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Dubai Islands Guide
Updated: 2nd May, 2024

Dubai Islands

A waterfront city off the coast of Deira containing hotels, resorts, serviced apartments, mixed-use buildings and waterside homes.
Dubai Islands
Overview
place
Area
donut_small
Overview
Dubai Islands is an area located within Deira, Dubai.
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Master developer
The master developer is Nakheel.
tips_and_updates
Additional information
  • Dubai Islands is a cluster of five islands covering an area of 17 square kilometres.

  • Each island has an exclusive set of offerings and will be home to over 80 resorts and hotels.

  • The development includes more than 20 kilometres of beaches, including a ‘Blue Flag’ certified beach, approximately two square kilometres of parks and open spaces, and premium golf courses overlooking the Arabian Gulf.

  • The lengths of beaches and areas dedicated to public parks have also been increased.

  • The project, announced in August 2022, was the biggest project announcement by Nakheel since 2019-20. It is in line with the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, ‘to reinforce the emirate’s position as a global destination of choice for residents, visitors and investors'.

  • The project was previously named "Deira Islands" but was rebranded as Dubai Islands in August 2022.

  • A couple of resorts opened as part of the original Deira Islands masterplan, which also included multiple high-rises for the residential leasing market.

  • In October 2020 Nakheel announced anchorages at Deira Islands enabling people to take day trips or stay overnight. The anchorages are able to accommodate boats and yachts up to 165m long.
    Access is free to Palm Jumeirah Marina members, while other boat owners have to pay a nominal fee depending on the boat size. Overnight anchoring permits are available on application.

  • In May 2023 Nakheel launched a new marina destination in Dubai Islands.

  • Called Nakheel Marinas Dubai Islands the new marina is located along Dubai’s northern coastline and offers accommodation for up to 13 super yachts simultaneously. It has 248 wet berths for vessels up to 47 metres and 40 dry berths for trailers up to 20 metres.

  • Facilities for visitors include a car park, showers and washrooms, and a launderette, while amenities for boat and yacht owners include 24/7 dock assistance, complimentary club car transfer, utilities and ice supply, waste collection, pump-out services, and complimentary WiFi.

  • The five islands are named: Marina Island, Central Island, Shore Island, Golf Island and Elite Island. The Central Island is the largest and has Deira Mall as its centrepiece. It is also home to The Night Market with over 5,300 shops and 100 quayside cafés and restaurants. The master plan allocates 37 hotels and resorts of which two are already open, The RIU and the Centara. Shore Island is dedicated to sports and resorts. Golf Island will have a 18-hole golf course as well and resorts, villas and 'wellness enclaves.' Elite Island is the smallest and will be home to luxury waterfront villas.

calendar_month
Timeline
Feb 2024

Nakheel has commenced its first villa sales for the Bay Villas with prices starting from AED 4 million.

Dec 2023

Nakheel has achieved Blue Flag Global Accreditation for eight of its beaches, at least one of which is located on Dubai Islands. Blue Flag designations signal clean beaches with excellent water quality that are managed sustainably.

Oct 2023

A land sale worth AED 600 million has been recorded on Dubai Islands.

Sep 2023

The Dubai RTA has announced a new 1.4km bridge, set to open by 2026, as part of the AED 5.3 billion Shindagha Corridor Project. This link will connect Bur Dubai to the Dubai Islands, featuring a four-lane route that supports 16,000 vehicles per hour and includes pedestrian and cycling paths. It will offer a significant reduction in travel time, with an expected AED 45 billion in savings over 20 years.

May 2023

The developer, Nakheel, has allocated part of the eastern beach as a dog-friendly beach, where dogs are allowed to swim.

import_contacts
Excerpts from the brochure
  • A magnificent group of five islands located to the north of the city, Dubai Islands offers over 50km of stunning waterfront homes and hotels in an idyllic setting that connects sandy shores, inviting water edges and world-class amenities to the mainland via the striking Infinity Bridge.  
  • Dubai Islands offers diverse island living and a vacation-inspired lifestyle, an array of luxury resort offerings, village centres with services and entertainment, elite wellness & sports venues, beautiful beaches for water sports, and vibrant green spaces for outdoor leisure pursuits.
Guide

Dubai Islands is a new 15.3 square kilometre waterfront city off the coast of Deira. It comprises a group of man-made islands created from remnants of the Palm Deira development which was cancelled during the early stages of construction. Dubai Islands will add another 40km of coastline to Dubai including 21km of new beachfront.

Seven islands connected by bridges provide land for a coastal city, which is expected to have a population of 250,000, and create 80,000 jobs.

