Dubai Apartments
Contents of this article
If you are a future Dubai expatriate willing to live in a so called Dubai expatriate area, this information will give you an idea on what to look at. I will give you a brief overview of the areas where Dubai expatriates live and a comprehensive description of Jumeirah Beach Residence – the area where I live in and know a lot about.
I have put Dubai Expatriate areas I know of on the map. I may have missed something, but these areas are the ones where almost most of my colleagues (western expats) live in.
Apartments in Dubai on the map
Apartments Dubai on a larger map
I didn’t have photos of all areas to put in here. Will do that once drive around and take pictures. For the ones that do not have pictures just click on a pin to see the name.
Dubai apartments and villas next to the sea
- Jumeirah Beach Residence (JBR) – located next to the sea shore and the beach, it is a wonderful place for living. There are lots of restaurants (none of which serves alcohol by the way), a supermarket, quiet green areas and the beach. There is no construction nearby as JBR was a single-phase project, the only exception is former Oasis hotel being demolished just in the middle of The Walk opposite Sadaf section of JBR. There are a few residential pools in the area which you can visit free of charge. There is no gym although it was supposed to be built. It is a perfect location if you work in Jebel Ali, Internet City or Media City free zones.
Jumeirah Beach Residence - Bahar Towers
- Dubai Marina – a city of skyscrapers located between the Marina and JBR. Very nice area to live, there is a metro nearby (yet not open), Jumeirah Beach Residence’s The Walk is very close – you won’t get bored there. It is cheaper than JBR, because it’s not on the front line of the sea. However, the major inconvenience is the construction around.
Dubai Marina
- Palm Jumeirah – probably the fanciest place in Dubai
. It is an artificial island everybody has head of with lots of villas and apartments. Prices are comparable to JBR. It is not that overcrowded as other Dubai areas, but on the other hand I think it can be difficult to catch a taxi if there isn’t a hotel nearby. I have also heard that there were issues regarding drainage and smell coming from the sea because of that. Not sure if that is true and never felt any smell when was going there but if you want to live there, smell it first.
The Palm Jumeirah
- Jumeirah – a big district with lots of villas. Most houses are 2 floors. A bit expensive though. There are lots of locals living there, restaurants, shops, whatever you need. The sea is also very close.
Jumeirah
Dubai apartments, no sea nearby
- The Old Town – even though without the sea next to the area, it is the most popular area among my colleagues. There are mostly 4-5 floors buildings combined in residential condominiums having their own pools, gardens, etc. Many ground floor apartments have got a garden attached, that’s very nice, especially if you’ve got kids or a dog. Dubai Mall is in the same area and there are a huge variety of bars! However, considering that the Old Town apartments are rather small, I think they are rather overpriced due to the location.
The Old Town
- Trade Centre and DIFC – that is a business district. Lots of towers, noisy Sheikh Zayed Road, construction around. I stayed in a serviced apartment for a month in that area. There are a lot of restaurants, cafes, and hotels with bars. But the area is a bit uncomfortable. I would live there only if you work nearby and want to be as close to work as possible.
DIFC & Trade Centre
- The Greens – good value for money. Located on the non-sea side of Sheikh Zayed Road across Dubai Internet & Media cities and Dubai Marina. Mostly comprises 4-5 floors buildings, area is quite green. The only disadvantage is terrible traffic in the morning. There is only one exit to the main road and it is always congested when everyone is going to work. A colleague of mine lives there and he has to get up at 6 to leave the area by 6.30 the latest.
The Greens
- Emirates Hills – honestly, don’t know anything about it. As well as the Greens, it is on the opposite side of Sheikh Zayed Road from Dubai Marina, so you can easily go to the sea. Check out more here
- Dubai Festival City – located close to Deira and Dubai International Airport, Dubai Creek is also nearby. Check out more at the official website
- International City combines a few districts called Spain, Russia, etc. It is still being constructed, so it is a bit dirty in some areas. There are no free of charge pools and gyms, it is quite far from the fanciest places. But it is quite cheap. If you are single and want to save money that would probably be an area to consider.
