Dubai Hills Estate Area Guide (2026)
Dubai Hills Estate is Emaar and Meraas’s golf-and-park master community between Al Khail Road and Umm Suqeim Street. It is about 15 minutes from Downtown and is home to more than 20,000 apartments and over 2,000 villas. This guide covers what the community is actually like to live in, how its sub-communities differ, and what 2026 prices, rents and yields look like after this year’s market correction. Every figure is sourced, and where data is missing or sources disagree, we say so.
Updated October 2026 · Prepared by the TruHauz research desk
Dubai Hills Estate fact sheet
Sources: Emaar Properties Investor Presentation H1 2026 (Aug 2026) for the JV, master-plan size, unit counts and mall figures; emaar.com Dubai Hills Estate community page (accessed Oct 2026) for acreage, parks and Dubai Hills Park; Emaar blog “Dubai Hills Estate guide” (Oct 2024) for golf-course area; golf directories (Voyages Golf, Golfasian) for par and opening year; Bayut area guide for sub-community count.
Community overview
Dubai Hills Estate (often shortened to DHE) is organised around a central spine. The 18-hole golf course and a linked chain of parks run through the middle, and residential neighbourhoods sit on either side. The southern and western edges hold most of the apartment clusters: Park Heights, Mulberry, Acacia, Park Point, Socio, Collective, Golf Suites, Executive Residences and the newer towers around the mall. Townhouses and villas are mostly in gated pockets such as Maple, Sidra, Club Villas, Golf Grove and Golf Place. At the top end are the golf-front mansions of Fairway Vistas, Parkway Vistas and Hills Grove, and the plots of Emerald Hills.
In practice, Dubai Hills is several different markets under one name. A studio in a co-living building near the mall and a seven-bedroom golf-front mansion share an address, a park network and a service-road system, but very little else. That matters for pricing, rental demand and resale, so this guide treats sub-communities separately wherever the data allows.
Most of the original phases are complete and lived in, with mature landscaping. The community is still growing, though. Emaar launched several new apartment buildings between 2023 and 2025, and their handovers continue into 2029. More launches are planned next door in the district Emaar is now calling “Dubai Estate”.
Why buyers choose Dubai Hills Estate
A central location
The community sits between the old city and New Dubai. Downtown, Business Bay and Al Quoz are to one side, and Al Barsha, Mall of the Emirates and the Marina corridor are to the other. Al Khail Road and Umm Suqeim Street give direct access, and the widened Hessa Street (fully opened April 2026) adds another east–west link.
Green space you use every day
Over 1.4 million sq m of parks and open space is a real differentiator in Dubai. Cycle and running loops, playgrounds, a skate park and sports courts are walkable from most clusters, and the golf course keeps a long, low-rise view corridor open.
Emaar’s track record
Emaar controls design, delivery and community management, which keeps standards consistent. According to one broker’s analysis of H1 2026 DLD data, Emaar accounted for about 77% of transactions here. The developer has also shown it can fill a mall: Dubai Hills Mall was reported 99.1% occupied in June 2026.
What it’s really like to live in Dubai Hills
Most residents praise the same things. Everyday errands are easy, there is plenty of green space, and the community feels finished and well kept. You can walk or cycle to a park, a supermarket and a school in many clusters. Dubai Hills Mall is a genuine daily-use mall (cinema, hypermarket, indoor attractions) rather than a tourist destination, and King’s College Hospital is inside the community.
The trade-offs are just as consistent. This is a car-dependent community: there is no metro station, and the RTA DH1 bus feeds into Equiti Metro on the Red Line. Al Khail Road and the mall approach roads get congested at rush hour and on weekend evenings. In apartment clusters close to active plots you can expect construction noise and dust until around 2029. Living inside a villa cluster is quieter, but the bigger plots and golf views cost more, and the price gap within Dubai Hills is wider than in most communities.
Atmosphere varies by pocket. The Park Heights and Mulberry area is lively, with cafes and families on the boulevard. Sidra and Maple feel suburban. The golf-front estates are very private. Visit at the times you would actually be coming and going before you commit.