Originally called Deira Islands, its masterplan encompassed hundreds of tourism, leisure and residential developments including hotels, resorts, serviced apartments, mixed-use buildings and waterside homes.

Deira Islands Mall

The first major project to be announced for the islands was the Deira Islands Mall development which covers an area of approximately 761,840 square metres and includes hundreds of shops as well as cinemas, office space and entertainment facilities.

Souk Al Marfa

Formerly known as Deira Islands Night Souk, this is claimed to be the world’s largest night market. Completed in 2018, the souk has 5,300 shops and almost 100 quayside cafes and restaurants.

Centara Mirage Beach Resort Dubai

In September 2017 Nakheel and Thai hotel group Centara Hotels & Resorts formed a joint venture company and signed an agreement that the 600-room beachfront resort and waterpark will be managed by Centara.

Centara Mirage Beach Resort Dubai is the first Centara establishment in the UAE and covers an area of almost 300,000 sq ft. Features include a waterpark, multiple restaurants including alfresco rooftop dining options, kids’ club, spa and fitness centre, and business facilities.

Recent enhancements to the hotel’s design have added 50 rooms to the original plan, bringing the total number of keys to 600.

RIU Dubai

RIU Dubai is a 4-star hotel and water park resort that opened in December 2020. It was built by Nakheel in partnership with Spain’s RIU Hotels & Resorts.

The 33-storey hotel has 800 rooms, a rooftop pool deck, seven food and beverage outlets, three more swimming pools, a fitness complex, a children’s club and a water park.

Vienna House Deira Beach

Vienna House Deira Beach is a planned USD160 million, 600-room beachfront holiday complex at Dubai Islands to be built by Nakheel in partnership with Austria’s largest independent hotel chain, Vienna House.

The property is expected to open after 2020. 


Transport & Access

Road access

Dubai Islands are currently connected to Deira via a road which extends from the Abu Hail Road (D91). This looks likely to be replaced by a large road bridge which extends from Abu Baker Al Siddique road (D78) and is currently under construction with about 50% complete. Each of the four islands will then be linked to each other via individual road bridges.

* Drive times are calculated by Google Maps and assume fastest route in typical traffic conditions.

Sub-communities

Dubai Islands sub-buildings

Dubai Islands comprises 17 individual buildings each with their own characteristics and unit layouts. Learn more about each building in the guides below:

Avani Deira Island Resort
do_disturb Planned (Cancelled)
Beach Walk
architecture Planned
Coral Cove
construction Under development
Deira Islands Mall
construction Under development
Edgewater Residences 2
architecture Planned
Haven Living
architecture Planned
Holiday Inn Deira Islands
architecture Planned
Iluka by MS Homes
architecture Planned
Miami Beach Residence
architecture Planned
Next Coral
architecture Planned
Park Regis by Prince
check_circle Complete
RIU Dubai
check_circle Complete
Seaside by Prestige One
architecture Planned
Vienna House Deira Beach
architecture Planned
ZOI Tower
architecture Planned

Dubai Islands Location

Dubai Islands are currently connected to Deira via a road which extends from the Abu Hail Road (D91). This looks likely to be replaced by a large road bridge which extends from Abu Baker Al Siddique road (D78) and is currently under construction with about 50% complete. Each of the four islands will then be linked to each other via individual road bridges.

The map below shows the location of Dubai Islands and just below are summaries of the nearest attractions, parks, beaches, golf clubs and cinemas.

attractions
Attractions
Dubai Heritage Village, 3.6 km
Dubai Museum, 3.8 km
Queen Elizabeth 2, 4.6 km
park
Parks & beaches
Maritime City Park, 4.7 km
Al Mamzar Beach Park, 5.1 km
Dubai Creek Park, 6.5 km
golf_course
Golf clubs
Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club, 6.6 km
Al Badia Golf Club, 10.8 km
movie
Cinemas
Vox Cinemas at City Centre Shindagha, 4.2 km
Vox Cinemas Burjuman, 4.9 km
Vox Cinemas at City Centre Deira, 5.4 km

Local Schools

Dubai Islands has many schools nearby including The Elite English School at 3.4 km and Sabari Indian School at 3.6 km.

The Elite English School
3.4 km, Al Waheda
AED 6,000  •  Indian
Sabari Indian School
3.6 km, Al Waheda
AED 15,000  •  Indian
Little Flower English School
3.8 km, Hor Al Anz
AED 3,700  •  Indian
Al Ittihad Private School Mamzar
3.8 km, Al Mamzar
AED 24,500  •  American

Things to Do

We've partnered with LadiesNightDubai.com and BrunchCrunch.ae to give an overview of the current Ladies Nights and Brunch offers in the vicinity of Dubai Islands.