International City
Dubai Villas
- Green Community Village – this is definitely the destination if you like green trees, grass and quiet surroundings. Located quite far from the business districts, in the middle of the desert, it is amazingly comfortable residential place. It is expensive though but you know what you are paying for. It is really worth it. I’ve got a colleague living there and every time I am going to see him I feel relaxed in the harmony that the area provides.
- Arabian Ranches – located on Emirates road, has got a golf club. Check out the official website
- Mirdif – another expat villas area located on Emirates road. Check out more here
My life in Jumeirah Beach Residence
You might have found that I am very excited about the sea. So, I am. I live in Jumeirah Beach Residence with my wife. This is a very lovely place for a family.
Jumeirah Beach Residence
My wife does not work, so I ought to give her a good home while she’s bored being alone. She can go swimming every day (except for the boiling summer months of course). The beach is in a 5 minutes walk, it is a bit overcrowded on Fridays but almost empty on week days. People from all over the city come here; there are also lots of cars with Abu Dhabi license plates. Car entrance to the beach was closed a couple of weeks ago. Before that, there were a lot of 4×4′s coming just next to the people lying on sand, turning music on too loud and so on. I hated that, but now that is impossible due to big concrete blocks on the way to the sand.
The sea there is nothing special but it is great anyway. Although it lacks beauty of Mediterranean or the Red Sea, it is so close! You can never underestimate the importance of something unavailable at home, being just next door here. Before moving to Dubai I have been to the sea only twice in my life. Now I can go swimming whenever I would like to
Beach at JBR
The area comprises of a few condominiums, 6-7 towers each. Every condominium has got its own name like Sadaf, Bahar, Rimal, Amwaj and others. Every building has got a basement parking of 2-3 floors, so the Plaza level is actually located about 10 meters above the ground where all the cars and visitors are. That makes the area very quiet.
JBR Plaza Level
In every residential condominium there are at least two pools. There are also pools in the buildings themselves in some towers. Pools are nice and quite chilling even in summer. We used to swim there when it was really hot. Given that it gets dark very early here you will find out that you come home at night even though it is just around 6.30 PM. It will not be a good idea to swim in the sea, so the pools are a solution.
Jumeirah Beach Residence - Pools
There is no gym in JBR. It is annoying, especially because we were told that it had almost been finished. It annoys everyone but there is nothing we can do about it.
There is a shopping street called The Walk. It is located right next to the buildings, there are lots of good restaurants, fast foods, shops, fountains, etc. So, you won’t be bored there. There are always lots of people and cars around. You will see many beautiful & custom cars like Bentleys, Corvettes, Ferraris, Lambos, Porsches and many others having custom painting, huge wheels, airkits, etc. Guess what. They are moving slowly, turning loud music on. They are watching at people gazing at them They are so proud of owning a car like that, so it looks like a custom cars show every night on a weekend. People often take pictures of the cars and the cars’ owners are proud of that and do not hesitate to go around once again
The Walk at Jumeirah Beach Residence
The Walk Parking - Atlantis the Palm Jumeirah on the background
Custom Ford Mustang with lambo doors
Another thing I really enjoy is that there are restaurants, coffee shops and cafes located on the Plaza level, way too far from The Walk, so that visitors and tourists just do not know about them. You can have a quiet breakfast with your family without being disturbed by visitors hanging around.
In Bahar section there is a supermarket called Almaya. It is a bit expensive for its quality and does not offer big variety of stuff but it is very close and that makes it very handy sometimes when you want to make a mojito and realize that you don’t have a lime . Waitrose and Spinney’s supermarkets are located in Dubai Marina, just 5 minutes to drive. Normally I go there to buy fresh stuff. There are also spa’s and hairdressers for both men and women.
Actually, Jumeirah Beach Residence is a kind of city in the city. You don’t really need to go out if you don’t want to. You’ve got everything you need right in house.
I work in Dubai Airport Free Zone area, which is just the opposite side of the city and is 45 km from my home, and it takes me 45 minutes to get to and from work by car if I avoid Salik (toll road gates). It takes about 35 minutes if I pay a Salik charge. The thing is that I go against daily traffic from Sharjah towards Jebel Ali and all the 45 minutes I just drive. And it also works the other way around – traffic to Sharjah is somewhat terrible but I am on the other side of the road.
