People ask me a lot: “Konstantin, do the Springs and the Meadows still make sense? Everything there was built twenty years ago.” They do, and demand for these villas hasn’t gone anywhere. Emirates Living is one of Dubai’s first freehold areas, and over the years it has grown lots of greenery, lakes and a loyal crowd of residents. So let’s go through it using real deals: what villas and townhouses cost there, how prices have moved, which schools are nearby and what residents say.
In shortEmirates Living is a freehold Emaar community between Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road that includes The Springs, The Meadows and The Lakes. A ready two-bedroom villa or townhouse costs about AED 3.6M, a three-bedroom about AED 5.55M. Prices in the same homes rose 9.8% over the year, while rents stayed flat. The service charge is low, about AED 4 per sq ft a year. All deals are for ready homes; there are no new launches in the area. There’s no metro inside; the nearest Red Line stations are 10–15 minutes away by car.
Where Emirates Living is
Emirates Living sits between Sheikh Zayed Road (E11) and Al Khail Road (E44), with exits onto both. Its neighbours are JLT, Dubai Marina, Emirates Hills and The Greens. Dubai Marina is 14–15 minutes by car, Mall of the Emirates about 11, Downtown and Dubai Mall about 20, and DXB airport 30–40 minutes depending on traffic.
The whole area was built by Emaar, with the first homes handed over in the early 2000s. It’s freehold, so a foreigner buys the villa outright. Inside there are several communities, each with its own character. The Springs has 15 clusters of townhouses and smaller villas with 2–4 bedrooms, more than 4,500 homes. The Meadows has 9 clusters and over 1,800 detached villas with 3–6 bedrooms on bigger plots. The Lakes has about 600 villas and townhouses with 3–5 bedrooms in six neighbourhoods around the lakes. Every cluster is gated, with security, its own pool and playgrounds. Next door is Emirates Hills with its mansions around the Montgomerie golf course, but that’s a completely different price level, and I’m not covering it here.
Transport. There’s no metro inside the area. The nearest Red Line stations, DMCC and Sobha Realty, are 10–15 minutes by car. Bus F31 runs through the Springs. But honestly, almost everyone here drives.
Emirates Living villa prices in 2026
I take these numbers from Dubai Land Department (DLD) open data, based on actual villa and townhouse deals. It’s the same data we use in DXB Radar.
| Villa deals over 12 months | about 470, all of them ready homes |
| Ready villa: 2 / 3 beds | about AED 3.6M / 5.55M |
| Average price per sq ft | about AED 1,700 |
| Price change over the year, same homes | +9.8% |
| Rent over the year | unchanged |
| Service charge | about AED 4 per sq ft a year |
Look at what’s worth noticing here. The service charge in Emirates Living is about AED 4 per sq ft a year, noticeably less than in apartment buildings. Owners feel that when they add up the running costs of the house.
Now about prices. Over the year, villas in the same communities went up 9.8%. The area is fully built, there won’t be new homes here, and families who want to live in a green area near the Marina keep coming.
There are no off-plan projects here at all; every deal is on the secondary market. So a buyer sees the actual house, and can check its condition and renovation straight away.
Infrastructure
- Shopping: Springs Souk is a mall with about 100 shops and a Carrefour Market. Meadows Souk has a Spinneys, Meadows Village has a Waitrose, and The Lakes Club has a Choithrams.
- Healthcare: clinics and pharmacies in the local retail centres. The nearest hospitals, Saudi German Hospital and Al Zahra Hospital, are in Al Barsha.
- Golf: Montgomerie Golf Club in neighbouring Emirates Hills, with Emirates Golf Club close by too.
- Leisure: lakes, walking and running paths, parks in every cluster. The Lakes Club has a pool, gym, tennis and squash courts. JBR beach is about 15 minutes away.
- Everyday life: pools and playgrounds in every cluster, barbecue areas, basketball and tennis courts. The area is dog-friendly.
