Al Gharayen

Al Gharayen or Qarayen is a popular residential district in Sharjah. Since it is located close to the border between Sharjah and Dubai, it has easy access to both emirates through Al Maliha Road.

Al Gharayen is also close to many key areas in Sharjah such as University City, Industrial Area and Sharjah International Airport. There are several leisure spots such as parks and museums in and around the vicinity.

• Majorly consists of villas for rent and sale.
• Opposite Sharjah International Airport.
• Home to Sharjah Discovery Centre.
• Home to Sharjah National Park.
• Close to Matajer Al Juraina and Zero 6 Mall.
• Close to a few museums and convention centres.

Al Gharayen has five villa sub-communities that are numbered from one to five. The master community lies between University City Road (S120) and Al Dhaid Road (E88). Residential properties in Al Gharayen include independent villas that are fenced with high boundary walls. Since these properties are tucked away from commercial areas, residents get to live with extra privacy in a peaceful environment.

Although completely residential, the neighbourhood has basic amenities within the vicinity. Since there are many large properties, it is an ideal community for families.

Al Gharayen predominantly houses larger properties. It is a residential community in Sharjah that is known for its large villas with ample garden space. A few Al Gharayen villas are moderately furnished with floor-to-ceiling windows, complete kitchen cabinetry and fancy ceiling lamps and chandeliers.

The average size of a freehold villa in Al Gharayen is around 17,500 sq. ft. Apart from multiple bedrooms and washrooms, most houses in Al Gharayen contain at least one room for domestic staff, a huge kitchen, a living room, dining room, a large hall and a laundry area.

The external area consists of a front garden enclosed by high boundary walls. Some houses also have a large backyard. Each villa comes with covered parking space for at least two vehicles.

Freehold prices of villas range between AED 3M and AED 4.5M. There are several 4-bedroom and 5-bedroom villas that are built over plot areas exceeding 18,000 sq. ft.

The area is home to Sharjah International Airport Hotel which offers economical suites. It is a popular temporary residence for business travellers, transit passengers and crew members, located in Gharayen 1. You will find private, airconditioned and furnished rooms here.

Car-owners benefit from plenty of parking spaces in Al Gharayen. Each house comes with a private and secure parking facility for more than one car. Those who own a boat often park their trailers outside their houses on the street.

Options for public transportation in Al Gharayen are limited. However, the route of Bus 15 passes along the neighbourhood’s border. This bus service operates between Sharjah Airport Terminal and Al Rolla bus station. There are a few bus stops along Maliha Road that Bus 14 services. These are easily reachable by the residents of Qarayen 4 and 5.

When one runs out of grocery staples or any household item, they can head over to the nearest grocery stores or supermarkets in Al Gharayen. There is at least one in most sub-communities. In Gharayen 1, you will find Al Takamul Supermarket and Shabiat Al Madinah Supermarket.

Al Fanar Grocery or Al Fanar Supermarket as it is known and Madeenat Al Qaraien Supermarket are based in Gharayen 2. There is Al Manafith Grocery in Gharayen 4 and Sharjah Cooperative Society Supermarket and Shabab Al Qaraien Supermarket in Gharayen 5.

There are numerous mosques in Al Gharayen where residents can offer their prayers. Some of these include Al Tawabeen Mosque, Samrah Bin Jundub Mosque, Hilal Ibn Umayyah Mosque and Sufyan Ibn Abdulla Al Thaqfi Mosque.

A cluster of churches near Al Gharayen can be found in Al Yarmook, about 20 minutes away. These include St.Michael’s Catholic Church, Russian Orthodox Church, St. Gregorios Orthodox Church and St. Martin’s Anglican Church.

If one wants to visit the long-established Shiva Temple, they will have to drive to Al Fahidi community in Dubai which is almost a 30-minute drive away. You will find Shree Krishna Haveli, ShrinathJi Temple, Sikh Gurudwara and Sindhi Gurdarbar also located in Al Fahidi, near Dubai Museum.

Parents who are looking for private schools in Al Gharayen can send their children to either Al Wahda Private School, Sharjah International Private School, Emirates American School or New World American Private School.

Al Qarain Primary & Secondary School For Girls, Al Ansar International School, and Fatima Al Zahra Secondary School for Girls are some other options.

One of the benefits of living in Al Gharayen is that students can pursue higher education in one of the institutes based in the adjacent University City area. Some of these institutes are Al Qasimia University, the University of Sharjah and the American University of Sharjah.

Royal Hospital is one of the leading hospitals in Al Gharayen. It is located on Al Dhaid Road. Another medical facility in the neighbourhood is Al Qarain Health Center.

Clinics and hospitals near Al Gharayen include Ishaq Bin Omran Medical Centre, Family Health Promotion Centre, University Hospital Sharjah and University Dental Hospital Sharjah.

