We get asked about Azizi Riviera a lot. It’s a big project: 75 buildings next to Meydan, about 16,000 apartments, French-style architecture, a lagoon in the plans. Downtown is close, and prices are noticeably lower than in the centre. In the pictures it all looks great. But the community has its quirks, and it’s better to know about them before you buy, not after. I’ll go through it using actual deals.
In shortAzizi Riviera is a residential community by Azizi Developments in Meydan (MBR City): 75 buildings and about 16,000 apartments. A ready studio costs about AED 660K and a one-bedroom about AED 1.1M. Annual rent is AED 50K for a studio and AED 75K for a one-bedroom, a net yield of about 4.8% for a one-bedroom. Prices in the same buildings fell 2.8% over the year and rents 10%. Service charges are high, around AED 25 per sq ft. Part of Phase 4 is being handed over late.
What Azizi Riviera is and where it is
Azizi Riviera is being built by Azizi Developments in Meydan One, part of Mohammed Bin Rashid City. The idea is a waterside town in a French Mediterranean style: a boulevard with shops, a promenade, greenery. The plan has 75 mid- and high-rise buildings, about 16,000 apartments, two hotels and a shopping street.
A typical Riviera building has 8 floors, with studios, one- and two-bedrooms. The buildings in the latest phase are taller. The buildings go by number: Riviera 1, 2 and so on, up into the 70s. The pricier Phase 4 projects stand apart: Riviera Rêve right on the lagoon, Azure and the three Riviera Beachfront towers.
About the lagoon. The developer promised a 2.7 km crystal lagoon you can swim in, and promised it back for 2023. That deadline was missed and the lagoon’s construction dragged on. But work resumed this year, and by our estimate the lagoon will be finished in a year, two at most, unless there’s another force majeure.
Transport. Access to Al Khail Road; Downtown and Business Bay are 10 to 20 minutes by car, depending on traffic. There’s no metro nearby; the nearest station, Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall, is about 15 minutes by car. In April 2026 the new Gold Line was approved. It will run through Meydan and is due to open in 2032, but the station locations haven’t been published yet.
Azizi Riviera prices and rental yields in 2026
The figures come from Dubai Land Department open data, from actual deals. It’s the same data we use in DXB Radar.
| Apartment deals over 12 months | about 1,250 |
| Ready: studio / 1 / 2 beds | about AED 0.66M / 1.1M / 1.8M |
| Off-plan: 1 / 2 beds | about AED 1.7M / 3.1M (Rêve, Beachfront) |
| Annual rent: studio / 1 / 2 beds | AED 50K / 75K / 100K |
| Price change over the year, same buildings | −2.8% (+1.7% over the last three months) |
| Rent over the year | −10% |
| Service charge | about AED 24–27 per sq ft a year |
Look. A ready one-bedroom costs about AED 1.1M and rents for about AED 75K a year. That’s 6.7% gross. But service charges here are among the highest of Dubai’s affordable areas. Take them off, allow for vacancy and purchase costs, and you’re left with about 4.8% a year. That’s a real difference.
Now about the minus 2.8% over the year. Don’t let that number scare you. In March 2026 the conflict around Iran started, and the Dubai market felt it straight away; people took a pause. That’s where the dip comes from, and not only in Riviera but across the city. I’ve lived in the Emirates for 15 years, and I’ve seen prices go down for several years in a row, in the second half of the 2010s for example, and then the market won it all back and grew. In Riviera you can already see things levelling out: over the last three months, prices in the same buildings went up 1.7%. But to be fair, nobody can give you guarantees here. Some analysts, Fitch for example, expect a deeper correction. So for a buyer this is more of a time to negotiate. I wouldn’t rush to buy up everything in sight.
Apartments in the new lagoon-front projects cost almost 50% more than in the standard Riviera buildings. You get a water view and a better finish there, so it’s not really fair to compare them directly with the standard buildings.
Infrastructure
- In the buildings: pools, gyms, playgrounds, barbecue areas.
- Shops and services: there’s one small Carrefour in the community, and every building has its own little grocery shop on the ground floor. There are plenty of cafés and barbershops.
- Nearby: Meydan Racecourse. Downtown and Dubai Mall are 15–20 minutes away.
