Za'abeel, Bur Dubai

Part of the widespread Bur Dubai district, Za’abeel is a large community at the centre of old and New Dubai. Positioned on the southern end of Bur Dubai and bordering Dubai Creek on the east, the community is made up of Al Kifaf, Za’abeel 1 and Za’abeel 2.

The area is best recognised for being home to Zabeel Park and the Za’abeel Palace, which are amongst the popular landmarks in the city. The area shares a border with Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), World Trade Centre area as well as Downtown Dubai. Sheikh Zayed Road (E11) runs through the northern portion of the area while Al Ain – Dubai Road runs adjacent to it on the eastern side.

Za’abeel is one of the affluent and newer areas of Bur Dubai, which is one of the oldest and largest residential hubs in the city. As per Bayut & Dubizzle Annual Market Report for Dubai 2020, Bur Dubai ranked second as the most popular area for renting apartments in the emirate overall.

• A newer area in Bur Dubai
• Consists of Za’abeel 1, Za’abeel 2 and Al Kifaf
• Home to Za’abeel Palace and Zabeel Park
• Gateway to New Dubai
• Close to Sheikh Zayed Road (E11)
• Adjacent to Al Ain Road – Dubai 
• Made up of villas, townhouses, apartments, offices and retail spaces

Previously, Za’abeel was a large area of barren land but after witnessing the development of the Za’abeel Palace of the ruling family, it oversaw numerous other developments too. Presently, the area is home to the Zabeel Park and a variety of villas and townhouses while residential and mixed-use towers are undergoing construction.

Once completed, these townhouses, apartments, offices and retail spaces will be available on both a rental and freehold basis.

The location of the area serves as one of its key prime aspects, which provides easy access to Sheikh Zayed Road (E11), the main highway of Dubai. Moreover, it serves as a gateway to New Dubai from old Dubai.

Popular points of interest in the community are:

• Diverse choices in terms of properties
• Easy access to the renowned areas of Dubai
• Zabeel Park right in the neighbourhood

You will find a mix of commercial and residential properties in Za’abeel, including:

• Villas
• Townhouses
• Apartments
• Offices
• Retail Spaces

Most of the area is largely covered with private townhouses and villas while apartments, retail spaces and offices are available to the public for selling and renting. The apartments are available from 1-bed to 5-bedroom configurations too.

The floor area of 1-bedroom apartments ranges between 678 sq. ft. and 999 sq. ft. while that of 2-bedroom apartments ranges from 1,074 sq. ft. to 1,635 sq. ft. 3-bed units cover a floor area from 1,456 sq. ft. to 4,138 sq. ft.  The floor area of 4-bedroom apartments ranges anywhere between 3,661 sq. ft. to 10,872 sq. ft. whereas 5-bedroom units have an average built-up area of 4,853 sq. ft.

You can rent an apartment in Za’abeel according to the listed rental trends.

• 1-bedroom apartments have an annual average rent of around AED 80K.
• The rent of 2-bedroom apartments comes to an average of AED 120K per year.
• You can rent a 3-bedroom apartment for an average rent of AED 165K annually.

For apartments that range on the affordable end of the spectrum in the same areas, you can look for other apartments for rent in Bur Dubai.

You can buy an apartment in Za’abeel according to the listed sales trends.

• The sale price of 1-bedroom apartments ranges between AED 1.4M and AED 1.7M. 
• You can buy a 2-bedroom apartment for anywhere between AED 1.8M and AED 2.0M.
• 3-bedroom apartments have an average sale price of AED 3.1M.

Most of the apartments for sale in Bur Dubai are much more affordable than those in Za’abeel since most of the buildings are comparatively older.

 Those looking for properties in the community can check the floor plans for Za’abeel on Bayut for understanding the configurations better.