Daily life by buyer type
Families
Three GEMS campuses sit inside the community, all off Al Khail Road, and two KHDA “Outstanding” schools are on the edge. Townhouse clusters such as Maple and villa clusters such as Sidra have their own pools and play areas, and Dubai Hills Park is the weekend default. A paediatric clinic and a hospital are both inside the community. The main downsides are school-run traffic at the Al Khail junctions and villa rents that are well above the Dubai average.
Young professionals and couples
Smaller apartments in Collective, Socio, Golfville, Park Point or Park Heights put you close to the mall, gyms, cafes and the boulevard. The commute to Downtown, DIFC or Al Quoz by car is short, but parking is tighter in the older apartment clusters. Without a car you depend on taxis and the DH1 feeder bus.
Investors
Apartments are where the yield is. Bayut’s H1 2026 data puts the projected gross yield on Dubai Hills apartments at about 6.3%, against about 4.3% for villas. Demand is deep and the brand is easy to resell. On the other hand, entry prices are high, service charges on apartments are higher per sq ft than on villas, and a large new apartment supply is due 2027–2029, which S&P flags as a risk for investor-driven apartment segments.
Property types and sub-communities
Below are the main residential neighbourhoods, grouped by property type. We checked every classification against developer or DLD-based project data. Note that Acacia is an apartment cluster, not villas, and that Golf Lane is an Emaar South project, not part of Dubai Hills.
| Type | Key sub-communities | Typical beds | Typical size (sq ft) | Indicative 2026 price | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apartments (completed) | Park Heights, Mulberry, Acacia, Park Point, Park Ridge, Socio, Collective / Collective 2.0, Golfville, Executive Residences, Golf Suites | Studio–3BR (some 4BR duplexes in Mulberry) | 1BR ~645–1,000; 2BR ~960–1,900; 3BR ~1,590–2,750 | Asking (Bayut, Sep 2026): 1BR ~AED 1.74M, 2BR ~AED 2.80M, 3BR ~AED 4.60M; avg AED 2,522/sq ft (H1 2026) | Collective and Golfville are compact “co-living” style; Park Ridge and Lime Gardens include podium townhouses |
| Apartments (off-plan / recent) | Lime Gardens, Elvira, Greenside Residence, Parkside Views, Club Drive, Palace Residences, Vida Residences, Golf Hillside, Hillsedge, Address Residences, Rosehill, Greencrest | 1–3BR, some townhouses | From ~700 (1BR) to ~2,300 (3BR) | Developer launch prices; see current TruHauz listings below | Handovers scheduled 2026–2029; Emaar dates have slipped before |
| Townhouses | Maple 1/2/3, Club Villas (mostly attached), Golf Place Terraces | 3–5BR | Maple: 3BR ~2,230; 4BR ~2,390–2,470; 5BR ~2,700 | Maple 2026 transactions: AED 5.0M–6.25M (AED 2,076–2,285/sq ft, 4 sales) | Most affordable way into a house in DHE |
| Villas | Sidra 1/2/3, Golf Grove, Golf Place 1/2, Palm Hills, Park Gate, Address Villas Hillcrest | 3–6BR | Sidra 3BR ~3,100 to 5BR ~4,280; Golf Place 4BR ~5,360 to 6BR ~9,900 | Sidra 2026 transactions: AED 7.6M–10.1M (10 sales), with a 5BR at AED 19.3M in Sep 2026 | Villa asking average AED 2,870/sq ft (Bayut H1 2026) |
| Ultra-prime | Fairway Vistas, Parkway Vistas, Majestic Vistas, Hills Grove (“Dubai Hills Grove”), Emerald Hills (plots) | 6–7BR mansions; custom-build plots | Mansions ~8,000–10,000+ BUA; Hills Grove plots 25,000–40,000; Emerald Hills plots ~7,100–20,400 | Bayut asking: 6BR villa ~AED 47.9M (Sep 2026) | Few transactions, so treat any “average” with caution |
Sizes and handover dates: FAM Properties, Propsearch, Bayut building pages, Luxhabitat and Property Finder new-project pages (DLD/developer data, accessed Oct 2026). Asking prices: MyBayut “Golf course communities in Dubai” (updated 21 Sep 2026) and Bayut Dubai Sales Market Report H1 2026 (updated 22 Sep 2026). These are listing prices, not sale prices. Maple and Sidra transaction ranges come from DLD-based sold-price records compiled by dubaihillsagent.com and FAM Properties (2026). Samples are small, so treat them as indicative only.