So, basically I am really enjoying living there and JBR is the area I would recommend everyone who needs an apartment in a lovely place next to the sea.
November 18th, 2009
Thankyou so much for all the great info… My husband and I are hoping to relocate to Dubai within the next few months.As he works in the aviation industry I was looking at districts to live close to the International Airport but being from Australia,I would really love to live close to the beach!!!I would be grateful for any info you could give us.We are in out (very) early 50′s,no kids (except when they come to visit a couple of times a year)and his job will include shiftwork.
Looking forward to your response!
Hi Terri
I’ve just been reading about you and your move with your dog to Dubai on this great site!! Have you moved yet? If so did you bring the dog and how was it? I’m moving to Dubai in June and my husband hopes to join me with our dog after the summer and I’d love to how you got on and what kind of accomodation you found.
Sarah
Wow this is a great site. I loved reading it and I look forward to future stories from you. My husband, children and I are hoping to move to Dubai this year. I am confident we will all love living there but I am not looking forward to finding a new family for our family dog. Are you aware of any expats taking their dogs to Dubai. Are there any rental accommodation that lets you bring a dog. We think we would rent a detatched with its own small yard. Would be very interested in reading any stories about moving to Dubai with family pets. Cheers from Australia (today it is Australia Day Holiday)
Terri, thanks for your comment. My boss moved 2 old dogs (both older than 10) from Europe into Dubai. They live in a villa and the doggies actually feel alright. It is more difficult to have a pet in an apartment as it may not be allowed either by the building management or by the landlord. Especially, if that is a big dog.
Happy holiday!
Terri, I checked with my boss today. He had no issues with dogs whatsoever. Even quarantine was not required.
Thank you for that, this info puts me more at ease with the whole thing. I would hate to have to give her away. Cheers
Hi
I’d also like to say thanks for the fantastic website, so easy to read and such useful information for a family like ours who are possibly moving there.
This is great news about dogs as well as we have a cocker spaniel who we can’t leave behind.
I know you said you don’t have kids but do you have any advice about where would be a good area to live with teenagers? And what sort of life can teenage girls expect? Ours have been expats all their life but only in the one place and are used to relative freedom.
Hi Gabrielle. With girls try to choose a so called ‘expat’ location like The Green Community or Jumeirah Beach Residence. I wouldn’t go for the Old Town or Jumeirah as your girls may get too much men’s attention they wouldn’t like. My wife is a beautiful 22-years-old Russian. She had serious issues walking in the city on her own – men couldn’t leave her alone.
I don’t want to frighten you. Just watch out your girls.
Just to make it clearer. There are a lot of construction workers in Dubai and your daughters will always experience some naughty eyes looking at them. It may not be comfortable, but safe anyway. I would advise to look for a place in a completed project.
Hi Gabriella I’ve just orded a book on Amerzon that was reommended to me ‘Dubai Explorer’ and noticed they also have a ‘Dubai Parents’ by explorer. Not sure if you’re UK based but it was £14.57. May be of interest to you.
Gabriella, I can also recommend this book. When I was relocating my employer presented Dubai Explorer to me. It will be quite useful in all senses, not only parenting.
Interesting website.
Do you any recommendations for someone working at DIFC, and planning to rent a place for 40-45,000 AED / year.
I won’t be having a car so transportation is a high priority.
thx
Hi,
would like to ask you if Dubai Marina metro station is open?
Hi Marcella,
I don’t know. When I left Dubai for Singapore in April, it was still closed.
Hi,
Dubai Marina Metro Station has been opened for use.
This really is a really fantastic resource that you’re providing and you also provides it away at no cost. I enjoy seeing sites that recognize the significance of offering a perfect resource for free. I really liked reading your post. Many thanks!
Hi, I am looking for an one-bedroom fully furnished apartment in JBR, may I know how much would the rental be like?
Thanks very much. This site has been really helpful. Cheers.
Hi John, fully furnished apartments are not very common in Dubai. You can check http://www.dubizzle.com for prices.