The Lakes Property Guide

The Area: Emirates Living

The Lakes is part of Emirates Living, the collection of green, lake-side villa communities created by Emaar between Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road. Alongside The Lakes, Emirates Living includes The Springs, The Meadows, Emirates Hills, The Greens and The Views, and together they form a well-established residential district just behind Dubai Marina, Jumeirah Lakes Towers and Dubai Media City.

Emirates Living sits at the heart of a city that is growing fast. Dubai’s population has reached around 4.8 million, up from 3.3 million at the end of 2020, and grew by more than 225,000 people in the first nine months of 2026 alone. The Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan prepares the city for 5.8 million residents and names nearby Dubai Marina and JBR as one of the city’s main urban centres. As Dubai expands south-west towards Jebel Ali, Expo City Dubai and Al Maktoum International Airport, mature villa communities close to the coast and the main business hubs are in ever greater demand.

The Lakes

The Lakes is a boutique community of around 600 family villas and townhouses, built around a series of landscaped lakes, waterways and green parks. With its Arabic-inspired architecture, mature palm trees and quiet, winding streets, it is a wonderfully tranquil corner of Emirates Living, sitting right beside Emirates Hills and the Emirates Golf Club.

The community is made up of six neighbourhoods, Deema, Forat, Ghadeer, Maeen, Zulal and Hattan, many of whose homes sit directly on the water. At its heart, The Lakes Club offers swimming pools, a gym, tennis and squash courts, a restaurant and a small supermarket, while parks, barbecue areas, children’s playgrounds, a football field and a basketball court are spread throughout. The Lakes is complete and fully lived in, with a close-knit, international community.

Developer

The Lakes is developed by Emaar Properties, the developer behind Downtown Dubai, Burj Khalifa, The Dubai Mall, Dubai Hills Estate and Arabian Ranches. Emaar planned the entire Emirates Living district, built its homes, lakes and community facilities, and continues to oversee its management, giving The Lakes consistent quality and beautifully maintained surroundings.

Location and Connectivity

The Lakes enjoys a prime central location just off Sheikh Zayed Road, beside Emirates Hills and Emirates Golf Club. Dubai Marina, JBR, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Dubai Media City, Dubai Internet City and Barsha Heights are only minutes away, while Al Barsha, Downtown Dubai and both of the city’s airports are an easy drive.

•     Neighbouring communities: The Lakes is surrounded by Emirates Hills, The Meadows, The Springs, The Greens and The Views, with Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Barsha Heights and Dubai Marina close by

•     Schools and education: Regent International School is within walking distance of parts of the community, Dubai International Academy is in neighbouring Emirates Hills, and GEMS Dubai American Academy and the universities of Dubai Knowledge Park are a short drive away

•     Healthcare: clinics in Jumeirah Lakes Towers and The Greens cover everyday needs, with Saudi German Hospital and Al Zahra Hospital in Al Barsha a few minutes away

•     Shopping and dining: a supermarket within the community and The Lakes Club cover daily needs, while Dubai Marina Mall, Mall of the Emirates and the restaurants of JBR and Dubai Marina are only minutes away

•     Metro today: the Al Fardan Exchange station on the Red Line, by Emirates Golf Club, is a short drive away, and the Dubai Tram links Jumeirah Lakes Towers with Dubai Marina, JBR and Palm Jumeirah

•     Entertainment and leisure: Emirates Golf Club, home of a major international golf tournament, and The Montgomerie are on the doorstep, and the beaches of Al Sufouh and JBR, Dubai Marina, Ain Dubai and Atlantis The Palm are all close by

Mega Projects and Tourism Driving Growth

The Lakes sits between Dubai’s established business districts and the mega projects shaping the city’s future, bringing a steady flow of senior professionals and new residents to the area.

