Dubai South Area Guide: Prices, Rents and What It's Like to Live There
Dubai South suits people who work near Al Maktoum International Airport or Expo City, and buyers looking at lower entry prices who accept a longer drive to the centre. DLD registered 16,140 sales there over the latest twelve months. The median one-bedroom apartment sold for AED 1,170,000, from 4,948 sales, and rented for AED 57,000 a year, from 2,562 contracts. One of its home communities is Emaar South, built around a championship golf course of 18 holes.
Prices at a glance
| Bedrooms | Median sale price |
|---|---|
| Studio | AED 648,000 |
| One bedroom | AED 1,170,000 |
| Two bedrooms | AED 1,790,000 |
| Three bedrooms | AED 2,450,000 |
| Four bedrooms | AED 8,770,000 |
| Five bedrooms | — |
| Bedrooms | Median annual rent |
|---|---|
| Studio | AED 40,000 |
| One bedroom | AED 57,000 |
| Two bedrooms | AED 85,000 |
| Three bedrooms | AED 116,000 |
| Four bedrooms | — |
| Five bedrooms | — |
| Bedrooms | Median gross yield |
|---|---|
| Studio | 6.2% |
| One bedroom | 4.9% |
| Two bedrooms | 4.7% |
| Three bedrooms | 4.7% |
| Four bedrooms | — |
| Five bedrooms | — |
Source: BrickDXB analysis of DLD registered sales and Ejari contracts, twelve months, BrickDXB's Dubai South (DWC) area. Data as of .
All three tables show medians, not averages, for apartments in BrickDXB's Dubai South (DWC) area, from BrickDXB's analysis of DLD open data over the twelve months to its latest update. Sample sizes, by bedroom type: sale medians and gross yields rest on registered sales (studio 6,925 sales, one-bedroom 4,948 sales, two-bedroom 2,760 sales, three-bedroom 394 sales and four-bedroom 5 sales), and rent medians rest on Ejari contracts (studio 1,453 contracts, one-bedroom 2,562 contracts, two-bedroom 2,301 contracts and three-bedroom 466 contracts). A bedroom type with no figure has no published median in the source, and gross yield is median rent divided by median price, before costs. Villas and townhouses are covered in the questions below, because mixing them into apartment rows would distort the medians.
Ask us to check the DLD-approved service charge for a specific building.
Off-plan projects in Dubai South
- Golf Fields, Emaar: one- to three-bedroom homes. From AED 1,260,000.
- Golf Trails, Emaar: two- and three-bedroom homes. From AED 1,906,888.
- Golf Vale, Emaar: two- and three-bedroom homes. From AED 1,987,888.
- Vista Ridge, Emaar: two- and three-bedroom homes. From AED 2,614,888.
- Grove Ridge, Emaar: two- and three-bedroom homes. From AED 2,626,888.
Source: developers' own project pages. Prices as of .
These are recently launched releases on Emaar's Emaar South page, with the starting price Emaar shows for each. Emaar lists more releases there, and other developers build in Dubai South, so this is a selection, not a complete list. Handover quarters are not shown because the developer's page we used does not state them. Ask for the completion date in the sale and purchase agreement, check the project's registration in the DLD Project Status Enquiry, and get the escrow account details in writing from the developer, then confirm them with the escrow bank.
Popular buildings
| Building | Home type | Median price | Median annual rent | Gross yield | Registered sales (twenty-four months) | Rent contracts (twenty-four months) | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MAG 5 Boulevard | one-bedroom apartment | AED 630,000 | AED 50,000 | 7.9% | 252 sales | 1,898 contracts | median price from 132 sales and median rent from 984 contracts for this home type |
| Celestia | studio | AED 500,000 | AED 40,000 | 8% | 207 sales | 1,508 contracts | median price from 149 sales and median rent from 1,033 contracts for this home type |
| Parkside 2 | three-bedroom villa or townhouse | AED 2,170,000 | AED 100,000 | 4.6% | 79 sales | 612 contracts | median price from 54 sales and median rent from 398 contracts for this home type |
| Parkside | three-bedroom villa or townhouse | AED 2,200,000 | AED 98,000 | 4.5% | 70 sales | 545 contracts | median price from 54 sales and median rent from 398 contracts for this home type |
| Parkside 3 | three-bedroom villa or townhouse | AED 2,150,000 | AED 100,000 | 4.6% | 76 sales | 485 contracts | median price from 56 sales and median rent from 360 contracts for this home type |
| Urbana III | two-bedroom apartment | AED 1,520,000 | AED 80,000 | 5.3% | 62 sales | 468 contracts | median price from 46 sales and median rent from 361 contracts for this home type |
| Greenview 2 | three-bedroom villa or townhouse | AED 2,360,000 | AED 110,000 | 4.7% | 79 sales | 423 contracts | median price from 51 sales and median rent from 320 contracts for this home type |
| Golf Views | two-bedroom apartment | AED 1,360,000 | AED 75,000 | 5.5% | 47 sales | 436 contracts | median price from 27 sales and median rent from 206 contracts for this home type |
Source: BrickDXB building pages, DLD-registered sales and Ejari rent contracts over the last twenty-four months; data as of .