While there are no hotels within the Za’abeel area, the immediate neighbours are abundant in a wide range of hotels. Some of these include:

• Four Seasons Hotel Dubai International Financial Centre – 5-star hotel
• Waldorf Astoria Dubai International Financial Centre – 5-star hotel
• Jumeirah Emirates Tower, Trade Centre 2 – 5-star hotel
• Novotel Hotel, Trade Centre 2 – 4-star hotel
• Jumeirah Living World Trade Centre Residence, Trade Centre 2 – 4-star hotel

All of these hotels are amongst the best in the city and just a few of the many located in their communities.

The buildings in the community have parking spaces on the ground floors and basement levels while villas come with their own garages. Visitors can avail street parking, as the community boasts of numerous open spaces.

Za’abeel’s proximity to the network of roads renders it convenient to travel using private conveyance as well as public transport.

The community itself does not boast of bus stations and bus stops; however, its neighbouring areas have many options for boarding the Dubai Bus, most of which are located on Al Mustaqbal Street.

The ones on Al Mustaqbal Street are Novotel Hotel Bus Stop; Emirates Tower Bus Stop; Dubai International Financial Centre, Gate Village Bus Stop; DAMAC Park Tower Bus Stop and Za’abeel Bus Stop. These service the routes X22, 27 and 29.

World Trade Centre Hotel Bus Stop is on 2nd Za’abeel Road while Wasl, Wasl Club Bus Stop are on Oud Metha Road.

The proximity of the area to Sheikh Zayed Road (E11) makes the stations of Dubai Metro reachable within less than 10 minutes by car. Financial Centre Station and World Trade Centre Station are reachable within 6 minutes while Al Jafiliya Station on Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Street (D88) requires the same driving distance.

Some other metro stations near Za’abeel also include Dubai Healthcare City Metro Station, Oud Metha Metro Station while Al Jadaf Metro Station can be reached via Al Ain – Dubai Road (E66).

There are a few grocery stores and supermarkets in Za’abeel such as:

• Fatma Murad Grocery Store – 18, Za’abeel Street
• Zabeel Grocery – 5/1, 23b Street
• Ali Sulaiman Grocery – Villa No. 41, Near Zabeel Palace
• Grandiose Supermarket – Dubai Mall Zabeel

Fatma Murad Grocery Store, Zabeel Grocery and Ali Sulaiman Grocery are small grocery stores while Grandiose Supermarket is a new supermarket in the area, located in the Zabeel expansion of Dubai Mall.

The supermarket comes with access to parking spaces with more than 3,000 cars along with a wide range of items including conventional groceries, organic products, gourmet items and an extensive hot food area.

For larger supermarkets, there are many in World Trade Centre Area and DIFC, such as:

• W Mart – Burj Daman Building, DIFC
• ZOOM – Rove Hotel, DIFC
• Spinneys – Central Park Towers

Amongst Dubai’s best supermarkets, each of these renowned supermarkets has a wide range of products to fulfil your everyday grocery shopping. W Mart operates under the West Zone Group, ZOOM is a popular chain of convenience stores and Spinneys is well known for its range of organic products. Spinneys in Dubai have not limited their stock to organic items only but even offer toys, jewellery, books and magazines.

There are many mosques in Za’abeel such as:

• Za’abeel Mosque – 30 Street, Za’abeel 1
• Al Sheikh Rashid Bin Saied Al Maktoum – 14 Street, Za’abeel 1
• Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum – 23b Street, Za’abeel 1
• Al Shaikha Hind Bint Maktoum Bin Juma Al Maktoum – 7 Street, Za’abeel 2
• Ahel Alsunnah – 26 Street, Za’abeel 2

Moreover, the popular Jumeirah Grand Mosque is only 15 minutes away from the Za’abeel area. His Highness Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum built the mosque and its construction took place from 1976 to 1979. Boasting of stunning architecture, the mosque offers tours to non-Muslim visitors too.

The community is close to the temples in Bur Dubai, which are only 10 minutes away. Being the oldest residential community in Dubai, Bur Dubai is home to a number of Indian expats in the city that resulted in the development of Hindu temples in the area.

