the capital region. Emirati acquisitions in McLean’s Gold Coast and other neighborhoods have helped reset property values, with agents saying they overpay. Gulf states have long made Washington a hub for diplomacy, security, and business ties, and that extends to luxury estates for housing royals and officials or hosting guests. In 2018, Saudi Arabia paid $43 million for Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis’ childhood home.