Life in the fast lane
Developer: Emaar
Property: Yasmin villa community
Location: Arabian Ranches
These arabesque villas are few in number but many in monetary terms. Four- to six-bedroom family villas in the emerging Arabian Ranches locale offer families a slice of rural Dubai.
The Yasmin community has access to a Resident’s Club, which features an indoor running track for those athletically minded, time-rich homeowners — Emaar’s unofficial ploy here was to develop a Dubai-grown expat capable of giving Usain Bolt a run for his money. However, a gym, beauty salon and spa cater to those less serious about their Olympic ambitions.
There’s also the small matter of a 247-acre golf course and the Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club, the leisurely community parks and gardens replete with a barbecue deck in the midst of a dedicated children’s area, tennis courts, football pitches and a gourmet restaurant — it wouldn’t be Dubai without one — all of which residents have access to.
Stone Age comfort
Developer: Aldar Properties
Property: Gate Towers
Location: Shams, Al Reem Island, Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi’s flagship developer sold and leased 180 units from the first completed phase of the Shams residential tower in December. Now, with the second phase of construction under way, potential owners and investors will need to get in early to beat off the competition for a prime spot in the capital.
Gate Towers, modelled on Britain’s famous Stonehenge landmark, comprises 3,533 units and includes studios, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, as well as town houses and penthouses with panoramic views of the Arabian Gulf and Abu Dhabi skyline.
A piece of research that might be worth keeping in mind for the Aldar property: High-end apartments on Al Reem Island as a whole retained their position as the best performing segment of this market, with average capital values climbing 9.3 per cent, says real estate broker Cluttons.
Maison, sweet maison
Developer: Damac
Property: Damac Maison — Dubai Mall Street
Location: Downtown Dubai
One of luxury developer Damac’s many property projects to hit estate agents’ windows this year is the long-awaited Maison development, which even has a babysitting service available — perfect if you need to nip across the road to catch a flick uninterrupted by the little one(s), or enjoy on the sales at the neighbouring shopper-tropolis.
Though Damac Maison — Dubai Mall Street is now sold out (with the exception of a luxury top-floor penthouse priced at Dh14.86 million), the developer will complete three more high-end serviced hotel apartment projects in the area that it will begin to hand over this year: Capital Bay (A&B Towers), The Vogue and Water’s Edge.
If you’re not planning on moving into the property yourself, investors can buy the unit and hand it back to the rental pool, letting Damac Maison lease it to international visitors and then pay you the rent minus a management fee.
Golfer’s paradise
Developer: Damac
Property: Akoya by Damac
Location: Umm Suqeim
Early-bird investors can tee themselves up nicely with Damac’s luxury golf resort property Akoya by Damac.
Sales for villas at Akoya Park, the latest phase of the multibillion-dollar Dubai project, were launched late last year and are ready to be snapped up. Studio apartments are currently on sale for Dh702,000, with five-bedroom golf course-view villas going for Dh8.26 million.
The new phase will include a dedicated open parkland covering 4.3 million square feet and will also be a first-of-its-kind development in the region, says the developer.
The Akoya development, being built around the Trump International Golf Club, Dubai, was also named the Best International Golf Development at the International Property Awards in London in December last year.
Going full circle
Developer: Nakheel
Property: Jumeirah Village Circle
Location: Jumeirah Village
Nakheel’s first launch for 2014 saw 90 more mixed-used plots in the 900-hectare Jumeirah Village Circle go to auction — 615 villas have already been completed.
When fully constructed, the community will house more than 300,000 people, the developer says.
Plots start at 14,000 square foot and can be used for residential, hotel or commercial development. Prices start at Dh10 million, with payment plans available for investors.