Churches near Za’abeel are reachable within 8 minutes, some of which include:

• Holy Trinity Church – 255/4, Oud Metha Road, Umm Hurair 2
• St. Mary’s Catholic Church – 2, 10 Street, Umm Hurair 2
• St. Thomas Orthodox Church – 11, 11b Street, Oud Metha

Holy Trinity Church is an Anglican church while St. Mary’s Catholic Church is amongst the most-visited Catholic churches in the city. St. Mary’s Catholic Church is amongst the best churches in Dubai and the largest Roman Catholic Parish in the world. St. Thomas Orthodox Church is a Syrian church that is affiliated with the Delhi Diocese too.

Some of the best schools near Za’abeel, Bur Dubai are concentrated in Oud Metha and Umm Hurair 2 and can be reached within a drive of 10 minutes. A few of these include:

• Pakistan Education Academy – 1a, 8 Street, Umm Hurair 2
• Dubai English Speaking School – 251, Oud Metha Road
• The Indian High School (IHS) – 16, 9b Street, Oud Metha
• Lycee Francais International Georges Pompidou – ¼, 18 Street, Oud Metha

Pakistan Education Academy follows the National Curriculum of Pakistan and offers classes for students aged from 3 to 18 years. It is a private school established in 1968 to cater to the needs of Pakistani expatriates.

Dubai English Speaking School (DESS) is another school that follows the British curriculum and is one of the oldest schools in the city. The school is amongst Dubai’s top British curriculum schools and currently has more than 800 students in its enrolment.

Established in 1961, Indian High School (IHS) is affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) in New Delhi, India. It has two more campuses in the city and offers quality affordable education. Classes in the Oud Metha branch range from Grade 5 to Grade 12.

Lycee Francais International Georges Pompidou follows the French curriculum and offers classes to kindergarteners, who range from ages 3 to 6. The not-for-profit co-ed school is also closely linked with the French Consulate.

For medical care, individuals can avail quality care services from the nearby areas. Some of the renowned hospitals near Za’abeel are:

• Latifa Hospital – 7, Latifa Hospital Street, Al Jaddaf
• American Hospital – 7, 19 Street, Oud Metha
• Emirates Hospital – 5, Al Madina Al Tebia Street, Umm Hurair 2
• Iranian Hospital – 219, Al Wasl Road, Jumeirah

Latifa Hospital provides all kinds of neonatal and maternal services and is amongst the largest maternity and children’s hospitals in the UAE. Emirates Hospital and American Hospital are amongst Dubai’s best hospitals.

You can reach Latifa Hospital, American Hospital and Emirates Hospital within a 7-minute drive while Iranian Hospital is 15 minutes away.

To the west are the World Trade Centre area and Dubai International Financial Centre while Oud Metha is to the north. Al Jaddaf borders Za’abeel on the east whereas Dubai Design District is to the southeast. Downtown Dubai is the immediate neighbour on the south portion of Zabeel.

DIFC is a leading financial hub for the markets in South Asia, the Middle East and even Africa. Besides being a commercial hub, the community offers residential properties and hotels too.

Dubai World Trade Centre is one of the busiest areas in the city and hosts multiple exhibitions and global conventions throughout the year. Originally, the area had one building known as Sheikh Rashid Tower, which was the tallest building in 1979 when it was built. The area is now a renowned cosmopolitan commercial destination in the city.

Downtown Dubai is one of the most well-known tourist destinations in Dubai. It is home to the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall and the Dancing Fountains. Offering a luxurious lifestyle, the area houses a number of upscale hotels too. Moreover, it is an affluent residential community in the city as well.

Business Bay, the upcoming commercial hub of Dubai is home to a number of commercial buildings, banks, shops and high-profile offices. It has many apartments, hotels and hotel apartments too.