Gorgeous Saturdays, Hilton Garden Inn Dubai Al Mina • Ladies Night • Sky Garden Lounge Dubai (0.0 km)
Cactus Jacks, Millennium Airport Hotel • Ladies Night • Cactus Jacks (0.0 km)
Seafood and International Brunch, Radisson Blu Hotel Dubai Deira Creek • Fish Market (0.0 km)
Bebemos
Ladies Night •  7:00pm
Bebemos (0.0 km)
She'licious
Ladies Night •  7:00pm
Warehouse (0.0 km)
Cu-ba
Ladies Night •  8:00pm
Cu-ba (0.0 km)
Eve Penthouse and Lounge
Ladies Night •  10:00pm
Eve Penthouse and Lounge (0.0 km)
Friday Brunch
Brunch • Millennium Airport Hotel
Fujiya (0.0 km)
Brunchology
Brunch • Le Méridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre
Yalumba (0.0 km)
Sunday Family Brunch
Brunch • Le Méridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre
Yalumba (0.0 km)
Seafood Tuesdays
Brunch • Le Méridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre
Yalumba (0.0 km)

Nearby neighbourhoods

Explore communities that are either adjacent or close to Dubai Islands.

Bur Dubai
Bur Dubai (5.4 km)
Villas and low-rise apartments abound in this historic district on the banks of Dubai Creek across the water from Deira.
Read more
Al Kifaf
Al Kifaf (7.1 km)
The four residential towers of Park Gate Residences share this place with Zabeel Park, Etisalat Tower and the landmark Dubai Frame.
Read more
Culture Village
Culture Village (8.4 km)
A development overlooking the Dubai Creek, home to the exclusive Palazzo Versace, apartment buildings, shops and exhibition centres.
Read more
La Mer
La Mer (8.9 km)
A beachfront development with shopping, dining and entertainment areas stretching out to sea between Pearl Jumeirah and Jumeirah Bay.
Read more
Dubai International Financial Centre
Dubai International Financial Centre (9.6 km)
The financial quarter of Dubai comprising commercial, retail and residential districts, all three linked by a retail corridor
Read more
Healthcare City Phase 2
Healthcare City Phase 2 (9.8 km)
A wellness centre providing long-term care, spa resorts, sports medicine facilities, waterfront residences and nutrition centres in Jadaf.
Read more
City Walk
City Walk (11.1 km)
A stylish, vibrant town-centre community combining residential, shopping, dining and attractions in the heart of the Jumeirah district.
Read more
Dubai Islands Milestones
Date Launched
June 2014
Companies Associated with Dubai Islands
Master Developer: Nakheel

Masterplan

A look at the original masterplan published by the developer at the time of the launch of Dubai Islands.

Construction Updates

23.5 kilometres of coastline and breakwaters are currently being constructed by Van Oord Middle East Limited, the same company that created Palm Jumeirah and The World Islands.

In February 2016 a contract was awarded for the construction of the Deira Palm Island Entrance Bridge, which will serve a planned marina, and the new fish market.

The project also includes the opening up of the waterway and construction of the side walls of the canal up to the fish market marina.

Nakheel started infrastructure and maritime works on the islands by completing the entrance to the western bridge and linking it in the direction of the marina and fish market.

Following the opening of the bridge, works will begin to clear the way for opening of the waterway

Works at Deira Islands include the construction of hotels, hotel apartments, multi-purpose buildings and marinas.

In April 2017 Nakheel signed a Dh4.2 billion contract with United Engineering Construction (UNEC) for the construction of Deira Mall. Work began in the first quarter of 2018 and is scheduled for completion in 2021.

In August 2017 Nakheel awarded four contracts for work on islands A and B of the four-island development, for a sewage treatment plant, a district cooling plant, a substation and piling work for an 800-room resort.

These new contracts brought the total invested by Nakheel to almost Dh7.5 billion in infrastructure and construction for Deira Islands so far.

The contracts were awarded to VWS Emirates / Butec (Dubai Branch), Emirates District Cooling (Emicool), and AG Power.

See the development of Dubai Islands in photos:

Dubai Islands in the News

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Dubai Islands Buildings

We currently maintain records for 16 building developments on Dubai Islands.

Beach Walk
architecture Planned
Coral Cove
construction Under development
Haven Living
architecture Planned
Seaside by Prestige One
architecture Planned
Next Coral
architecture Planned
Iluka by MS Homes
architecture Planned
RIU Dubai
check_circle Complete
Park Regis by Prince
check_circle Complete
Avani Deira Island Resort
do_disturb Planned (Cancelled)

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