Al Gharayen is near the communities of Al Noaf and Al Juraina. Both of these developments have four sub-communities. Al Noaf is majorly a villa community, while Al Juraina features a mix of villas and apartments.

Other nearby communities include Al Sabkha, Al Jazzat and Al Azra that are part of Al Riqa Suburb, which is a 16-minute drive away. According to 2019 Market Report for Sharjah by Bayut, these are some of the most sought-after areas for renting villas in the city.

A popular mall near Al Gharayen is Matajer Al Juraina. For a quick grab-and-go, Matajer Al Juraina has plenty of retail outlets that offer a variety of products and good deals. There is a large retail outlet called Max that stocks trendy garments as well as Carrefour Market that offers a wide variety of everyday products. It also has a small food court too. Other amenities of the mall include a florist shop, an indoor amusement arcade, a beauty salon, prayer rooms and an expansive parking facility.

Another mall situated nearby is the upscale Zero 6 Mall, a newly opened shopping destination based in University City. It has plenty of entertainment offerings such as Cinemacity which features the biggest IMAX screen in UAE and the first IMAX screen in Sharjah.

Restaurants in Al Gharayen include several cafeterias that offer quick refreshments. More dining options near the neighbourhood are concentrated around Taryam Omran Taryam Square. These include fast-food restaurants in Sharjah Cooperative Society, such as Hardee’s, Pizza Hut and Burger King. There is also Shabab Al Shaba Bakery and Calimero Cafeteria.

At Zero 6 Mall, residents have many vibrant options to consider if they are in the mood for a different dining experience. For instance, Angelina Paris offers French cuisine, Wagamama offers Japanese dishes, Sapori has Italian specialities and Burger Boutique is known for its mouthwatering burgers.

Matajer Al Juraina has Gazebo an Indian restaurant, PizzaExpress which is an Italian eatery, Shakespeare & Co. is a popular cafe, Treej Cafe serves Emirati food and Eggspectation is an American restaurant.

The popular beaches near Al Gharayen are about 20 kilometres away. Accessible after a drive of 25 minutes, these sandy areas include Sharjah Beach, Al Mamzar Beach and Al Khan, which is one of the best beaches in Sharjah.

Most of these beaches also offer hotels and resorts which are popular staycation spots. Coral Beach Resort and Sheraton Sharjah Beach Resort & Spa are established on Sharjah Beach. Golden Beach Motel and Lou’Lou’a Beach Resort are situated close to Al Khan Beach.

Qarayen has plenty of family-friendly entertainment areas. Sharjah Discovery Centre, located close to the main road, is a recreational centre designed for kids up to the age of 12 years. It is segmented into seven concepts such as Build Town, Drive Town, TV Studio, Sports World, Water World, Body World and Sharjah Kids International Airport.

Kids of every age bracket can experience a rewarding adventure at Magic Planet in Matajer Al Juraina mall. It features an exciting range of rides, arcade games as well as soft play areas.

Adults can get their entertainment fix at Cinemacity in the Zero 6 Mall. This premier movie theatre is home to two VIP theatres, two Plus theatres, an IMAX lounge, a VIP lounge and an in-theatre dining facility.

Families can visit the Sharjah Centre for Astronomy & Space Sciences as well. Based in University City, this planetarium takes its visitors to an enlightening journey through an interactive model of observable space.

Other notable landmarks near Al Gharayen include Sharjah Classic Cars Museum and Sharjah Youth Centre.

The largest park in the city, Sharjah National Park stretches across the northern border of the neighbourhood. It is a great place for outdoor activities, games, picnics and barbeque parties. Spread across an area of 630,000 sq. ft., the park features a playground with a jungle gym, a giant water slide, sports courts and cycling tracks. There is also a duck pond, as well as picnic tables and several barbeque stations.

Fitness First, a gym for ladies is in walking distance of the sub-community Qarayen 5, while residents of other sub-communities can access it in just 5 minutes by car. There are numerous gyms in the nearby Muwailih Commercial.

There are dozens of salons close to the neighbourhood but the nearest is Royal Beauty Salon and Al Qaraien Gents Salon. Other notable mentions include NStyle Beauty Lounge, Hind Alamiri Beauty Salon and Red Door Ladies Salon.

Al Gharayen is home to the headquarters of Sajaya Young Ladies of Sharjah, which is a large centre for young ladies in the Middle East. It holds various events and activities dedicated to develop and strengthen the capabilities and talents of women in the field of academics, arts and sports.

Located on Al Dhaid Road, Sharjah Youth Centre offers a wide array of events and programs such as summer camps, Sharjah Football Championship and Ramadan Championship.

Al Gharayen is located close to Sharjah International Airport’s flight zone, so there is a higher level of noise exposure.

• Sharjah International Airport is accessible in about 7 minutes.
• The border of Ajman is accessible in 15 minutes.
• Rolla Area is a 20-minute drive away.
• Half-an-hour drive away from the central district of Dubai.