Dubai-Style City and Skyscraper Tower Scrapped at Marina Bay City Lombok After New Owners Take Full Control

Lombok, Indonesia — Marina Bay City Lombok has formally abandoned earlier plans for a Dubai-style city and a landmark skyscraper tower following Lux’s completion of a full buyout from KINARA (K-I-N-A-R-A), the Asian real estate platform that was previously a joint-venture partner.

With Lux now holding 100% ownership and full management control, the company says the project is being reset around a more realistic, sustainable, and Indonesia-appropriate vision — one that prioritises people, nature, and long-term livability over headline architecture.

Under the previous joint-venture structure, conceptual plans included a 30-storey tower and branding Marina Bay City as a Dubai-style destination. Those concepts have now been officially scrapped.

Lux confirmed the high-rise tower and the broader Dubai-style city model are no longer part of the approved master plan, stating they do not reflect the long-term intentions of the new ownership group.

“We are very clear on this,” a spokesperson for the project said. “We’re not building a Dubai-style city in Lombok. That idea is finished.”

The new owners have also moved away from the idea of marketing Marina Bay City as a conventional “smart city.” While technology will be used where appropriate, Lux says the project is fundamentally about ownership freedom, community, and lifestyle, not surveillance or over-digitisation.

Instead, Marina Bay City is being repositioned as a freedom-owner city built within nature, designed for residents and long-stay owners who value space, walkability, affordability, and openness.

Buildings will remain predominantly low-to-mid rise, carefully integrated with the natural landscape, coastal setting, and green corridors.

One of the most defining changes under Lux’s sole control is the decision to deliver what it describes as one of Indonesia’s first purpose-built pedestrian-only town centres — a feature notably absent from most developed areas in Bali.

Under the revised plan:

•Retail streets will be fully pedestrianised

•Taxis and service vehicles will drop passengers at designated access points only

•Vehicles will park in nearby car parks outside the town core

•The town centre will prioritise cafés, retail, public space, and foot traffic

Lux says this approach directly addresses congestion, safety, and urban chaos that have become common in other heavily developed destinations.

“This is the kind of simple planning solution that hasn’t been properly implemented elsewhere,” the spokesperson said. “It changes everything — for residents, visitors, and business owners.”

Construction Progressing, Town Centre Begins 2026

Lux confirmed construction is already underway across the early stages of Marina Bay City, with infrastructure and residential components progressing steadily.

Work on the town centre is scheduled to commence in early 2026, following the next phase of groundwork and approvals. The new owners say the development will be rolled out in stages, deliberately avoiding over-densification and rushed timelines.

According to Lux, the scrapping of the skyscraper and Dubai-style concept reflects a broader reset toward creating a city that works in practice — not just in marketing renders.

“This is about building a real city for real people,” the spokesperson said. “Not a skyline for brochures.”

With Lux now firmly in control, Marina Bay City Lombok is being positioned as a carefully planned, pedestrian-focused coastal city, shaped by long-term thinking rather than short-term hype.