Developers in Dubai are masters of creating communities with a twist. PW takes a look at some of these community developments and what they offer.
Bluewaters Island
Meraas’ man-made island project is best known for the world’s largest observation wheel, Ain Dubai, but a new residential community will flourish around it.
Bluewaters will have 17 town houses and 10 low-rise apartment buildings, which will have 698 glass-fronted one- to four-bedroom apartments ranging from 1,150-2,500 sq ft, and four spacious five-bedroom penthouses of over 9,000 sq ft, with huge terraces and 360-degree views. Contemporary and warm in design with floor-to-ceiling windows, the residences are set on a podium, affording the best views of Ain Dubai and the boulevard.
Residences are currently selling at Dh2,100-Dh2,600 per square foot. The island offers a pedestrian lifestyle, with shaded walkways and water courtyards. Private facilities include swimming pools, gyms, basketball courts and play areas. A 265m pedestrian bridge connects to Jumeirah Beach Residence, while a bridge connects directly to Shaikh Zayed Road. Driverless vehicles will shuttle residents and visitors between the island and the Dubai Metro.
Deira Islands
Nakheel’s Deira Islands will feature residences, although not for sale. There are 2,600 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments in 16 residential towers, as well as more than 250 town houses up for lease. Arranged in clusters, they will feature swimming pools and, of course, retail. Deira Islands will be a new leisure hot spot, full of entertainment, with parks, walkways and even a water park.
Dubai Creek Harbour
Staying with the island lifestyle theme, although this one’s inland. Harbour Gate is the latest community launched within Dubai Creek Harbour’s Island District. To be completed by summer 2020, it will have 491 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments featuring huge balconies. Six duplex town houses are on the podium level, which will become a social hub with retail, eateries, a teen’s room, fitness centre and indoor and outdoor children’s play area.
Residents will live right at the gateway of the Island District, close to the boardwalk, marina and Vida Hotel. A range of food and beverage, retail and leisure attractions make Harbour Gate a vibrant neighbourhood, says Ahmad Al Matroushi, managing director of Emaar Properties.
Dubai Creek Harbour also features previously launched residential offerings, including Harbour Views, Creekside 18, Creek Residences, Creek Horizon and The Cove.
City Walk: urbanity in the city
As the name indicates City Walk in Jumeirah is fast becoming an enclave of an ultimate pedestrian lifestyle within Dubai. Residents will be able to enjoy low-rise retail arcades, as well as a huge park. The apartments are set within 34 five- and six-storey pavilion-style buildings.
Town Square: urbanity in the desert
A little further out along Al Qudra Road, Nshama is creating an urban lifestyle with the 750-acre Town Square. A central square will provide the hustle and bustle of an urban lifestyle, complete with shopping, gastronomy centres, a Vida Hotel and Reel Cinema.
The development features mid-rise apartment buildings and town house communities set in green enclaves, fostering social activities and wellness where residents can jog or ride bicycles on trails, or simply playing in the central park.
Around 5,000 units are under construction, and the first batch of 2,000 units will be handed over this year. The latest among the Town Square offerings are the three- and four-bedroom Noor town houses, distributed in three neighbourhoods with a community club.
Others that have been launched are 730 town homes in Hayat, 320 town houses in Zahra, 546 apartments in Zahra and 618 apartments in Zahra Breeze Apartments. Another 658 homes in Jenna, Warda, Hayat Boulevard and Safi are also under way.
Apart from quality contemporary designs, Town Square is popular because of its affordable prices and payment plans. For the apartments, 80 per cent is due on handover. Several apartments will be delivered this year and next year.
Al Habtoor Polo Resort & Club: Nature and luxury for rent
Another community inspired by nature, Al Habtoor Polo Resort and Club is an equestrian community features 122 three- to five-bedroom villas.
Located in Dubailand, along Emirates Road, the community also features 25 homes branded by St Regis, which operates an Andalusian-style hotel in the development. The design fosters light-bathed open-plan living, floor-to-ceiling windows and a touch of Italian in fully equipped kitchens. The villas are only for rent, starting at Dh220,000 per year for a three-bedder, Dh240,000 for a four-bedder and Dh350,000 for a five-bedder. All homes come with a maid’s room; the bigger units have their own pool.
“The villas are now available for rent,” says Sanjeev Agarwala, chief operating officer of Habtoor Hospitality and Al Habtoor Investments, adding that the handover of houses started early this month.
“We want to keep them within our real estate portfolio, as the villas are very lucrative, there are only a limited amount of them, and there is a lot of demand. The residential aspect of the resort provides residents with a lot of benefits from the adjoining resort and club.”
The gated community comes with gyms, pool and spa and tennis courts. While it will surely appeal to horse owners, offering dressage and show-jumping arenas, 520 stables and a veterinary clinic, it could equally appeal to those who simply look for a serene place to live.
“Space and greenery are generous compared with other communities, and it has character with winding roads and contours,” says Agarwala.
The developer also offers a 24-hour maintenance service to residents.
“This is a community designed for young families and professionals who enjoy a sporty, outdoor lifestyle,” says Helen Tatham, managing partner of Prime Place, the exclusive agent.
Reem Community: A villa community designed to fit the desert
Across the road from Town Square, lies Emaar’s Reem community, promising a fun lifestyle in the desert, thanks to unique features, including a dune and desert botanical garden, a rock climbing wall, sand surfing, camel riding trails, camp sites, dune buggies, as well as go-kart, skate and water parks.
A central park has interactive fountains and walkways, as well as a retail and restaurant plaza. Clubs, nurseries, schools, mosques, cricket and football pitches, a mini golf course and a movie amphitheatre make this an active community.
Three phases of the Mira town homes have been handed over. Many are up for rent and the best part is they are still relatively affordable.
Dubai South: To the other side of town
Dubai South’s residential offerings, The Pulse and The Villages, are based on the principles of providing happiness and wellbeing to residents. Other residential options in Dubai South include MAG PD’s affordable MAG 5 Boulevard apartment community and the Emaar South golf district. Other community developments are likely to spring up, in what is bound to become another popular destination in Dubai close to the Al Maktoum International Airport and the World Expo 2020 site.
Emaar South will be a smart and green community with an urban touch, housing 15,000 residences, including apartments, town houses and villas. It will have tree-lined boulevards and cycling trails, as well as “green” transport. There will be a golf course, hotels and a school.