Prices, rents and yields in 2026
2026 is not a normal year to read Dubai price charts. After the regional conflict that began in late February, S&P Global Ratings reported in October 2026 that Dubai residential prices had fallen by 5% to 15% across segments since the end of 2025. Cavendish Maxwell reported Q3 2026 sales value down 47% year on year and volume down 38%. ValuStrat’s citywide valuation index was down 4.5% year on year in September and about 10% below February, though it has been nearly flat month to month since June.
Apartments
- Average asking price: AED 2,522/sq ft (Bayut H1 2026). Bayut describes the change as a “modest increase” and gives no percentage.
- Asking rents (Bayut, Sep 2026): studio ~AED 71k, 1BR ~AED 102k, 2BR ~AED 159k, 3BR ~AED 260k per year.
- Projected gross yield: ~6.3% (Bayut H1 2026). A broker’s DLD-based H1 report gives “up to 6.0%”.
Villas and townhouses
- Average asking price: AED 2,870/sq ft, +2.31% (Bayut H1 2026).
- ValuStrat’s valuation of a typical Dubai Hills villa: −8.3% year on year (Sep 2026), at about AED 14.4M (Jul–Aug 2026).
- Asking rents (Bayut, Sep 2026): 3BR ~AED 345k, 4BR ~AED 397k, 5BR ~AED 1.08M per year.
- Projected gross yield: ~4.3% (Bayut H1 2026).
Why the villa numbers point in different directions: Bayut tracks what sellers are asking, while ValuStrat tracks what RICS valuers think a fixed set of homes is worth. In a correcting market, asking prices usually lag behind valuations. For a specific unit, we compare both against recent DLD transactions in the same cluster.
Dubai Hills Estate vs other villa communities
| Community (villas) | Avg asking price, AED/sq ft (H1 2026) | 4BR villa asking rent / yr (Sep 2026) | Projected gross yield (H1 2026) | ValuStrat villa value change, YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai Hills Estate | 2,870 | ~AED 397k | 4.3% | −8.3% (Sep) |
| Arabian Ranches | 2,184 | ~AED 413k | 3.9% | −7.1% (Sep) |
| Emirates Living (The Meadows) | Not published | ~AED 486k | Not published | +2.5% (Sep) |
| Jumeirah Golf Estates | 2,567 (Apr 2026) | ~AED 525k (Jumeirah Luxury) | 6.0% | +3.6% (Jul) |
| DAMAC Hills | 1,876 | ~AED 250k | 5.0% | Not published |
Sources: AED/sq ft and yields from the Bayut Dubai Sales Market Report H1 2026 (updated 22 Sep 2026; asking prices, projected gross ROI). The JGE AED/sq ft is Bayut’s April 2026 asking index as reported by Entrepreneur Middle East (11 Jun 2026). 4BR rents: MyBayut “Golf course communities in Dubai” (21 Sep 2026) and, for JGE, MyBayut JGE rental guide (28 Sep 2026). ValuStrat changes: ValuStrat Price Index, as reported by Economy Middle East (11 Aug and 7 Oct 2026). No 2026 data was available to us for The Springs or The Lakes AED/sq ft, Meadows yield, or DAMAC Hills on ValuStrat. Because these come from different sources and dates, read the table as a guide to relative position, not a precise ranking.
