Living in Dubai

Al Barsha

Metro: Mall of the Emirates 
Al Barsha has two distinct zones. The main area offers large villas with big gardens popular with local families. Some of the older apartment blocks offer competitively priced options, while the new apartment blocks, closer to Mall of the Emirates, are popular with Media and Internet City workers.
New villas are being built on the other side of Al Khail Road (called Al Barsha South).

SCHOOLS
The Dubai American Academy and Al Mawakeb are located in Al Barsha, and Wellington International School, Dubai College and Jumeirah English Speaking School are nearby.

HEALTHCARE
There is a GP and paediatrician at the Medical Specialist Centre (04 340 9495), in the Khoury Building near Sheikh Zayed Road, but the nearest emergency room is in the Medcare Hospital in Al Safa.

SHOPS
The nearby Mall of the Emirates has a Carrefour, a multi-screen cinema, and restaurants.
 
​BARS & RESTAURANTS
The Kempinski and Pullman hotels at Mall of the Emirates have licensed restaurants and bars, as do a handful of other business hotels nearby, plus Al Barsha is the other side of Sheikh Zayed Road from Madinat Jumeirah and a short drive from the marina.

ATTRACTIONS
Mall of the Emirates and its indoor ski slope.

​AL BARSHA
Accommodation is mainly in the form of fairly new, three to five-bedroom villas. Around 75% of the houses are locally owned and inhabited. Al Barsha 1, near the Mall of the Emirates offers apartments.
Annual rental prices: Three-bedroom villa from Dhs.160,000.
 
NEIGHBOURING COMMUNITY: TECOM
TECOM is made up primarily of residential towers. There is still a lot of construction going on, and although the roads have all been finished, there are no pedestrian pavements. So, rents tend to be a bit cheaper than in neighbouring Al Barsha or The Greens.
 
The quality of apartments varies, and traffic in and out of the neighbourhood can get busy during peak hours. There is a Metro stop in front of the area, which is useful for anyone working on Sheikh Zayed Road, and there are small Geant and Park n Shop supermarkets, with the Choithrams and other amenities in The Greens just a stone’s throw away. Nightlife destinations such as the marina and Al Sufouh are just across Sheikh Zayed Road and the Media Rotana in TECOM is home to local pub Nelson’s.
Annual rental prices: Two-bedroom apartment from Dhs.100,000.
 
UP & COMING AREAS
When buildings in brand new developments are completed, shops and services, and the gym and pool within the building, tend to follow a few steps behind. Until amenities are in place, prices are cheaper, and so while you may have to travel further for shops, chemists, schools and clinics, and you may find your balcony regularly inch-deep in construction dust, a brand new apartment can be a bargain.
 
Some up and coming areas include: Business Bay (particularly Executive Towers), Dubai Studio City, and The Crescent in International Media Production Zone. For a bargain new villa try The Plantation, Equestrian & Polo Club in Dubailand or one of Meydan City’s developments, due to be completed in 2015. If you don’t mind living on a building site with few facilities, you can pick up a bargain at the Mediterranean-themed Jumeirah Village. A one-bedroom apartment here starts at Dhs.45,000 (unfurnished).
 

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