Airport Street

Airport Street has many names in the emirate such as Airport Road, 2nd Street or its formal name Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum Street. It is a key point for the emirate as Abu Dhabi is split down the middle by Airport Road, connecting the entire capital together. You can reach the north or south area of Abu Dhabi if you are on Airport Street. As Airport Street is the divider, the Emirates Palace district is on the west side and the Tourist Club area is on the east. Most road names will have east or west added on, this relates to what side of Airport Street they are on.

As Aiport Street is an important part of Abu Dhabi it provides both, commercial and residential properties. It is home to many high-rise apartment buildings providing a safe living environment close to the main city area. For larger families there are also a few villas available, but, rare and difficult to find and normally in the Al Wahda area. As the street stretches across Abu Dhabi, residents live close to numerous amenities, attractions and facilities.

• Airport Street connects the emirates from north to south
• Close to the Abu Dhabi Corniche
• Home to many hospitals, schools, restaurants and more
• Consists of high-rise apartment buildings and a few villas
• Airport Street is named after His Highness Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum

Airport Street is home to Downtown Abu Dhabi, known as Abu Dhabi’s city centre. It has a vibrant collection of shops, shisha bars, malls, five-star hotels and restaurants. Moreover, there are countless opportunities to socialise, entertain or dine out. As for living on Airport Street, most of the properties are part of the high-rise residential towers but there are a few villas as well. One of the best parts about living on Airport Street is that the area is suited to young singles and families alike. Airport Street is also home to a large expat population, this is mainly due to the affordable apartments, close proximity to business hubs and the many amenities nearby.

Properties on Airport Street consists of apartments and villas. The mid to high-rise apartment buildings offer residential units in studio to 4-bedroom layout with a coverage area ranging between 325 sq. ft. to 2,700 sq. ft. Master bedrooms in these units feature attached bathrooms and built-in wardrobes. The living room, a separate dining area, well-equipped kitchen, maid’s room, multiple balconies and swimming pool access are other features of these apartments.

Those prefer in living private residences can opt for villas on Airport Street. The houses are available in 3 to 6-bedroom layout with a coverage area ranging between 2,900 sq. ft. to 6,800 sq. ft. These units feature a spacious living area, bedroom with bathroom, kitchen, laundry, storeroom and maid’s room. Other distinctive features include a garden area, swimming pool and car parking space inside the house.

A few villas on Aiport Street are available for purchase as well. The price range of these houses fluctuates between AED 5.5M to AED 9M. The houses on the Airport Street will be found in the quieter districts of Al Wahda but again these are rare to find.

Freehold properties on Airport Street is only open to UAE Nationals, expats are not able to purchase property on Airport Street.

There are numerous residential buildings on Airport Street with apartments of unique layouts and rental range. Take a look at the most popular buildings before renting an apartment on Airport Street.

Hotels on Airport Street include:

• Millenium Capital Gate Abu Dhabi
• Marriott Hotel Downtown Abu Dhabi
• Al Rawda Arjaan by Rotana
• Murjan Asfar Hotel Apartments
• Centro Al Manhal

Millennium Capital Gate Abu Dhabi is a 5-star hotel featuring elegant rooms and suites. The hotel has five restaurants, several meeting rooms, a ballroom, an executive lounge, spa and sauna and outdoor pool for adults and children.

Marriott Hotel Downtown Abu Dhabi on Airport Street is another 5-star hotel with a wealth of amenities for guests. Fitness enthusiasts will find exceptional fitness amenities at the hotel while food lovers can enjoy international cuisine along with handcrafted cocktails.

Those with their own vehicles will find that there is parking available but since Airport Street is quite a bustling area these are tough to find, especially in the evening and on weekends. There are street parking and several car parks around the area but these do fill up fast. Most of the apartment buildings come with 1 parking only, so this might be a problem for residents with more than one car.

Taxis are easy to find due to Airport Street being a key area in Abu Dhabi. The best place to hail a taxi would be near the World Trade Centre Mall. In terms of public transport, there are several bus routes running through the area connecting to many parts of the city.