What the table shows is that Dubai Hills villas carry the highest asking price per sq ft in this group and one of the lower yields. Buyers are paying for location, newer stock and the Emaar master plan rather than for income. Jumeirah Golf Estates and DAMAC Hills currently offer more rent per dirham invested. If yield is your main goal, compare carefully, and see our rental yield and ROI guide.
Things buyers should know
- Sub-communities vary a lot. View (golf, park, road or construction), plot orientation and which phase a home belongs to all change both value and rentability. A Sidra villa backing onto the park and one facing a service road are different products at different prices.
- There is no metro. The nearest Red Line stations, Equiti and Mall of the Emirates, are about 15–20 minutes away by car. The planned Gold Line (target 2032) will run through Al Barsha South, but no station inside Dubai Hills has been confirmed.
- You pay a premium to be here. As the comparison above shows, villa asking prices per sq ft sit above Arabian Ranches and DAMAC Hills, and gross villa yields are lower.
- Service charges depend on the building or cluster. Apartments here pay far more per sq ft than villas, and branded or hotel-serviced buildings sit at the top. We have not quoted rates because the official DLD/Mollak index could not be verified for this guide. Ask for the current RERA-approved budget for the exact building before you make an offer. See our Dubai service charges guide.
- Construction and handovers are still under way. Elvira, Greenside Residence, Parkside Views, Club Drive, Palace, Vida, Golf Hillside, Hillsedge, Address Residences, Rosehill and Greencrest are scheduled from late 2026 to 2029, and Emaar handovers have slipped by more than a year on some earlier phases. Expect cranes, more traffic and more competing rental listings as each building completes.
- Budget for the full purchase cost. Allow for the 4% DLD transfer fee plus agency, trustee and mortgage costs. See our DLD fees guide and mortgage guide.
Who lives in Dubai Hills Estate
Established families
Mostly in Maple, Sidra, Club Villas and Golf Grove. School choice is usually the main reason they are here, and many have upgraded from apartments elsewhere in the city.
Professionals and couples
Tenants and owner-occupiers in Park Heights, Mulberry, Socio, Collective and Golfville. Many work in DIFC, Downtown, Al Quoz or Media City.
Prime and ultra-prime owners
Golf-front estates (Fairway Vistas, Parkway Vistas, Hills Grove, Emerald Hills) attract a small, very private group of end-users and long-term holders.
Is Dubai Hills Estate right for you?
A strong fit if you…
- want a central, green, finished community with schools, a hospital and a mall inside it
- value Emaar build quality and brand resale appeal
- are buying a family home to live in for 5+ years
- want apartment income of around 6% gross with deep tenant demand
- qualify for, or want to qualify for, the UAE Golden Visa through a purchase of AED 2M or more
May not fit if you…
- need metro access or do not want to drive
- are buying a villa mainly for rental yield (JGE and DAMAC Hills currently yield more)
- want a large plot on a modest budget. Compare our more affordable villa options
- expect a quick flip in 2026. Transaction volumes are down sharply and new supply is coming
- do not want to live near active construction
Schools, healthcare, retail and connectivity
Schools inside Dubai Hills
- GEMS Wellington Academy – Al Khail: British curriculum, FS–Y13, KHDA “Very Good”
- GEMS New Millennium School – Al Khail: CBSE (Indian), KHDA “Very Good”
- GEMS International School – Al Khail: IB, KHDA “Good”
Schools nearby (Al Barsha South)
- Kings’ School Al Barsha: British, KHDA “Outstanding”, on Umm Suqeim Street at the edge of the community
- Nord Anglia International School Dubai: British/IB, KHDA “Outstanding”
- Dubai Heights Academy and GEMS Founders School – Dubai: British, KHDA “Very Good”
Healthcare
- King’s College Hospital London – Dubai Hills: 100-bed multi-specialty hospital on Al Khail Road, open 24/7 since January 2019
- American Hospital Dubai Hills clinic and King’s paediatric clinic inside the community
- Mediclinic Parkview (182 beds) in nearby Al Barsha South 3 / Arjan
Retail and leisure
- Dubai Hills Mall: 550+ outlets, cinema, hypermarket, the Storm Coaster and indoor play
- Dubai Hills Golf Club with clubhouse dining; Dubai Hills Park and the community boulevard with cafes
- Mall of the Emirates about 10 minutes by car
KHDA ratings are from the 2023–24 inspection cycle, the latest full cycle. KHDA paused most inspections for 2024–25 and 2025–26. Sources: KHDA Inspection Key Findings 2023–24; school websites; kingscollegehospitaldubai.com; Gulf News (Jan 2019); emaar.com; Emaar Investor Presentation H1 2026.
