Where should you look for property if you’re living in Dubai and plan to buy or rent a family home? The Dubai real estate market is very prolific. In 2023, 106 developers launched 269 projects and added 77,381 off-plan properties to the Dubai real estate market inventory.
The good news is that you have a lot of options. The bad news is that, well, you have a lot of options. It means finding that perfect home and the best area to live in Dubai with your family can take you a while.
If you’re not careful, you could spend too much time and effort looking through all sorts of neighborhoods and viewing properties that don’t meet your needs. In the end, you might end up settling for something uninspired (and uninspiring) because you’ve run out of energy.
This is actually why our clients work with McCone Properties. We have our hands firmly on the pulse of the local real estate market, so we make finding the best property easy.
The Best Residential Areas in Dubai for Families
Now, if you ask us which is the best area to live in Dubai with family, we’d ask you: Where do you work? Do you drive or use public transport? Your answers to these questions and others like them will help us narrow down the geographical scope of our search.
We’ll also ask you questions related to your family’s characteristics.
How young are your children? Young families obviously have different priorities from families with grown children. The best place to live in Dubai with a young family is likely somewhere with schools, parks, playgrounds, supermarkets, malls, hospitals, etc., while still being close enough to where the parents work.
We must also factor in your budget. If that is the primary consideration, we’ll recommend the most affordable family areas in Dubai and start our search from there.
So, you see, finding the best residential area in Dubai for families is a highly subjective undertaking. It leads to a different answer depending on personal preferences and circumstances.
We must know what you need, what amenities you want, and your budget range so we can filter and curate your options. We’ll focus your attention on places where all your must-haves, nice-to-haves, and budget intersect so you can get a home you’ll love at the best possible price.
That said, we can still point you to certain areas in Dubai that are proven excellent options for families. These areas have plenty of parks and open spaces, schools, medical centers, supermarkets, restaurants, and dining establishments right inside the community or fairly close in an adjacent district. They are also accessible to both public and private transportation.
Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC)
If you want a true-blue residential community with all the amenities and facilities any family could need, check out Jumeirah Village Circle. It’s actually one of the best places to live in Dubai for expat families. It is a freehold area, which is good if you’re considering buying instead of renting.
Families love that it has plenty of green, landscaped open spaces, including the Circle Community Park, Shooa Community Park, Khansoor Park, Sgal Community Park, Gadaf Park, and more. It has supermarkets (including Spinneys), restaurants and a large mall, Circle Mall.
There’s a range of properties you can buy in Jumeirah Village Circle; apartments, penthouses, and duplexes comprise our JVC for-sale listings. We have a two-bedroom apartment selling at a little over AED 1,095,000. A stunning, furnished, four-bedroom Myra Villa duplex with a private garden and a shared swimming pool is also available for sale at AED 3,000,000.
If you’d rather rent in Jumeirah Village Circle, our current JVC listings range from studio to two-bedroom apartments. The annual rent for two-bedroom apartments ranges from AED 110,000 to AED 200,000.
Dubai Marina
Dubai Marina is certainly not a traditional family neighborhood. Some would tell you it may be better as an investment property rather than a family home. It’s a popular tourist destination and commercial district, after all.
Yet others would say it may be a better fit for single-person households and couples. Although there are villas in Dubai Marina, there are plenty more apartments.
Even so, remember how what’s best varies from person to person? We’re sure some would find Dubai Marina to be the best area to live in Dubai with their family.
Indeed, if you want to live at the center of everything and have every modern amenity within easy reach, consider Dubai Marina. It’s a lovely, premium neighborhood with gorgeous canal views. If you want a luxury apartment for your family, there are penthouse apartments with five or more bedrooms and, as mentioned earlier, the much rarer villas.
The family-friendly properties you can buy in Dubai Marina range from a two-bedroom AED 2,200,000 apartment to an AED 13,500,000 luxury two-bedroom Cavalli tower apartment.
Our properties for rent in Dubai Marina include a three-bedroom, three-bathroom AED 325,000-per-year duplex and a four-bedroom, five-bathroom AED 395,000 (yearly) penthouse. The rent for two-bedroom apartments starts at AED 165,000 per year.
Emaar Beachfront, Dubai Harbour
Now, if you’re seeking a family home you won’t need immediately, consider off-plan properties. If you do, you can get in early into would-be in-demand communities.
For instance, shop around for an Emaar Beachfront off-plan in Dubai Harbour. It’s an exclusive gated community of what would be 27 residential towers, a 13,000-square-meter retail mall, and a 1.5-kilometer stretch of beach.
Even off-plan, properties in Dubai Harbour are selling for premium prices. After all, Dubai Harbour will be home to the biggest marina in the UAE and the region.
