Dubai Property Hunt

Not long ago the Jebel Ali area was considered as a satellite town that grew up around the port. But as Dubai progresses it becomes closer to the centre. It is well connected to the major road networks and an ideal place for people working in Jebel Ali Free Zone and Dubai Media and Internet cities. Jebel Ali village has a mixture of old single villas and newer villas in compounds and the Gardens has a range of very affordable one, two and three-bedroom apartments. Traditionally the rent in Jebel Ali Village was low given its out of town location, but has gone up in recent years. The rent of an older villa is around Dhs 100,000, a smart four bedroom pad in one of the complexes cost you around Dhs 130,000.

In Garden rents were set by the developer Nakheel, and they were low. The best thing is that they haven’t gone up a great deal since. A two bedroom apartment cost you around 50,000 Dhs plus a Dhs 4,000 annual air-conditioning fee. But there is one problem Nakheel closed the waiting list once it reached 3,000, and they are very hard to find. Ibn Battuta shopping mall is located on the doorstep. There is a great range of shops including a big Geant hypermarket and a multiplex cinema featuring an Imax Screen. In Jebel Al, the little shopping centre near the Al Montazah Complex has an Abela supermarket, dry cleaners, hair salons and an internet café. At the entrance of Jebel Ali there is Choitram supermarket and a pharmacy. Jebel Ali Village has a beautiful green park, with a pond and ducks. Gardens also have lots of green spaces with cricket pitches and badminton courts. Jebel Ali Village Riding Centre offers horse riding for all ages. There are food courts, cinema and restaurants in Ibne Battuta Mall (although restaurants are not licensed). Jebel Ali Club is licensed though, and is a popular spot among the local residents. It has a bar and restaurant with outdoor terrace, plus facilities like a pool, gym and squash and tennis court. The Jebel Ali Hotel and Spa is also nearby, and so is the shooting club. The Jebel Ali Clinic is the local government health clinic. There is the private Al Montazzah Medical clinic near the shops and a branch of Al Rafa Poly clinic in building 27 the Gardens. Jebel Ali Hospital near the shops has an emergency department and can dispatch their own ambulance. Cedars- Jebel Ali International hospital in JAFZ also has A&E and an ambulance, but as these are private you will have to pay in both cases. The nearest government A&E is Rashid Hospital. There are several schools in the area, such as Jebel Ali Primary, Winchester School and Delhi Private School (In the Gardens). Not a huge with traffic or parking in both areas it can busy around rush hours and traffic will build up when you are leaving the Gardens and Jebel Ali Village, but for commuters working in Dubai you will be against the flow of busy traffic so shouldn’t hit too much delays. Media and Internet City workers will face problems while works goes on at the interchanges for the Palm Jumeirah. You can expect to pay around Dhs 60 for a taxi to Trade Centre and Dhs 80 to the AirPort. Jebel Ali Village and the complexes are especially good for families, as there is not much through traffic. The Gardens is also a safe area, with plenty of security guards doing the rounds. These same security personnel could in fact prove to be the most annoying aspect of living in the Gardens – because the apartments are so sought after tenants may be tempted to sub-let when they leave. This is very much against the rules and to discourage it the security guards are always on the lookout for signs of people moving in or out. If you are caught carrying a washing machine out to your car , you would better have a good excuse.