A prime aspect of the area is the availability of different malls. Recently, the Dubai Mall has witnessed an extension into Za’abeel, creating the new Dubai Mall Za’abeel.

A few of the other neighbouring malls near Zabeel are:

• Dubai Mall – Downtown Dubai
• Souk Al Bahar – Downtown Dubai
• WAFI Mall – Umm Hurair 2

Dubai Mall is one of the largest shopping centres in the world and a prime attraction in the city. It is adjoined to two 5-star hotels and is home to the Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo along with many restaurants, a VR Park, a haunted house and Ice Rink Dubai too.

Souk Al Bahar has more than 100 shops along with 22 cafes, lounges and restaurants. A key highlight of this market is the waterfront dining experience with views of the Burj Khalifa Lake and dancing fountain.

WAFI Mall boasts of a unique Egyptian theme where you can shop from over 250 stores. The mall also has a traditional souk, namely Khan Murjan Souk that itself consists of 100 shops and vendors too.

Restaurants in Za’abeel include:

• Pizza Hut – ENOC Petrol Station, Oud Metha Road
• Burger King – ENOC Petrol Station, Oud Metha Road
• Subway – ENOC Petrol Station, Oud Metha Road
• Eat Well Restaurant – Dubai Herbal & Treatment Centre
• Mashakeek – ENOC Petrol Station, Opposite Al Wasl Club

Pizza Hut, Burger King and Subway are international fast food joints while Eat Well Restaurant deals in healthy food and juices. At Mashakeek, you can try different types of kebabs.

The community has a variety of places where you can go for satisfying your sweet tooth and for tea and coffee. Dessert parlours and cafes in Za’abeel include:

• Al Shofan Pastry – Zabeel Ladies Club, 20th Street
• Dunkin’ – ENOC Petrol Station, Opposite Al Latifa Hospital
• Chocolate Room – 6th Street
• Destination Café – 6th Street
• Pronto – ENOC Petrol Station Station, Opposite Al Wasl Club
• Starbucks – 1032 ENOC Petrol Station

Dunkin’ is one of the most popular coffee companies in the world, best known for its doughnuts. Starbucks is a renowned coffeehouse chain of restaurants.

A key highlight of the area is the abundance of upscale restaurants, exuding luxury with a chic dining and lounge experience. Fine dining restaurants near Za’abeel include:

• Zuma – Gate Village 6, DIFC
• Shanghai Me – Gate Village 11, DIFC
• Chamas – Crowne Plaza Dubai, Trade Centre Area
• Tresind – Voco Hotel, Trade Centre Area

Zuma is a Japanese restaurant while Shanghai Me covers a vast range of Asian cuisines, including Japanese, Chinese, Singaporean and Vietnamese. Chamas is a Brazilian steakhouse while Tresind specialises in items from northern India.

From Za’abeel, it takes 15 to 17 minutes to reach both Jumeirah Public Beach and Kite Beach, both of which are amongst the best beaches in Dubai. Jumeirah Public Beach features a running track that spans 1.8km along with cycling and skating places. It is close to many 24-hour stores and offers changing rooms, public toilets and lifeguards too.

Kite Beach is a lively beach where you can indulge in several activities in addition to water sports. Owing true to its name, the beach is perfect for kitesurfing. Moreover, you will find food trucks, an outdoor gym and a small adventure park too.

Since the Za’abeel area is home to Zabeel Park, it also enjoys being home to the Dubai Frame and Dubai Garden Glow. Standing 150 metres high, Dubai Frame is the world’s largest picture frame. Designed by Fernando Donis, the majestic consists of 2,900 sq. of laminated glass, 2,000 tons of steel and 9,900 cubic metres of reinforced concrete.

A few of the other notable landmarks near Za’abeel are:

• Burj Khalifa
• Al Fahidi Historical District
• Etihad Museum

Burj Khalifa, the tallest skyscraper in the world is only 10 minutes away while Al Fahidi Historical District and Etihad Museum can be reached in 15 minutes.

