The people who ask me about Nad Al Sheba Gardens are usually families who want a big house close to the centre. It’s a Meraas community of villas and townhouses just south of Meydan Racecourse, about 15 minutes from Downtown. The area is still being built, and almost every deal here is off-plan: around 320 villa deals and around 100 apartment deals in the last twelve months. So let’s go through it: where it is, what homes cost in real deals, what’s already built and what’s coming next.
In shortNad Al Sheba Gardens is a freehold community by Meraas (Dubai Holding) in Nad Al Sheba 1, south of Meydan Racecourse, next to the Dubai–Al Ain Road. It has three-bedroom townhouses and villas with three to seven bedrooms. An off-plan three-bedroom home costs about AED 5.4M and an off-plan one-bedroom apartment about AED 1.6M. 98% of villa deals are off-plan. The villa service charge is low, about AED 4 per sq ft. There is no metro nearby, and Dubai Mall is about 16 minutes by car.
Where Nad Al Sheba Gardens is
Nad Al Sheba Gardens sits in Nad Al Sheba 1, part of Mohammed Bin Rashid City. Meydan Racecourse is directly to the north, and The Polo Residence, Azizi Riviera and Sobha Hartland are nearby. The Dubai–Al Ain Road (E66) runs close by. Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall are about 16 minutes by car, DXB airport about 19 and Palm Jumeirah about 25.
The developer is Meraas, part of Dubai Holding, and the master plan is by Parsons International. The first phases were launched between 2019 and 2022, and since then Meraas has released a new phase almost every year, the latest in December 2025. The homes are grouped in clusters around lawns and parks, with running and cycling paths through the community.
It’s freehold, so a foreigner buys the house outright. Homes here cost more than AED 2M, so the purchase qualifies you for a 10-year golden visa.
Getting around. Keep in mind this is a place to live with a car. There’s no metro nearby; the Red Line stations around Downtown and Business Bay are 15–20 minutes by car. The roads here are new: the RTA has built about 6 km of lit internal roads in the area, and in May 2025 it announced a new 700-metre bridge from the Dubai–Al Ain Road into Nad Al Sheba.
Nad Al Sheba Gardens villa and apartment prices in 2026
I take these numbers from Dubai Land Department (DLD) open data, based on real deals. It’s the same data we use in DXB Radar.
| Villa and townhouse deals over 12 months | about 320, 98% of them off-plan |
| Off-plan: 3-bedroom home | about AED 5.4M |
| Price per sq ft, off-plan villas | about AED 2,480 |
| Apartment deals over 12 months | about 100, 93% of them off-plan |
| Off-plan apartments: 1 bed / 2 beds | about AED 1.6M / 2.1M |
| Annual apartment rent: 1 bed / 2 beds | AED 78K / 130K |
| Service charge: villas / apartments | about AED 4 / 17 per sq ft a year |
Here’s why the table has no price change over the year. Almost every deal here is a purchase from the developer, off-plan, and very few ready homes are being resold yet. There’s simply nothing to compare year on year. Honest resale and villa rent statistics will be possible once more phases are handed over.
Let’s do the service charge. For villas it’s about AED 4 per square foot a year. On a 3,000 sq ft house that’s roughly AED 12K a year. For apartments it’s about AED 17 per foot. For a community with parks, sports facilities and its own clubhouse, those are reasonable numbers.
And on price. Off-plan buyers here pay about AED 2,480 per foot, and mostly they’re paying for the location: about 15 minutes to Downtown, with your own house and garden. Meraas’s usual terms are 60% during construction and 40% on handover.
Infrastructure
- In the community: Meraas plans a clubhouse, an amphitheatre, a wave pool, tennis and basketball courts, football pitches, outdoor fitness areas, a dog park, a community farm, and running and cycling tracks. Some of this is still being built.
- Mall: The Grand, a small community mall inside the development. The first shops opened on 19 August 2026 and the second wave in early September.
- Sport nearby: The Track Meydan Golf and the Nad Al Sheba Cycle Path, with 4, 6 and 8 km loops.
- Nearby: Meydan Racecourse. Dubai Mall and Downtown are about 16 minutes by car.