Approximate drive times (off-peak)
| Destination | Approx. drive (off-peak) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Downtown Dubai / Burj Khalifa | 15–20 min | Emaar (15), Bayut (~20) |
| DIFC | ~15–20 min | TruHauz estimate (similar route to Downtown) |
| Dubai Marina | ~20 min | Emaar |
| Palm Jumeirah | 16–25 min | Propsearch (16), Bayut (~25) |
| Dubai International Airport (DXB) | 20–25 min | Bayut (~20), Emaar (25) |
| Al Maktoum International (DWC) | 30–40 min | Emaar (30), Propsearch (39) |
Peak-hour journeys can take much longer. Sources: Emaar blog “Dubai Hills Estate guide” (Oct 2024); Bayut Dubai Hills Estate area guide; Propsearch project pages (accessed Oct 2026). Public transport: RTA bus DH1 links Equiti Metro with Dubai Hills Mall, the Business Park, Park Heights and King’s College Hospital.
Future outlook
Supply pipeline. Based on developer payment plans reported by the portals, Dubai Hills apartment handovers are scheduled as follows. Elvira is due in Q4 2026. Greenside Residence and Parkside Views follow in Q3 2027. Club Drive, Palace Residences, Vida Residences and Golf Hillside are due through 2028, and Hillsedge, Address Residences, Rosehill and Greencrest in 2029. That is several thousand new apartments. They will support the community’s amenities, but they will also compete with existing stock for tenants and resale buyers in those years.
Infrastructure. RTA fully opened the upgraded Hessa Street between Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road in April 2026, with a second phase towards Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road under way. Umm Suqeim Street upgrades are also improving the east–west links. The Metro Gold Line (target 2032) is planned to serve Al Barsha South and nearby areas. Station locations relative to Dubai Hills should be confirmed before you rely on them.
Next door. Emaar’s H1 2026 investor presentation names a new district, “Dubai Estate”, adjacent to Dubai Hills Estate. If it goes ahead, it should add amenities and road investment. It will also mean more Emaar supply competing for the same buyers.
Market. S&P’s October 2026 base case is that regional disruption continues into 2027. Together with the 2027–2028 deliveries, that could extend the correction, “particularly in investor-driven apartment segments”. S&P expects prices to stabilise if geopolitical risk eases. Our honest read: Dubai Hills has deep end-user demand and limited villa land, which has historically helped it hold value better than secondary locations. Short-term returns in 2026–2027 should be underwritten cautiously, though, especially for off-plan apartments. Our off-plan vs ready guide sets out the trade-offs.
Dubai Hills Estate in pictures
Renders by Emaar from TruHauz project listings; villa photos from a TruHauz resale listing.
Dubai Hills Estate properties from TruHauz
Off-plan launches and ready homes we currently market in Dubai Hills Estate. Off-plan prices are developer starting prices at launch and may have changed, so contact us for current availability. You can also browse all Dubai Hills listings.
Dubai Hills Estate: frequently asked questions
Is Dubai Hills Estate a good place to buy in 2026?
For end-users who want a central, green, fully serviced community, yes. It has schools, a hospital and a major mall inside, and Emaar manages the master plan. For short-term investors, be more cautious. Dubai prices have fallen 5–15% across segments since end-2025 (S&P, Oct 2026), ValuStrat shows Dubai Hills villa values down 8.3% year on year in September 2026, and thousands of new apartments are due between 2027 and 2029.