•     Business hubs on the doorstep: Dubai Media City, Dubai Internet City, Dubai Knowledge Park, Jumeirah Lakes Towers and Barsha Heights are home to thousands of international companies, keeping demand from senior executives and their families consistently strong

•     Al Maktoum International Airport: Dubai is investing AED 128 billion to turn Al Maktoum into the world’s largest airport, with capacity for up to 260 million passengers a year. All of Dubai International’s operations will move there over the coming years, and the city growing around it is expected to need housing for one million people

•     Palm Jebel Ali: Nakheel’s new island, twice the size of Palm Jumeirah, is set to become almost a city of its own, adding around 110 kilometres of coastline, more than 80 hotels and resorts and beachfront homes for around 35,000 families, and drawing large numbers of visitors to this side of Dubai

•     Jebel Ali Free Zone and Expo City Dubai: Jebel Ali Free Zone hosts more than 11,000 companies and, together with Jebel Ali Port, supports over one million direct and indirect jobs, while Expo City Dubai has become a permanent new urban centre a short drive away

Upcoming Infrastructure

A wave of new transport projects will make The Lakes even better connected.

•     Airport Express Line: a planned rail link between Dubai International and Al Maktoum International airports will run along Al Khail Road, with a new station in Jumeirah Village Circle and a branch to the Al Fardan Exchange station by Emirates Golf Club, bringing both airports within easy reach of The Lakes

•     Dubai Metro Gold Line: a brand-new metro line will run from Al Ghubaiba through Al Satwa, Business Bay, Meydan and Al Barsha South to Jumeirah Village Triangle and Jumeirah Golf Estates, adding new stations close to Emirates Living

•     Etihad Rail connection: the Gold Line will meet the national Etihad Rail passenger network at Jumeirah Golf Estates, opening up fast train journeys to Abu Dhabi and the other emirates

•     Hessa Street and Latifa bint Hamdan Corridor: new bridges, a tunnel and wider roads on Hessa Street, together with a major new corridor linking Al Khail Road, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Sheikh Zayed Road and Emirates Road, will make cross-city journeys quicker and smoother

Property Types

The Lakes offers family townhouses and villas, most with private gardens and many with direct lake views:

•     Townhouses (Ghadeer, Zulal, Maeen): three- and four-bedroom attached family homes with private gardens, many backing onto the lakes or parks

•     Villas (Deema, Forat, Maeen, Zulal, Ghadeer): three- and four-bedroom detached family villas on larger plots, with private gardens and room for a pool

•     Luxury villas (Hattan): detached four- to seven-bedroom villas on very large plots, offering the ultimate in space and privacy

Life in The Lakes

Life in The Lakes is calm, green and close to the water. Families stroll along the lakeside paths in the evening, children play in the parks and swim at The Lakes Club, and weekends are spent on the golf course next door or at the beach just minutes away. With mature trees, quiet streets and neighbours who have known each other for years, it feels like a peaceful village in the middle of the city.

Why The Lakes?

The Lakes gives investors a boutique, established lakeside community in a central location, with outstanding capital growth, limited supply and the backing of Emaar.

•     Outstanding capital growth: according to ValuStrat, the average villa in The Lakes was valued at around AED 2.7 million in 2020–21 and around AED 6.0 million by mid-2024, an increase of more than 120%

•     Boutique, limited supply: with only around 600 homes, The Lakes is a small, complete community whose homes form a scarce and highly desirable stock

•     Lakeside living in a central location: waterfront homes minutes from Dubai Marina, the beach and the main business hubs, a combination that keeps demand resilient

•     Strong rental demand: senior professionals and families working in the nearby business hubs rent here on long-term leases, delivering steady occupancy and reliable rental income

•     Golf on the doorstep: Emirates Golf Club and The Montgomerie next door add prestige and lasting appeal

•     Future connectivity: the Airport Express Line, the Gold Line and the Etihad Rail link will bring new rail connections close to The Lakes, a classic driver of higher property values

•     Family magnet: schools within walking distance and next door, a community club and safe, green streets make The Lakes a natural first choice for families

•     Trusted developer: Emaar’s reputation for quality and long-term community management underpins value

•     Population growth: Dubai’s record population growth keeps demand for family homes in established, central communities rising year after year

Sources

•     Dubai Land Department

•     Property Finder

•     Bayut

•     Betterhomes

•     Property Monitor

•     Engel & Völkers

•     ValuStrat

•     My Off Plan Investment

•     Emaar Properties

•     MEED

•     Middle East Construction News

•     Al Jazeera

•     Khaleej Times

•     Gulf News

•     Roads and Transport Authority (RTA)