Dubai real estate: JVC, Meydan, Dubai Marina among top property choices for first-time buyers, experts say
The real estate consultancy said a combination of improved infrastructure, off-plan pricing, and supportive buyer initiatives is driving demand in areas such as Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC), DAMAC Island, Dubai South, Meydan City, Dubai Marina, and Downtown Dubai.
'These are not just affordable entry points, they're smart long-term investments,' said Mania Merrikhi, Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director at Chestertons MENA. 'The demand is increasingly driven by younger and international buyers seeking lifestyle, value, and long-term growth.'
At the top of the list is Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC), which offers yields of 7.39 per cent with average prices around AED 1,238 per sq. ft.. DAMAC Island, an off-plan development, offers similarly high returns at 7.38 per cent, with units priced as low as AED 823 per sq. ft.
Dubai South and Meydan City also stand out, with average yields of 6.77 per cent and 7.14 per cent respectively — both benefiting from master-planned infrastructure and growing family appeal. Even in more central and high-end locations like Dubai Marina and Downtown Dubai, yields remain competitive at 6.24 per cent and 6 per cent, highlighting continued investor appetite across price tiers.
Market shift favours master-planned suburbs
The report points to a broader shift in buyer behaviour, as demand moves beyond traditional luxury hubs into well-connected, suburban-style communities.
With central land becoming increasingly scarce, developers like Emaar and Binghatti are doubling down on new master plans, while government agencies such as the RTA and Dubai Land Department continue to invest in long-term growth.
'Full-service communities offering convenience, amenities, and affordability are becoming the new standard,' said Mohamed Mussa, Executive Director of Chestertons MENA.
'We're also seeing a new wave of family-oriented investors entering the market, helped by more flexible lending and policy support.'
First-time buyers, in particular, are benefiting from reduced down payment requirements and developer-bank mortgage tie-ups, which have lowered barriers to entry. These developments align with the UAE's broader economic diversification plans, including the emirate's D33 agenda — a roadmap expected to generate sustained urban and financial growth through 2033.
While Dubai remains the primary focus, Chestertons also pointed to growing interest in Abu Dhabi, where large-scale infrastructure projects and new residential schemes are attracting cross-emirate investment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
22 minutes ago
- The National
UAE water tech founder takes centre stage at Expo 2025 Japan
Khalifa University professor and sustainable water technology start-up founder Saeed Alhassan recently made the journey to Osaka, Japan, to share his company's vision at Expo 2025. Manhat, which is dedicated to sustainable water and floating farm solutions, was featured during a discussion on ecological innovation earlier in the week at the UAE pavilion inside the international exposition site. This comes several months after Mr Alhassan and Manhat were one of 25 start-ups from around the world to win a Best Practices Award for Expo 2025 celebrating endeavours tackling global challenges. 'It's great to be a part of this engine of progress in the UAE and helping to make air a global driver of sustainability initiatives,' he said while speaking at UAE pavilion. 'Being recognised among the dreamers who do is an honour for me.' In 2022, Manhat announced that it had created a device using proprietary technology to generate fresh water from the ocean without using electricity, addressing a major hurdle as the Arabian Gulf seeks ways to ensure water and food security. 'Water basically evaporates from the bottom side,' Mr Alhassan told The National during a 2022 interview, explaining the device. 'And then it goes up and it fills this sphere, and when the night comes and the temperature drops, then the water condenses inside and gets collected in this reservoir.' Mr Alhassan has continued to promote his device's potential, pointing out that the current desalination methods used by regions with water scarcity are often energy intensive, and in some cases, have the potential to create more pollution. He is working to manufacture Manhat's devices in a way that gets them to a better price point and eventually make them accessible to the masses. While it fine-tunes its prototypes and works on other potential water solutions, Manhat has also filed patents for floating farm solutions that integrate the company's devices that will allow for the production of food, even if sea levels continue to rise as a result of climate change. According to the UN, of the 17 most water-stressed countries in the world, 11 are in the Middle East and North Africa, making it one of the most affected regions in the world.