There are many supermarkets at the bottom of the high-rise residential buildings. You will find multiple branches of Alam Supermarket, Fathima Supermarket, Millenium Supermarket and more. There are also small mini-marts that are best for daily essentials within the vicinity as well.

For larger hauls, there is a Spinneys Supermarket in the World Trade Centre Mall in the Al Danah district. There is a Lulu Hypermarket in both the Al Wahda Mall and Al Mushrif Mall. These are all easily accessible for residents of Airport Street.

Airport Street connects to many different religious places of worship. There are over 15 mosques near the street alone, resident favourites include Muhammed Bin Zayed Mosque, Sheikh Butti Al Hamed Mosque, Mosque Mus’ab Bin Umair and many more. The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is also along Airport Road towards the south of Abu Dhabi close to the Al Maqtaa district.

A group of most-visited churches in Abu Dhabi are located in the Al Mushrif area which is in close proximity to the centre of Airport Street. Some of the churches include St Andrew’s Church, the Evangelical Community Church and St George’s Orthodox Cathedral among many others. Hindu residents of Airport Street will have to wait to visit a Hindu temple in Abu Dhabi as one is currently being constructed and will be complete in 2020. For now, they will have to visit the temples in Jebel Ali and Bur Dubai in the neighbouring emirate of Dubai.

Parents will find that living on Airport Street will have many different options for students of all ages. There are multiple schools and nurseries with different educational curriculums and price points that are accessible from Airport Street. For toddlers, there is the ABC Nursery, Giggles English Nursery – Airport Road branch, Sara Nursery and more.

Primary school options include the American curriculum based GEMS World Academy and Pearl Primary School. GEMS World Academy on Fatima Bint Mubarak Street follows the International Baccalaureate Primary Year Program (IB PYP) and caters to students aged 4 to 10 years. It is also listed among the best schools in Abu Dhabi. Both the schools are the highest-rated primary schools with the rating of ‘very good’ by the Abu Dhabi Department of Knowledge and Education.

Middle and high school options include the Summit International School which offers the American curriculum from KG to Year 8. Al Bateen Secondary School offers the British curriculum from Year 7 to Year 13 and the American Community School which has options from KG to the final Year 12. Apart from these schools, there are also many other schools within a 10-15 minute drive and are included on school bus routes.

University options include Al Hosn University, European International College, Khalifa University and University of Strathclyde Business School Abu Dhabi. Living on Airport Street is an economical option for students as well, there are many options and amenities nearby.

Universal Hospital, MediClinic Airport Road and NMC Women’s Hospital are reputed options for the area. Other healthcare facilities include The American Surgecenter, Nation Hospital and Canadian Medical Centre Abu Dhabi. Those with pets can head to the Gulf Rider Vet Pharmacy while the American Veterinary Centre is about 10 minutes away.

Airport Street is close to many localities such as Al Wahda, Al Mushrif, Al Hosn, Al Dhafrah and more. Al Nahyan Stadium and Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque are nearby landmarks.

The area is a lively area to live, work or play in, there are multiple bars, restaurants, cafes and hotels in the district.

There are quite a few shopping destinations for residents of Airport Street to head to. There is the massive World Trade Centre (WTC) Mall, it has a majority of luxury and high-street retail outlets, an immersive dining experience, a Novo Cinemas and a few beauty salons. A more traditional option would be The Souq, it can be reached by crossing the first-floor level bridge from WTC Mall. The Souq is geared towards tourists who want to experience the traditional markets in a modern way, there are souvenirs and trinkets available for purchase here. Al Wahda Mall is also nearby and has many amenities and facilities for residents to enjoy.

One can buy exquisite pieces of gold jewellery and precious stones from gold shops in Abu Dhabi. The Madinat Zayed Gold Centre is one of them located nearby the Airport Street. It is a small souk offering traditional and contemporary jewellery. If you’re looking at thrifty shopping experiences check out the area behind the World Trade Centre and Qasr Al Hosn district, it is a bargain shopping haven for textiles.

The area is filled with restaurants all over, some residents even refer to Airport Street as ‘food street’. Fast-food options include Pizza Hut, Taza Restaurant, SFC Plus and KFC. Pocket-friendly hidden gems include the all you can eat hot pot restaurant Xiao Wei Yang Hot Pot, Southern Chinese eatery Oasis Chinese Restaurant and Pakistani restaurant Al Arab.