That said, even if the properties here are on the expensive end, they still offer excellent value for money because you can only expect the prices to go up once the development is completed. Indeed, now is the best time to buy in Emaar Beachfront, Dubai Harbour. Our for-sale listings for this area range from AED 2,600,000 to AED 31,000,000.
If you need an apartment to move to now, you can rent in Emaar Beachfront. Choose from listings that range from AED 210,000 per year for a two-bedroom unfurnished apartment to AED 445,000 yearly for a furnished luxury three-bedroom apartment.
Dubai Hills Estate
Are you an avid golf enthusiast who wants to buy a family home near Downtown Dubai and Dubai Marina but don’t really want the hustle and bustle of these Dubai hotspots? We have the perfect area for you: Dubai Hills Estate.
This is a master-planned, mixed-use community with residential projects built around an 18-hole championship golf course. It has its own mall (i.e., Dubai Hills Mall) that features retail, dining and lifestyle amenities, 358 acres of parks and open spaces, schools, a 33.5-mile bicycle route, and office hubs. Al Khail Road also links it to the rest of Dubai.
Dubai Hills Estate is a quiet, green, and accessible freehold area. What else could you ask for? Villas and apartments are available. You can buy a Dubai Hills Estate three-bedroom, four-bathroom, 3,418-square-foot villa on Golf Grove for AED 7,999,0000 or a 731-square-foot, two-bedroom apartment for AED 1,600,000.
You can also rent in Dubai Hills Estate. Our current rental listings for this area include apartments and villas, one-bedroom to four-bedroom properties, with annual rents ranging from AED 85,000 to AED 490,000.
Arabian Ranches
If you want a freehold gated villa community, check out one of the top developments in Dubai: Arabian Ranches. This area is probably one of the best places to live in Dubai for expat families who want space, privacy, upscale amenities, and a luxurious lifestyle.
Arabian Ranches features a golf course (Arabian Ranches Golf Club), polo and equestrian amenities (Dubai Polo and Equestrian Club, Plantation Equestrian and Polo Club), schools, and mosques. It also has many shopping and lifestyle destinations near and within Arabian Ranches 1, Arabian Ranches 2, and Arabian Ranches 3. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road connects the community to the rest of Dubai, and Al Qudra Road gives it easy access to Downtown Dubai.
We have beautiful houses you can buy in Arabian Ranches. There are three- and four-bedroom townhouses for sale from AED 2,275,000 to AED 3,700,000 and four- and five-bedroom villas priced from AED 8,500,000 to AED 13,999,999.
You can also rent in Arabian Ranches. We have a three-bedroom, four-bathroom, single-level villa available to rent for AED 135,000 yearly and a four-bedroom, four-bathroom, 6,600 sq. ft. luxury villa with an annual rent of AED 380,000.
DAMAC Hills
DAMAC Hills (DAMAC Hills 1 and 2), hands down, is one of the best areas to live in Dubai with family. It’s located well inland, so it’s far from the beaches of Jumeirah or the lifestyle amenities of busy Dubai Downtown. That said, its residents don’t really lack for anything.
There’s an 18-hole golf course with a health club, an amphitheater, restaurants, fitness centers, and swimming pools at the Trump International Golf Club. There are water lagoons in the neighborhood, and they have water slides and trampolines for the young and not-so-young ones who love water fun.
DAMAC Hills has schools and clinics. It has a recreational strip with restaurants, retail outlets, hotels, an ice rink, and a cinema. Everything else is easily within reach, via private commute on Al Qudra Road and Jebel Ali - Lehbab Road.
DAMAC Hills is also one of the relatively more affordable family areas in Dubai. You can buy a DAMAC Hills three-bedroom, three-bathroom townhouse for AED 1,500,000 – definitely lower than what you’ll need to pay for a similar property in other areas. A five-bedroom, six-bathroom, corner-lot, standalone villa with a maid’s room is even available for the relatively low price of AED 6,300,000.
You’ll find similarly great value when you rent in DAMAC Hills. A three-bedroom, three-bathroom townhouse is available to rent for only AED 95,000 yearly, and – get this – a five-bedroom, six-bathroom townhouse could be yours for an annual rent of AED 140,000. What a steal!
Find Your Family Home in Dubai
For the best area in Dubai to live with family, we recommend Jumeirah Village Circle, Dubai Marina, Emaar Beachfront in Dubai Harbour, Dubai Hills Estate, Arabian Ranches (1, 2, and 3), and DAMAC Hills (1 and 2). That said, the best place for your family still depends on your personal preferences and circumstances.
McCone Properties is a leading real estate company in Dubai. We’re known for our excellent service, pre-, during, and after-sales.
Talk to us, and one of our specialists will help you find the perfect family home and neighborhood in Dubai.