The National
38 minutes ago
- The National
Dubai's 23 best-ranked schools with annual tuition fees
Parents in Dubai have the choice of dozens of highly rated private schools. Twenty-three schools in the emirate have been rated as 'outstanding' with 48 considered 'very good' by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), according to its latest report. The authority regulates and periodically inspects the emirate's schools, and their scale also includes ratings of 'good', 'acceptable' and 'weak'. The inspections mainly focus on two criteria – wellbeing and inclusion. Schools must also meet the requirements of the National Agenda Parameter which examines their performance in international assessments and progress towards meeting those targets. The parameter also looks at the results of external assessments for key subjects. Pause in inspections The authority released a report rating 209 schools in 2024 and announced that they would be pausing full inspections for the 2025-26 academic year for most schools. Only schools in their third year of operation would be subject to a comprehensive inspection, the authority clarified in May. It said the pause was part of an 'evolving approach to supporting quality education in the emirate'. The inspections were also paused during the 2024-2025 academic year. However, schools will have to continue measuring students' academic progress through external benchmark assessments and submit self-evaluation forms as required. KHDA will monitor school progress with targeted visits focused on specific criteria, Fatma Ibrahim Belrehif, chief executive of the Education Quality Assurance and Compliance Agency at KHDA, said in May. Demand is higher than ever. Dubai's private school operators told The National last year that they were planning to expand campuses and launch more schools to keep up with demand from the growing population. More than two million more people are expected to be living in the emirate within six years. Here are the 23 schools rated as 'outstanding': Deira International School, Dubai Festival City Curriculum: British/International Baccalaureate (IB) Fees: From Dh44,616 in Foundation Stage 1 to Dh89,889 in Year 13 The school operates under the Al Futtaim Education Foundation and was founded in 2005. Dubai English Speaking College, Academic City Curriculum: British Fees: Dh84,326 for Years 7 to 11 and Dh90,633 in sixth form Part of the Dubai English Speaking Schools group, the institution offers the UK curriculum to Year 7 and above. Dubai English Speaking School, Umm Hurair Curriculum: British Fees: From Dh43,084 in FS1 to Dh53,320 in Year 6 The primary school (for children aged three to 11) in Oud Metha has maintained its top rating since 2018. GEMS Jumeirah Primary School, Al Safa Curriculum: British Fees: Dh44,200 in FS1 and Dh55,714 for Foundation Stage 2 to Year 6 The primary school, founded in 1996, has been rated 'outstanding' since 2010. GEMS Wellington International School Curriculum: British/International Baccalaureate (IB) Fees: From Dh47,527 in FS1 to Dh103,399 in Year 13 This school offers the UK curriculum from Foundation Stage to Year 11 and the IB Diploma Programme courses and careers programme in Years 12 and 13. Horizons English School, Al Wasl Curriculum: British Fees: From Dh43,849 in FS1 to Dh58,825 in Year 6 The primary school is part of the Cognita group. Jumeirah College, Al Safa Curriculum: British Fees: From Dh78,496 in Year 7 to Dh98,681 in Year 13 This GEMS Education school offers Year 7 to 13 and has been consistently rated 'outstanding' since 2010. Nord Anglia International School Dubai, Al Barsha Curriculum: British Fees: From Dh69,625 in FS1 to Dh105,288 in Year 13 The school follows the British curriculum and offers the IB Diploma programme too. Safa Community School, Al Barsha Curriculum: British Fees: Dh54,437 in FS1 to Dh89,440 in Year 13 The school, founded in 2014, improved from 'very good' to 'outstanding' in the latest inspections. Victory Heights Primary School, Dubai Sports City Curriculum: British Fees: Dh40,138 in FS1 to Dh54,733 in Year 6 The primary-only school was founded in 2012 and offers after-school care options. Dubai British School, Emirates Hills Curriculum: British Fees: Dh53,027 in FS1 to Dh79,541 in Year 13 This Taaleem group school features two campuses that are walking distance away from each other – one for nursery to Year 2 and the other for Years 3 to 13. Dubai British School, Jumeirah Park Curriculum: British Fees: Dh64,160 in Year 1 to Dh83,015 in Year 13 Another Taaleem institution, the school achieved its 'outstanding' rating after the 2024 inspection. GEMS Dubai American Academy, Al Barsha Curriculum: American/IB Fees: Dh66,185 in KG1-2 and Dh93,300 for grades 1 to 12 Founded in 1997, the American school has been consistently rated 'outstanding' since 2011-12. GEMS Modern Academy, Nad Al Sheba Curriculum: Indian/IB Fees: Dh38,246 in KG1 to Dh56,706 in Grade 12 (Indian) and Dh73,876 in Grade 12 (IB) This school is the only Indian curriculum school on this list and offers a dual curriculum pathway that allows a choice between Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) and IB programmes. Jumeirah English Speaking School, Jumeirah Curriculum: British Fees: From Dh54,129 in FS1 to Dh65,097 in Year 6 JESS