District One
A gated villa and apartment community in Mohammed Bin Rashid City, built around a 7 kilometre Crystal Lagoon between Al Khail Road and Meydan Road, about 15 minutes from Downtown Dubai.
District One was the first residential project in Mohammed Bin Rashid City, launched in 2013 by Meydan Sobha, a joint venture between Meydan and Sobha. It sits between Al Khail Road and Meydan Road, south of Business Bay and beside Meydan Racecourse, and the first homes were handed over from 2017. The newer phases, District One West and Naya, are being built and sold by Nakheel.
The community is known for two things: very large villas and mansions on generous plots, and the Crystal Lagoon, a man-made lagoon about 7 kilometres long with around 14 kilometres of shoreline and sandy beaches for residents. Villas range from four to seven bedrooms, many with private pools and lagoon or park frontage, and the mansions at the top of the market are among the most expensive homes sold in Dubai.
Apartments make up the larger share of homes. The Residences at District One, a group of low and mid-rise buildings along the lagoon, hold studios to four bedroom units, and Naya and Lagoon Views add further apartment buildings. Property Finder counts about 7,800 homes in all, most of them one and two bedroom apartments. Much of the land is given over to parks, lagoon and landscaping, and the streets are quiet compared with the central districts a few kilometres north.
Tell us what you are looking for and we will send you what is available now, with the figures behind it.
Contact usLocation and connectivity
Getting around
District One is a community for drivers. There is no Metro station inside it: the nearest are Business Bay, about 10 minutes by car, and Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall, about 12 minutes, both on the Red Line. The closest bus stop, Meydan South, is about 5 minutes away by car. Al Khail Road and Meydan Road run along its edges and give quick access to Business Bay, Downtown Dubai and Sheikh Zayed Road. Inside, the roads are wide and quiet, with cycling and running tracks along the lagoon. Villas have their own covered parking and apartment buildings have residents' bays. Al Khail Road is busy at morning and evening rush hours, so the drives in the table can take noticeably longer at those times.
Travel times
| Destination | Minutes | Kilometres |
|---|---|---|
| Business Bay (Bay Square) | 15 to 20 min | 7 to 8 km |
| Downtown Dubai (Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall) | 15 to 20 min | 8 to 9 km |
| DIFC | 15 to 20 min | 10 to 12 km |
| City Walk | 15 to 20 min | 10 km |
| Dubai World Trade Centre | 20 to 25 min | 13 km |
| Dubai International Airport (DXB), Terminal 3 | 20 to 25 min | 18 km |
| Dubai International Airport (DXB), Terminal 1 | 25 to 30 min | 19 to 21 km |
| La Mer beach | 20 to 25 min | 12 to 13 km |
| Destination | Minutes | Kilometres |
|---|---|---|
| Kite Beach | 20 to 25 min | 11 km |
| Dubai Hills Mall | 20 to 25 min | 14 km |
| Mall of the Emirates | 20 to 25 min | 15 km |
| Dubai Marina (Dubai Marina Mall) | 25 to 30 min | 22 km |
| Palm Jumeirah (Atlantis The Palm) | 30 to 35 min | 26 km |
| Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) | 50 to 55 min | 45 km |
| Abu Dhabi (Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque) | 90 to 100 min | 129 to 131 km |
By car, outside rush hour. Times vary with traffic.
Investment potential
District One is one of the few places in central Dubai where buyers can find large modern villas on the water, a short drive from Downtown Dubai and Business Bay. That combination keeps demand from wealthy end users steady, and it is why villa prices here sit well above most other villa communities.
The market is thinner than in the apartment districts. About 300 sales were registered in the twelve months to mid October 2026, roughly half as many as a year earlier, split between about 165 apartments and 140 villas. The average price per square foot across all sales was around AED 2,200 and broadly flat on the year; finished villas traded at a median of about AED 2,600 per square foot and finished apartments at about AED 1,950.
Rents have risen faster than prices. Average rents on new leases were around 14% higher than a year earlier, and on renewed leases around 19% higher, from more than 1,100 contracts. Gross rental yields of about 5% to 6.5% are typical, with apartments near the upper end and four bedroom villas at the lower end.
New supply is limited and high end: District One West, about 470 villas and mansions, is due from 2027 with a second phase estimated for 2028, and the Naya apartment buildings are scheduled for 2027 and 2028. Off-plan villas in District One West have sold at around AED 13M to 14M for four bedrooms.