Other casual eateries include the Indian restaurant Peppermill, South Korean food in a traditional setting at Hankook restaurant and Italian bistro Pizzaro. There are also many cafes such as Costa Coffee, Blacksmith Coffee Company, Tea Break cafe and the licensed Fifth Street Cafe in the Courtyard by Marriott hotel.

Nightlife options include the Up and Below, it is a newly opened roof-top bar at the Courtyard by Marriott. It’s spacious and central, ideal for either a quiet or vibrant night as it also has a proper food menu. The Porters English Pub in the Grand Millenium Hotel and the Velocity Sports Bar in the Marriott Downtown are great places to head to watch a game with a glass of your favourite alcoholic beverage.

The famous Corniche Beach and Breakwater Beach are close to the north of Airport Street. Both these options are family-friendly and often have on-going events and entertainment for both adults and children. If you live towards the south of Airport Street it would be best to visit Al Bateen Beach or Al Raha Beach.

One of the best places to visit nearby is the Qasr Al Hosn Fort. It was established in 1760 in the heart of the city and used to be a watch-tower and base for pearl traders. As pearl trading is how this country had first grown economically, Qasr Al Hosn used to be the economic hub for the emirate and it is known to be the symbolic birthplace of Abu Dhabi. As the rise of oil exploration and decline in the pearl trading industry lead Qasr Al Hosn to be expanded further, it was once a village in its own right housing a population of 5000 people. It is now an archaeological site and recently underwent renovations leading it to be one of the most important destinations in the emirate. It is not open for visitors all the time but even visiting the surrounding grounds will showcase the history of the fort and the emirate.

The Al Nahyan Stadium is also worth visiting if you are a football fan. It is used mainly for football matches and hosted the first 5 matches of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup. The crown jewel of the emirate has to be the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque which is towards the south of Airport Street. It is one of the world’s largest mosques and can hold up to 40,000 worshippers.

Umm Al Emarat Park also known as Mushrif Central Park is close to the centre of Airport Street. It offers the regular park amenities such as picnic areas and playgrounds for children but also offers unique attractions such as a Botanical Garden, Animal Barn, Wisdom Garden and more. It has also achieved Green Flag status which means it has set the best standards for parks & green spaces. Other options include the Abu Dhabi Cornice which has two parks, the Lake Park and Urban Park.

Fitness options include many gyms and fitness centres on the Airport Street strip. There is a Gold’s Gym, RAK Gym, Smart Fitness Center and Power Station Gym Abu Dhabi in close proximity for residents of Airport Street.

There are many salons on Airport Street such as Meteor Garden Salon, Eraserheads Gents Salon, Five Roses Ladies Salon and more. Relaxing spas include Ocean Waves Gents Spa, Maven Spa and FeZ Gents Spa Center. If you would like to kick up your spa day a notch, head to one of the fantastic spas as part of the hotels on Airport Street. Resident favourites include the O2 Spa in the Corniche Hotel, Chi The Spa at Shangri-La and The Club Spa at Abu Dhabi Country Club.

The Corniche and Breakwater Beaches have multiple events throughout the year. You will find street food festivals, breakdance workshops and shopping festivals as well. The Qasr Al Hosn Fort has traditional performances and activities for visitors to witness. There are also a few on-going events where visitors can learn traditional arts and crafts as well.

Being central is a key point if you are thinking of moving to Airport Street. You don’t have to go far to hit the beach, shop in the mall, visit cultural attractions or grab a bite to eat. Airport Street does, however, have a parking problem, as it is a central district there are traffic and parking issues. There are car parks but these fill in fast, for those with more than 1 car if you live in a villa you’re in luck as apartment buildings only offer 1 parking space.

• As it is in the centre of Abu Dhabi many areas are close by.
• Al Wahda, Al Mushrif and Al Nahyan are all 10-minutes away.
• The WTC Mall and Al Wahda Mall are within the community.
• It takes 25 minutes from the north of Airport Road to reach Abu Dhabi International Airport.
• Qasr Al Hosn and Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque are landmarks in the community.