Schools near Emirates Living
For families this is one of the main reasons to choose the area: several strong schools are inside it or very close. The ratings are from the latest inspections (2023–24) by KHDA, Dubai’s schools regulator.
- Dubai British School Emirates Hills — UK curriculum, “Outstanding”, next to the Springs.
- Dubai International Academy Emirates Hills — IB, “Outstanding”, under 1 km from The Lakes.
- Emirates International School Meadows — IB, “Very Good”, right in The Meadows.
- Regent International School — UK curriculum, “Very Good”, about 1 km from The Lakes.
Raffles Early Childhood Centre runs a nursery in Springs 7.
Communities and homes
The Springs: townhouses and smaller villas with 2–4 bedrooms, clusters Springs 1–15. It’s the most affordable way into Emirates Living, which is why most deals happen here.
The Meadows: detached villas with 3–6 bedrooms, clusters Meadows 1–9. Bigger plots, more spacious homes, some of them by the lakes.
The Lakes: the Deema, Forat, Ghadeer, Hattan, Maeen and Zulal neighbourhoods, villas and townhouses with 3–5 bedrooms. Quiet, lots of greenery, with the club nearby.
The area is fully built, and no new homes will appear here. If you’re comparing Emirates Living with new villas under construction elsewhere, check the Construction progress section of DXB Radar. The completion figures there come from the Dubai Land Department, not from the developer.
Pros and cons of Emirates Living
I’ve read what residents write on forums and in the Bayut, Property Finder and Driven Properties guides, and I’ve added what our clients tell us. Here’s roughly the picture.
What people like:
- The location: the Marina, JLT, Media City and the beach are close.
- A green, calm area with lakes, mature trees and walking paths.
- Gated clusters with security, safe for kids.
- Strong schools practically next door.
- Dogs are welcome, with plenty of space to walk them.
What people complain about:
- No metro, so it’s inconvenient without a car.
- The houses aren’t new, and many need renovation, especially AC and kitchens.
- The condition of common areas varies from cluster to cluster.
- There are hardly any apartments; the area is only for people who want a villa or townhouse.
- At rush hour there can be queues at the exits to Sheikh Zayed Road.
My view
I like Emirates Living as one of the most established villa areas in Dubai. It’s chosen by families who want a house with a garden and a good school nearby but don’t want to move far out of town. The Marina and Media City are closer from here than from most new villa projects. And the trees here are already big; the area has been lived in for a long time.
There won’t be any new supply here, because there’s no land left to build on. Demand holds steady, and over the last year prices here rose 9.8%. The one thing I’d advise is to budget for renovation up front: these are homes from the 2000s, and a well-updated villa rents and sells noticeably more easily.
My team can show you actual deals for specific clusters in the Springs, Meadows and Lakes — leave a request.
Frequently asked questions about Emirates Living
How much does a villa in the Springs or Meadows cost?
According to Dubai Land Department deals over the last 6 months, a two-bedroom villa or townhouse in Emirates Living costs about AED 3.6M and a three-bedroom about AED 5.55M. Larger villas in the Meadows and Lakes cost more.
How have prices in Emirates Living changed over the year?
Prices in the same homes rose 9.8% over the year. Rents stayed at the same level over that time.
What is the service charge in the Springs and Meadows?
About AED 4 per sq ft a year. That’s noticeably less than in apartment buildings.
Is there a metro near Emirates Living?
There’s no metro inside the area. The nearest Red Line stations, DMCC and Sobha Realty, are 10–15 minutes by car. Bus F31 runs through the Springs.
Emirates Living or Dubai Hills Estate — which to choose?
Dubai Hills Estate is newer, with its own big mall and lots of new projects. Emirates Living is older, but closer to the Marina and the sea, with lakes, mature greenery and a low service charge. The choice usually comes down to school, work and budget.
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; Propsearch, The Springs; Propsearch, The Meadows; Propsearch, The Lakes; Emirates Community Management; Bayut; Property Finder; Property Finder, Meadows vs Springs; Driven Properties; KHDA ratings. Figures as of September 2026.
