Author | Lucía Burbano
The Georgian city of Batumi lies on the eastern coast of the Black Sea, and, with just over 170,000 inhabitants, it is the country’s second-largest city. Yet this port city, rarely in the international spotlight, has recently drawn attention as it develops a smart city project that extends its territory into the sea, in the style of Dubai.
In addition to focusing on smart infrastructure, Ambassadori Island Batumi aims to become a model of sustainable development and mobility in the heart of the Black Sea. Here are its main goals and features.
What is Ambassadori Island Batumi?
Ambassadori Island Batumi is an urban development project currently underway that embraces smart and sustainable technologies and methodologies. It is located on the shores of the Black Sea, in Batumi. The highlights of its master plan are two artificial peninsulas and an island designed to redefine the region’s landscape while attracting tourism and investment.
The developer behind the project is Ambassadori Group, a local business group that has managed a wide range of hospitality, luxury, and real estate ventures since 2004. The project also involves Yüksel Proje, responsible for engineering and construction; SHoP Architects, in charge of designing two twin skyscrapers; ARUP, which developed the master plan concept; and Colliers, overseeing development programming and economic feasibility analysis.
Conceived as an 84-hectare artificial island complex, 49% of its total area is dedicated to parks and leisure spaces. The rest of the development focuses on luxury residences, serviced apartments, five-star hotels, exclusive villas, and a high-end marina, as well as cultural and artistic centers.
Ambassadori Island Batumi has already completed more than 50% of the land reclamation works, and construction of marine infrastructure is set to begin soon. Vertical construction started in 2025 and is still in its initial stages.
In total, more than ten towers will be built across its artificial islands. Among them, a 75-story skyscraper stands out as the centerpiece that will feature an underground river. A second residential tower rising 57 stories, completes the two tallest elements of this future smart city.
The latter, known as The First Tower, will be the first to be completed in September 2029.This seafront skyscraper will feature more than a thousand apartments, with luxury residences on the upper floors. Among its amenities are a shopping center, leisure facilities, an international hotel complex, swimming pools, a casino, a helipad, and a panoramic restaurant.
How does Ambassadori Island bring together the smart city concept?
Through its Smart City Vision, this future smart city is built around four strategic pillars:
- Accessibility, sustainability, and resilience: aligning the island’s master plan with international environmental standards and climate-resilient infrastructure.
- High quality of life: designing urban environments where services and infrastructure adapt to users’ needs.
- Lifecycle technical management: providing advanced data-driven tools to support the project from construction through long-term urban operations.
- Globally competitive experience: ensuring the island offers a user experience comparable to leading smart urban districts worldwide.
The development methodology for the smart city vision will focus on three interconnected scales:
- Smart buildings: intelligent systems and assets, including digital twins, environmental monitoring, and automated energy management.
- Smart plots: site-level infrastructure that integrates IoC networks, renewable energy optimization, and smart public services.
- Smart areas and public spaces: district-scale platforms, including urban digital twins and integrated command-and-control systems designed to manage the island’s environment in real time.
The smart city vision will be developed based on the context of Georgia and global best practices.
What are the sustainable features of Ambassadori Island Batumi?
For the project’s developers, Ambassadori Island Batumi is closely aligned with modern principles of sustainable development.
Its focus on urban planning that prioritizes sustainable transport, energy-efficient buildings, and green spaces that support local biodiversity is consistent with contemporary sustainability principles, which aim to preserve the local natural landscape and promote the circular economy as a key tool for sustainable development.
The project’s design places special emphasis on integrating buildings and structures with the natural environment of the Black Sea coast. The goal is to create a sustainable ecosystem where development works with the natural environment rather than against it.
In terms of sustainable mobility, projections estimate more than 50,000 daily visitors to the island. Facilitating public transport not only supports mobility but also reduces carbon emissions. The main modes of transport in Ambassadori Island Batumi will include electric cars, water taxis, scooters, bicycles, and electric buses.
With Ambassadori Island, Georgia aims to leverage a convergence of favorable factors. On one hand, Batumi’s location along the Black Sea corridor, between Europe and Asia, is strategic and attracts international interest. On the other, the country is looking to build on its status as a candidate for EU membership, obtained in December 2023.
The growth of tourism and the real estate sector also supports the region’s investment potential. In 2025, Georgia recorded 7.8 million international visitors, a 5.9% year-on-year increase. These figures are driving higher demand for accommodation, the expansion of short-term rentals, and a rise in real estate transactions in coastal areas.
By around 2029, construction of the main structures is expected to be completed, along with the project’s first operational phase, which is slated for full completion in 2035. By then, it aims to have a similar impact on the region as the smart cities developed in the United Arab Emirates.
Five frequently asked questions about Ambassadori Island Batumi
What is Ambassadori Island Batumi?
It is a luxury urban development built on artificial islands off the Black Sea coast, in Georgia.
What does its master plan include?
Luxury residences, hotels, a marina, leisure facilities, green spaces, and full services.
It also integrates electric mobility, premium infrastructure, and an international tourism and investment focus.
When will the project be completed?
The first phases are expected between 2028 and 2029, although full development will be gradual.
Does the project follow a smart city model?
Yes, it incorporates technologies for efficient energy management, mobility, and integrated digital services.
What sustainability measures are included?
It plans for renewable energy, green spaces, and a design aimed at reducing environmental impact on the marine surroundings.
Photos | Ambassadori Island Batumi
