Looking for luxury beyond Emirates Hills
District One is among Dubai’s hottest highend communities
Emirates Hills has traditionally been the bastion of discerning high-networth buyers seeking luxury properties in Dubai. But there has been a shift in the landscape since last year, observe real estate experts. Andrew Cummings, co-founder and managing director of luxuryproperty.com, is seeing increasing interest in newer communities. “District One is now bedding in as one of Dubai’s hottest communities with its stunning Crystal Lagoon and premium location close to Downtown attracting both local and international buyers,” says Cummings. “We’ve recorded a great appetite in Dubai Hills as well, and both these areas have made a splash in the luxury market. Meanwhile, a spate of land sales in the new La Mer district has also garnered interest.”
Cummings feels that the emergence of these new communities, which are in central, popular locations and come with an abundance of future amenities from malls to golf courses, means that the old guard now has something to worry about. “Emirates Hills still remains the most sought-after location with strong transaction numbers throughout 2019,” says Cummings. “In 2020 the area has set a new benchmark with a sale of a Dh69-million villa by us, making it the highest recorded sale in the area for nearly 18 months.”
New locations of luxury
But the other areas that are coming up in the luxury bracket include District One (recently recorded a Dh90million transaction for a contemporary villa), Dubai Hills Estate (has recorded a Dh60million transaction for a villa on Hills Grove, also known as the Street of Dreams), Palm Jumeirah (transaction of Dh51 million for a J Frond custommade villa) and Downtown (recorded sale of a six-bedroom duplex in Il Primo for an undisclosed sum over Dh50 million).
The Creek Harbour is another area that is coming up, he says. “This iconic new location has a vibrant future. Although we are still at the early stages of the community, things look set to progress nicely with the Vida Hotel opening to much praise.”
District One has cemented itself as one of the most sought-after locations in Dubai, reiterates Cummings. “In my opinion this area remains undervalued, with the potential for capital growth once the Meydan Mall and other amenities come online.”