was founded in 1976 and is a primary-only school (FS1 to Year 6), Jumeirah English Speaking School, Arabian Ranches Curriculum: British Fees: From Dh54,129 in FS1 to Dh104,544 in Year 13 The Arabian Ranches branch of JESS offers both primary and secondary schooling. Kings School Al Barsha Curriculum: British Fees: From Dh57,999 in FS1 to Dh105,873 in Year 13 Part of the Kings Schools group, the Al Barsha institution was founded in 2014. Kings School Dubai, Umm Suqeim Curriculum: British Fees: From Dh47,179 in FS1 to Dh71,801 in Year 6 This primary school is next to Burj Al Arab. Dubai College, Al Sufouh Curriculum: British Fees: From Dh97,415 in Year 7 to Dh110,305 in Year 13 The secondary-only campus was established in 1978. Dubai International Academy, Emirates Hills Curriculum: IB Fees: From Dh44,979 in KG1 to Dh79,696 in Grade 12 Established in 2005, the school offers the complete IB continuum curriculum from KG1 to Year 13. Lycee Francais International, Oud Metha Curriculum: French Fees: From Dh29,488 in preschool to Dh62,363 in the final year This French international school got its first 'outstanding' rating after the 2023-2024 inspection cycle. Lycee Francais International Georges Pompidou School Oud Metha Curriculum: French Fees: From Dh31,276 in preschool to Dh50,700 in the final year This French school is a partner institution of the Agency for French Education Abroad (AEFE) and also offers the full French curriculum from preschool to Grade 12. Repton School, Nad Al Sheba Curriculum: British Fees: From Dh57,178 in FS1 to Dh102,753 in Year 13 This British-curriculum school has a boarding option for students in Years 7 to 13. The fees mentioned are for the 2025-2026 academic calendar and taken from the official websites of the schools and cross-checked on the KHDA school fact sheets where the latest information was not available. These amounts do not include other fees including and not limited to registration fees, transportation, extra-curricular activities, or other administrative fees.
Arabian Business
2 hours ago
- Arabian Business
Abu Dhabi real estate: Residential prices surge 17.3% with strong demand from global investors
Abu Dhabi's residential property market continued its robust growth in Q2 2025, with average prices rising 6.4 per cent quarter-on-quarter to AED1,230 per sq ft ($335), according to Knight Frank's latest Abu Dhabi Residential Market Review. This brings the total annual price growth in the emirate to 17.3 per cent, marking a 31.3 per cent increase since Q1 2020. Apartments led the quarterly gains, climbing 6.8 per cent to AED 1,296 per sq ft ($353), reflecting a 17.3 per cent year-on-year rise. Abu Dhabi real estate prices Al Raha Beach and Al Saadiyat Island were standout locations for apartment price growth, up 11 per cent and 10 per cent respectively since H1 2024. Both areas offer prime beachfront living, with Al Raha Beach benefiting from its proximity to Yas Island's leisure attractions. Villas outperformed over the long term, posting a 3.4 per cent quarterly increase to AED 1,103 per sq ft ($300), with prices up 42.3 per cent since Q1 2020. Villas on Al Saadiyat Island recorded a 28 per cent year-on-year jump, followed by Yas Island with a 22 per cent rise. Villas represent 37.4 per cent of Abu Dhabi's supply pipeline, where demand remains strong due to limited new villa developments and competitive pricing compared to Dubai. Residential transactions reached AED9bn ($2.45bn) in H1 2025, down 36 per cent from H1 2024, reflecting supply constraints despite the delivery of 890 new units. However, more than 33,000 homes are under construction and expected by 2029, with apartments comprising 62 per cent of this future supply. Yas Island leads new developments with more than 8,000 units, followed by Al Shamkha with around 3,000 units. Branded residences by Aldar at Mandarin Oriental and Nobu also bolster Saadiyat Island's pipeline. Knight Frank highlights growing interest from international buyers attracted by Abu Dhabi's lifestyle amenities and business environment. Private capital targeting Abu Dhabi's residential market is estimated at $1.6bn, making it the UAE's second most popular destination after Dubai. Demand from global high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) continues to rise, with 19 per cent intending to purchase property in Abu Dhabi in 2025, up from 14 per cent last year. Particularly strong interest comes from those with wealth between $30m and $50m, where 75 per cent plan to buy, and 65 per cent of those above $50m express similar intentions. Shehzad Jamal, Partner – Strategy and Consulting, MENA, said: 'Some 63 per cent of global high-net-worth individuals interested in buying in Abu Dhabi are doing so for personal reasons; they intend to use the property as their main residence, or holiday home, or for retirement. 'The remaining 37 per cent are investment-driven. For buyers who may have been priced out of Dubai, or who want to diversify their UAE portfolio, Abu Dhabi is increasingly attractive, with average residential prices growing by around 17 percent year-on-year.' With average residential prices approximately 30 per cent lower than Dubai, Abu Dhabi's market offers attractive value for investors and homebuyers amid continued strong demand and limited supply.