- Meydan One Mall, with an indoor ski slope, has been under construction since 2017; its opening has been pushed back several times.
Schools near Azizi Riviera
Next door, in Sobha Hartland, there are two strong schools. In a straight line they’re 500–600 metres away, but right now you can’t walk there: you have to drive around the construction sites. Once the lagoon is finished, you’ll be able to walk between Riviera and Sobha Hartland. Ratings are from the latest KHDA inspections.
- Hartland International School — British curriculum and IB, “Very Good”, about 500 metres away.
- North London Collegiate School Dubai — IB, “Very Good”, about 600 metres away.
- Bilingual French International School — French curriculum, about 2.5 km away.
- Kinder Castle Nursery Meydan and Rashid School for Boys are within 12 minutes by car.
Buildings and phases
By August 2025 Azizi had handed over 53 of the 75 buildings: all of the first three phases and part of the fourth. The remaining 22 were promised by mid-2026, but they didn’t make that date. In April 2026 Riviera 69 and the first Riviera Beachfront tower were handed over, and Phase 4 was 74% complete at that point. Riviera Rêve was 79% complete in July 2026, with handover expected at the end of 2026.
You can see the completion percentage for each project, from Dubai Land Department data, in the Construction progress section of DXB Radar.
Pros and cons of Azizi Riviera
I’ve read reviews from residents and buyers on Trustburn and Trustpilot, and the Property Finder and Bayut guides. Plus what our clients who looked at the project tell us. Here’s what comes out.
What people like:
- Close to Downtown and Business Bay, at noticeably lower prices.
- A quiet, green community with running and cycling paths.
- Good schools a few minutes away.
- Lots of affordable studios and one-bedrooms.
What people complain about:
- Handover delays; Phase 4 is being delivered later than promised.
- Inconvenient without a car, no metro.
- Construction is still going on, and part of the infrastructure isn’t ready.
- Buyers write about finishing quality, leaks and slow service.
- Standard buildings only have studios, one- and two-bedrooms. For a family with kids there’s not much choice.
My view
I consider Azizi Riviera a promising area. It has its downsides, and I’ve been upfront about them above, but it’s a comfortable place to live. The community is already well populated, and everything you need day to day is close by: small shops in every building, cafés, barbershops, strong schools next door. Young tenants especially like it, couples and people living without a big family. That’s why studios and one-bedrooms here rent out well.
And it’s only going to get more interesting. Once the lagoon is finished and there’s a bridge to Sobha Hartland, the area will be in even higher demand. And when Meydan One Mall opens, it will become a new place that draws tourists and expats from all over Dubai. I’m confident prices here will go up then.
My team can show you actual deals and service charges for specific Riviera buildings — leave a request.
Frequently asked questions about Azizi Riviera
How much does an apartment in Azizi Riviera cost?
According to Dubai Land Department deals over the last 6 months, a ready studio costs about AED 660K, a one-bedroom about AED 1.1M and a two-bedroom about AED 1.8M. The new lagoon-front towers are more expensive.
What is the rental yield in Azizi Riviera?
A one-bedroom rents for about AED 75K a year. That’s about 6.7% gross and about 4.8% net, mainly because of the high service charges.
What are the service charges in Azizi Riviera?
About AED 24–27 per sq ft a year, depending on the building. For a studio that’s roughly AED 8–13K a year.
When will all Azizi Riviera buildings be handed over?
In April 2026 Phase 4 was 74% complete, and handover dates have already been moved. Riviera Rêve is expected at the end of 2026. Check the exact status of each building before you buy.
Will there be a metro near Azizi Riviera?
The Gold Line will run through Meydan and is planned to open in 2032. The station locations haven’t been published yet.
All figures for Dubai areas: DXB Radar. This is not investment advice: for details, consult a broker of 2088 Real Estate.
Sources: Dubai Land Department open data (data.dubai), deals up to 28.09.2026; Gulf Construction, 2025; ME Construction News, April 2026; Zawya, Riviera Rêve; Propsearch; Property Finder; DXBinteract, service charges; Trustburn; Dubai Media Office, Gold Line; Fortune, June 2026; The National, UBS, September 2026. Figures as of September 2026.