Indicative prices
- 1 bedroom apartment
- AED 1.4M to 1.6M
- Annual rent about AED 80,000 to 95,000
- 2 bedroom apartment
- AED 2.4M to 3.0M
- Annual rent AED 125,000 to 165,000
- 3 bedroom apartment
- AED 3.2M to 4.6M
- Annual rent AED 180,000 to 280,000
- 4 bedroom villa
- AED 10.5M to 18.4M
- Annual rent AED 500,000 to 900,000
- 5 bedroom villa
- AED 20M to 25M
- Annual rent AED 1.0M to 1.5M
- 6 bedroom villa
- AED 36M to 50M
- Annual rent AED 1.6M to 3.0M
- 4 bedroom villa, off-plan (District One West)
- AED 13.1M to 14.2M
Key figures
- Average price per sq ft
- About AED 2,200 overall; about AED 2,600 for finished villas, AED 1,950 for apartments
- Price change, last 12 months
- Broadly flat per sq ft
- Rent change, last 12 months
- Up about 14% on new leases, 19% on renewals
- Gross rental yield
- About 5% to 6.5%
- Sales in the last 12 months
- About 300, roughly half as many as a year earlier
Figures as of October 2026.
Sources: Dubai Land Department sales and rental contracts via Property Finder (twelve months to 13 October 2026); Property Finder area insights; Nakheel and Bayut for District One West and Naya.
Figures are indicative and for information only. They are not financial advice.
Lifestyle
Life in District One is quiet and largely private. The Crystal Lagoon is the centre of it: residents swim, paddleboard and use the beaches, and the paths around it are used for running, cycling and walking in the cooler months. Nakheel lists a supermarket, a pharmacy, a nursery, a gym and children's play areas among the community's facilities, but there is no mall or busy high street inside, and bigger shopping trips mean a drive to the Dubai Mall, about 15 to 20 minutes away.
There are no schools inside District One. Hartland International School and North London Collegiate School are about 2.5 kilometres away in Sobha Hartland, and other schools with British, American, French and Indian curricula lie within 3 kilometres in Al Quoz and Nad Al Sheba. Meydan Racecourse and The Meydan Hotel are next door, with the Dubai World Cup in spring, and Business Bay and Dubai Design District are close for restaurants. The nearest public beaches are 20 to 25 minutes away.
Places nearby
Schools and nurseries
- Hartland International SchoolBritish and IB curricula, rated Very Good by KHDA, about 2.5 km
- North London Collegiate School DubaiIB curriculum, rated Very Good by KHDA, about 2.6 km
- GEMS Our Own Indian SchoolIndian curriculum, rated Very Good by KHDA, about 2.5 km
- Clarion SchoolAmerican curriculum, rated Good by KHDA, about 2.8 km
- Bilingual French International SchoolFrench curriculum, about 2 km
Healthcare
- Medcare Hospital, Al SafaPrivate hospital on Al Safa Street
- Iranian HospitalHospital and polyclinic, Al Wasl Road
- Mediclinic City HospitalPrivate hospital in Dubai Healthcare City
Shopping and groceries
- Supermarket and pharmacy inside the communityFor daily errands
- The Dubai MallAbout 15 to 20 minutes by car
- Dubai Festival City MallLarge mall across Dubai Creek
Dining
- Farriers, The Meydan HotelAll-day restaurant next to the racecourse
- Restaurants of Business Bay and Dubai Design DistrictAbout 10 to 15 minutes by car
Parks and beaches
- The Crystal LagoonAbout 7 km long, with residents' beaches
- La Mer and Kite BeachPublic beaches, 20 to 25 minutes by car
Culture and leisure
- Meydan RacecourseHome of the Dubai World Cup
- The Track, Meydan GolfNine-hole golf course beside the racecourse
Why buyers choose it
- Large villas and mansions on the Crystal Lagoon, about 15 minutes from Downtown Dubai
- Residents' beaches, parks and cycling and running tracks inside a gated community
- About 15 to 20 minutes to Business Bay, Downtown Dubai and DIFC, and 20 to 30 minutes to Dubai International Airport outside rush hour
- Apartments from about AED 1.4M as well as villas, so a wide range of budgets
- Rents up about 14% to 19% in the last year
- Freehold for all nationalities
Worth knowing
- No Metro station inside; daily life depends on a car
- Villa prices start at about AED 10M, among the highest of any villa community in Dubai
- A thin resale market: about 140 villa sales a year, and sales volume halved in the last twelve months, so selling can take time
- Service charges vary by building and villa phase and are not published centrally; ask for the current figure before buying
- No schools inside the community; the nearest are 2 to 3 km away
- Construction continues on District One West and Naya until about 2028
- No mall or high street inside; bigger shopping trips mean a drive
Who it suits
- Families who want a large villa with a garden and pool close to the centre of the city
- Buyers of trophy homes who want lagoon frontage and privacy
- Professionals working in Business Bay, Downtown Dubai or DIFC who prefer a quiet place to come home to
- Investors in apartments looking for steady rental demand at lower entry prices than Downtown Dubai
- Residents who swim, run or cycle and want space to do it on their doorstep
District One in pictures
Thinking about District One?
Tell us what you are looking for and we will send you what is available now, with the figures behind it.
Contact us