Burj Khalifa has not only fared in popularity for being the largest skyscraper with 163 floors but serves as a well known recreational spot too. You will find luxury restaurants here along with a spa, restaurants, a theme park and observation decks on several floors namely At the Top, Burj Khalifa.

Etihad Museum is a modern museum that focuses on the events between 1968 and 1974 through 10 exhibitions. These exhibitions take you through a journey to the unification of the emirates.

Al Fahidi Historical District provides insight into the history of Dubai before it was laden with skyscrapers and high-rise buildings. You can explore the narrow alleyways here and also visit the Dubai Museum here. The district boasts of other museums, a textile market and a cultural centre too.

Amongst the greatest attractions of the area is the Za’abeel Park itself. Featuring a built-up area that almost equals that of 45 football fields, the park is abundant in a wide range of activities for people of all ages. Besides lush green spaces and boardwalks, the park has a cricket ground too, making up for the numerous Zabeel Park activities.

For personal grooming, one will find salons and beauty parlours such as:

• Al Namoos – 5/1, 23b Street, Za’abeel 1
• Ali Hairdressing – 18, Za’abeel Street, Za’abeel 1
• Dolls – Jumeirah Living World Trade Centre Residence
• Allure Beauty Lounge – Sky Gardens

Al Namoos and Ali Hairdressing are gents’ salons while Dolls and Allure Beauty Lounge are ladies beauty parlours.

Zabeel Park in the community is used as a venue for a huge number of events that range from art shows to musicals and many more events throughout the year. Individuals can enjoy the Dubai Garden Glow event too that occurs in the year’s colder months, starting from October.

The area is currently undergoing different developments, such as:

• Vida Za’abeel
• Wasl 1
• Park Gate Residences
• One Za’abeel

All of these skyscrapers will be iconic towers that will boast of high-end amenities and unique architecture. One Za’abeel will be a commercial and freehold complex of two twin skyscrapers with a 225-metre concourse, namely the ‘Link’, which will be longest cantilever in the world.

Wasl 1 will be a mixed-use complex of 12 towers with offices, apartments as well as retail spaces. Martha Swartz Partners will design its overall landscape and the central tower in the complex will be shaped like a numeric 1. Park Gates Residences will have four high-rise towers with apartments, penthouses and podium townhouses too.

Za’abeel is one of the most prominent developments that are currently underway in the city. It will feature a wide range of properties where prospective residents and businesses will be able to find options of their choice.

However, most of the area is still under development, moreover, the pricing scale may exceed that of those with a limited income. Such individuals can look for other options in the neighbouring areas instead.

Za’abeel is a district that consists of two sub-communities namely Za’abeel 1 and Za’abeel 2. Previously a barren land, it is now home to different properties and the house of the ruling family. It is located in the Bur Dubai area and borders the Dubai World Trade Centre area, Dubai International Financial Centre, Sheikh Zayed Road (E11) and Downtown Dubai.

The park offers free entry for differently abled individuals and children who are less than 2 years, however, for adults; the fee is AED 5 per person.

Depending on where you are coming from, you can reach Zabeel Park via Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Street or Tariq Bin Zayed Road if you are coming from Bur Dubai or the other side of Dubai Creek.

If your route hails from New Dubai, you can access the park by travelling through the Dubai Metro on Sheikh Zayed Road (E11) or through Al Ain – Dubai Road (E66).

Zabeel Palace is not open to the visitors from the inside; however, you can view the palace from a faraway distance. A lot of tours do include Zabeel Palace in their schedules, however, these viewing also include the external areas only and not the insides of the Palace.

• 10-minute drive to Dubai International Airport
• 20 minutes away from Palm Jumeirah and Dubai Marina
• Burj Al Arab is reachable within a 20-minute drive
• Al Maktoum International Airport is 32 minutes away