Who developed Dubai Hills Estate?
Dubai Hills Estate is a 50:50 joint venture between Emaar Properties and Meraas, and the first phase of Mohammed Bin Rashid City. Emaar builds and manages most of the residential projects.
What are average property prices in Dubai Hills Estate?
Bayut's H1 2026 report puts average asking prices at about AED 2,522 per sq ft for apartments and AED 2,870 per sq ft for villas. In September 2026, typical asking prices were about AED 1.74M for a 1-bedroom apartment, AED 2.80M for a 2-bedroom and AED 11.45M for a 4-bedroom villa. These are listing prices, not transaction prices.
What rental yield can I expect in Dubai Hills Estate?
Bayut's H1 2026 data projects gross yields of about 6.3% for apartments and about 4.3% for villas. Net yields are lower once you deduct service charges, maintenance and vacancy. Apartment service charges per sq ft are much higher than villa charges.
Is there a metro station in Dubai Hills Estate?
No. The nearest Red Line stations are Equiti and Mall of the Emirates, about 15–20 minutes by car, and the RTA DH1 bus links Equiti Metro with Dubai Hills Mall, Park Heights and King's College Hospital. The planned Gold Line (target 2032) will serve Al Barsha South, but no station inside Dubai Hills has been confirmed.
Which schools are in Dubai Hills Estate?
Three GEMS schools are inside the community: GEMS Wellington Academy – Al Khail (British), GEMS New Millennium School – Al Khail (CBSE) and GEMS International School – Al Khail (IB). Kings' School Al Barsha and Nord Anglia International School Dubai, both rated Outstanding by KHDA in 2023–24, are just outside in Al Barsha South.
Can foreigners buy property in Dubai Hills Estate?
Yes. Dubai Hills Estate is a freehold area open to buyers of any nationality. A property purchase of AED 2 million or more can qualify the owner for the UAE 10-year Golden Visa, subject to current rules.
Are Sidra and Maple villas or townhouses?
Maple 1, 2 and 3 are townhouses of 3 to 5 bedrooms, about 2,200–2,700 sq ft. Sidra 1, 2 and 3 are standalone villas of 3 to 5 bedrooms, about 3,100–4,300 sq ft. DLD-based records show Maple selling for about AED 5.0–6.25M in 2026 and most Sidra villas for about AED 7.6–10.1M, with larger 5-bedroom Sidra homes selling for more.
Talk to a Dubai Hills specialist
Tell us your budget, timeline and whether you are buying to live in or to rent out. We will shortlist the right sub-communities and pull recent DLD transactions for each, so you know what homes actually sell for, not just the asking prices.
Sources (accessed October 2026): Emaar Properties Investor Presentation H1 2026 (Aug 2026) and H1 2026 results press releases (DFM, 7 Aug 2026); emaar.com Dubai Hills Estate community page and blog (Oct 2024); Bayut Dubai Sales Market Report H1 2026 and Dubai Rental Market Report H1 2026 (Jul 2026, updated 22 Sep 2026); MyBayut “Golf course communities in Dubai” (21 Sep 2026) and Jumeirah Golf Estates rental guide (28 Sep 2026); Entrepreneur Middle East on Bayut price indices (11 Jun 2026); ValuStrat Price Index via Economy Middle East (11 Aug, 9 Sep, 7 Oct 2026) and Zawya (ValuStrat Q2 2026 review); S&P Global Ratings via Zawya/TradeArabia (7–8 Oct 2026); Cavendish Maxwell Q3 2026 via The National and Gulf Business (7 Oct 2026); Driven Properties Dubai Hills Estate Market Report H1 2026; DLD-based sold-price records via FAM Properties and dubaihillsagent.com; Propsearch, Luxhabitat and Property Finder project pages; KHDA Inspection Key Findings 2023–24; King’s College Hospital Dubai; RTA / Dubai Media Office and Gulf News (Hessa Street, Gold Line). Asking prices and projected yields are not transaction prices. This guide is general information, not financial advice.
