Where is Dubailand and what does it include?
Dubailand is a very large district along Emirates Road. When it was unveiled in October 2003, Gulf News reported that it would be built along Emirates Road, next to Nad Al Sheba, Al Quoz and Al Barsha, and that the plan included 45 mega projects and 200 sub-projects.
The original vision was mainly tourism. The project was put under review during the 2008 global financial crisis, and today the name covers a patchwork of residential communities alongside attractions. Dubai Properties describes Dubailand as a master-planned residential and leisure destination that hosts Global Village, Dubai Outlet Mall, the Autodrome in Motor City and the cricket stadium at Dubai Sports City.
Access depends on which part of Dubailand you are looking at. Dubai Properties places its Villanova community near the junction of Emirates Road and Al Ain Road, close to Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, while DAMAC describes DAMAC Hills as sitting along Al Qudra Road (D63) and Hessa Street (D61). These are different commutes, so always check the specific community rather than relying on the Dubailand label.
Who is the master developer of Dubailand?
In 2008, Tatweer, a unit of Dubai Holding, was the master developer overseeing the whole Dubailand project. Today, for a buyer, the more useful question is who developed the specific community and project you are considering, because Dubailand now contains several separately planned communities.
Examples include:
- Villanova, by Dubai Properties (part of Dubai Holding), which Dubai Holding describes as a family-oriented master community of Mediterranean-inspired villas and townhouses in Dubailand.
- Mudon, also by Dubai Properties, where phases such as Mudon Al Ranim are listed under Dubailand.
- DAMAC Hills, DAMAC Properties' golf community, which DAMAC places in the Dubailand area.
Each community has its own master plan, amenities, community management and service charges. Within those communities, further projects may be launched by the master developer or by other developers. Read the sale and purchase agreement carefully to see exactly which community, master developer and project developer you are buying from.
See projects by Dubai Properties and DAMAC Properties.
What property types are launched in Dubailand, and who buys them?
Dubailand launches include villas, townhouses and apartment buildings. The mix depends on the community. When Dubai Properties launched Villanova, for example, it offered two- and three-bedroom cluster homes arranged around enclosed courts and standalone three- to five-bedroom villas, with apartments planned for a later phase. DAMAC Hills combines apartment buildings, townhouses and villas around a golf course.
The typical buyer is looking for more space than a central apartment can offer:
- Families who want a townhouse or villa with a garden, near community parks, pools and schools.
- End users who are comfortable driving to work in exchange for a larger home.
- Investors buying apartments or townhouses to let to families.
Dubailand communities are mainly reached by road, so check driving times at peak hours from the specific community to where you or your tenants work. If you are weighing house types, compare our off-plan villa projects and off-plan townhouse projects.
What should you check before buying off-plan in Dubailand?
Because Dubailand is a collection of communities rather than one, start by pinning down exactly where the project is, then work through the standard protections:
- Community and developer. Confirm the community name, master developer and project developer in the SPA, and check the developer's record on earlier phases.
- Registration and escrow. Under Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007, every off-plan project needs its own escrow account. Look the project up on the DLD Project Status Enquiry or the Dubai REST app, and pay only into the listed escrow account.
- Oqood. Your purchase must be entered in the Interim Property Register under Law No. 13 of 2008. See our Oqood guide.
- Infrastructure and amenities. Ask which schools, shops and road links are already open and which are only planned.
- Service charges. Compare approved charges in nearby completed buildings in the DLD Service Charge Index.
- Handover date. Check timing against our 2027 handover list.