Schools near Nad Al Sheba Gardens
It works well for families: there are plenty of strong schools around, most of them 5–10 minutes by car. The ratings are from the latest inspections by KHDA, Dubai’s schools regulator.
- Bilingual French International School — bilingual school with the IB programme, “Very Good”, about 2.5 km.
- Kent College Dubai — UK curriculum, “Very Good”, about 5 km.
- Hartland International School and North London Collegiate School Dubai in Sobha Hartland — UK curriculum and IB, “Very Good”.
- Kings’ School Nad Al Sheba — UK curriculum, “Very Good”.
- Dunecrest American School — US curriculum and IB, “Good”, about 5 km.
Phases and projects
The community is split into phases that Meraas builds one after another. There are three-bedroom townhouses and villas with three to seven bedrooms, and the homes get bigger in the later phases.
First phases: phases 1–3 were launched between 2019 and 2022, with townhouses and villas of three to five bedrooms. The main contractor on phase 1 is the UK’s Kier.
Under construction: phase 4 has 188 townhouses and villas; Bhatia General Contracting won the contract in May 2025 and handover is expected in Q1 2027. Phase 5 has about 160 homes, from three-bedroom townhouses to seven-bedroom villas. In September 2026 Meraas signed the construction contract for phase 7.
To see the completion percentage for each project according to the Dubai Land Department, check the Construction progress section of DXB Radar.
Pros and cons of Nad Al Sheba Gardens
I’ve gone through the Propsearch and portal guides on the area and added what our clients who’ve viewed it tell us. Here’s roughly the picture.
What people like:
- 15–20 minutes to Downtown and Business Bay, while living in a house with a garden.
- The developer is Meraas, backed by Dubai Holding.
- Lots of green space and sport inside the community: paths, courts, pitches, a wave pool.
- Good schools 5–10 minutes away.
- The community’s own mall, The Grand, has opened.
What people complain about:
- The area is still under construction, new phases will continue for several years, and there’s building work nearby.
- No metro, so it’s hard without a car.
- A high entry price; there’s practically nothing cheap here.
- Few ready homes on resale, so the choice is mostly off-plan.
My view
I think Nad Al Sheba Gardens is one of the most interesting family areas close to the centre. A house with a garden 15 minutes from Downtown is not easy to find in Dubai. It suits families with children who want space and quiet while still living close to the centre. Good schools are nearby, and there’s plenty of sport and greenery inside the community.
As for what will support demand: The Grand has opened, the clubhouse and sports facilities are being finished, phase 4 is due in 2027, and the construction contract for phase 7 has just been signed. With every phase handed over, more people will live here and a proper villa resale and rental market will form. If you don’t need to move in right away, buying off-plan on a 60/40 plan is a sensible option.
My team can show you real deals for specific phases and compare them — leave a request.
Frequently asked questions about Nad Al Sheba Gardens
How much does a villa in Nad Al Sheba Gardens cost?
According to Dubai Land Department deals, an off-plan three-bedroom home costs about AED 5.4M, or about AED 2,480 per square foot. Villas with four to seven bedrooms cost more.
Are there apartments in Nad Al Sheba Gardens?
Yes, but not many: about 100 deals a year, almost all off-plan. A one-bedroom costs about AED 1.6M and a two-bedroom about AED 2.1M. They rent for roughly AED 78K and AED 130K a year.
What is the service charge in Nad Al Sheba Gardens?
About AED 4 per square foot a year for villas and about AED 17 for apartments.
Is there a metro near Nad Al Sheba Gardens?
No. The Red Line stations around Downtown and Business Bay are 15–20 minutes by car.
Which schools are near Nad Al Sheba Gardens?
Bilingual French International School, Kent College Dubai, Hartland International School, North London Collegiate School and Kings’ School Nad Al Sheba, all rated “Very Good” by KHDA.
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, Nad Al Sheba Gardens; Propsearch, phase 4; Propsearch, phase 5; Propsearch, phase 1; Propsearch, Nad Al Sheba 1; Propsearch, schools; KHDA ratings. Figures as of September 2026.