Buildings are ranked by registered transactions, meaning DLD-registered sales plus Ejari rent contracts over the last twenty-four months, as published on each building's BrickDXB page. Each row shows the median price, median rent and gross yield for the building's most-sold home type, with its own sample sizes; these medians, yields and samples also cover those twenty-four months, unlike the twelve-month area tables, and the source line gives the end date. This is a ranking of activity, not a list of every building or a recommendation.
Living in Dubai South
Schools
GEMS Founders School in the Dubai South residential district is a British-curriculum school that lists annual fees from AED 36,400 to AED 50,400. Check its current rating, and other schools, in the KHDA directory before you choose a home.
Healthcare
We have not yet verified a hospital in Dubai South for this guide (to be confirmed). Check which hospitals your insurance covers and time the drive from the community you are considering.
Parks
Emaar lists 25 neighbourhood parks in Emaar South, with 53,000 sq m of retail and dining space and the golf course at its centre. Ask us what is open near a specific building, because some districts are still being built.
Transport
Dubai South is a drive-first area: Emaar points to Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road for links to the rest of the city. We have not verified a metro station serving the residential districts, so check current routes in the RTA journey planner and test the commute at peak time.
Commute times
The drive times below are Emaar's own approximate figures from Emaar South, not our measurements, and Emaar gives some of them as a range; expect longer at peak.
| Landmark | Time |
|---|---|
| Al Maktoum International Airport | 15 min to 20 min |
| Downtown Dubai and Dubai Mall | 25 min to 30 min |
| Dubai International Airport | 44 min |
Similar areas
Frequently asked questions
Is Dubai South freehold?
In designated plots. Three resolutions we have checked add plots in the Madinat Al Mataar land area, two of them land of the Dubai Aviation City Corporation: one in 2015 adding 3 plots, one in 2016 adding 3 plots, and one in 2021 adding 21 plots. Not every plot is listed, and matching a community such as Emaar South to these plots needs the plot number, so check the exact unit in the DLD Property Status Enquiry before you sign or pay.
Where is Emaar South?
Inside Dubai South, near Al Maktoum International Airport and Expo City. Emaar puts the airport about 15 min to 20 min away by car, and Dubai International Airport about 44 min.
How big is Emaar South?
Emaar lists 22,700 residential units in the community, including 15,360 apartment units, around a championship golf course of 18 holes.
How much does a one-bedroom apartment cost in Dubai South?
The median registered sale price was AED 1,170,000, or a median AED 1,587/sq ft, from 4,948 sales over the latest twelve months. Compare registered sales in the building you want.
What do villas and townhouses cost in Dubai South?
The median three-bedroom villa or townhouse sold for AED 2,910,000 from 284 sales, and the median four-bedroom for AED 4,510,000 from 500 sales. Median rents were AED 110,000 from 1,190 contracts and AED 160,000 from 703 contracts respectively.
What is the rent for a one-bedroom in Dubai South?
The median Ejari rent was AED 57,000 a year, from 2,562 contracts. The median for new leases was AED 56,000 and on renewals AED 58,000.
What rental yield do Dubai South homes make?
Median gross yields for apartments ranged from 4.7% for a two-bedroom to 6.2% for a studio; three- and four-bedroom villas or townhouses showed 3.8% and 3.5%. These are historical gross figures before service charges, vacancy and fees, not a forecast or a promise of return. A lower price base is not the same as lower risk.
Is there a metro in Dubai South?
We have not verified a metro station serving Dubai South's residential districts. Check the RTA journey planner for current routes and treat reported future lines as unconfirmed until RTA publishes them.
Which off-plan projects are in Emaar South?
Emaar's page shows recent releases such as Golf Fields from AED 1,260,000 and Golf Trails from AED 1,906,888, with no handover quarter shown. Ask for the completion date in the sale and purchase agreement, and confirm the escrow account with the developer and the escrow bank.
What are service charges in Dubai South?
Each jointly owned building or villa community has its own DLD-approved budget. Ask the seller for the latest statement, or ask us to check the approved figure for the building.