Palm Jumeirah
A man-made island in the shape of a palm tree, with apartments along its trunk, villas with private beaches on its fronds and resort hotels on the outer crescent.
Palm Jumeirah is the island most people picture when they think of Dubai's coastline. Nakheel began reclaiming it from the sea in 2001, the first homes were handed over in 2006 and 2007, and today it reaches about 5 kilometres into the Gulf, opposite Dubai Media City and Al Sufouh. About 25,000 people live on it.
The island is laid out in three parts. The trunk, the wide central spine, holds the apartment buildings, the two malls and most of the shops and restaurants. The fronds that branch off it are lined with villas, most of them with a garden and a stretch of private beach. The crescent, the breakwater that circles the island, is given over to around 30 resort hotels, Atlantis The Palm among them, together with a few apartment buildings.
Homes range from studios in the trunk's towers to large villas and mansions on the fronds. The best-known apartment buildings include Shoreline Apartments, Golden Mile, Marina Residences and The Palm Tower, and branded residences have become a large part of new building, with towers by Como, Armani, Six Senses and the Dorchester Collection among the projects now under way. The island is quieter than the mainland districts, but its beach clubs, hotels and Atlantis draw visitors from across the city, particularly at weekends.
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Getting around
There is no Metro station on the island. The Palm Monorail runs about 5.5 kilometres along the trunk, from the Gateway station at the mainland end to Atlantis Aquaventure on the crescent, stopping at Al Ittihad Park (for Golden Mile Galleria) and Palm Jumeirah Mall on the way; a full journey takes about nine minutes, with a train every 15 minutes. It reopened in July 2026 after a six-month closure for station maintenance. A footbridge links the Gateway station to the Palm Jumeirah stop on the Dubai Tram, which connects to the Red Line of the Metro at Dubai Marina and JLT.
In practice most residents drive or take taxis. The main road runs down the trunk and joins Sheikh Zayed Road at the Palm interchange, and a tunnel under the lagoon carries traffic out to the crescent. Most buildings and villas have their own parking, and the malls have large car parks. Traffic queues at the entry and exit points at rush hour, and homes at the far end of the fronds or on the crescent add a few minutes to every journey. The times listed here are measured from Palm Jumeirah Mall, on the trunk.
Travel times
| Destination | Minutes | Kilometres |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai Media City | 10 to 15 min | 6 km |
| Atlantis The Palm | 10 to 15 min | 6 km |
| Dubai Marina (Dubai Marina Mall) | 15 to 20 min | 7 km |
| Mall of the Emirates | 15 to 20 min | 9 km |
| Dubai Harbour | 15 to 20 min | 9 km |
| Dubai Internet City | 15 to 20 min | 10 km |
| Bluewaters Island | 15 to 20 min | 10 km |
| Kite Beach | 20 to 25 min | 12 to 16 km |
| Destination | Minutes | Kilometres |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai Hills Mall | 20 to 25 min | 15 km |
| Downtown Dubai (Burj Khalifa and Dubai Mall) | 20 to 25 min | 21 km |
| DIFC | 25 to 30 min | 24 km |
| Expo City Dubai | 30 to 35 min | 29 km |
| Dubai International Airport (DXB), Terminal 1 | 30 to 35 min | 33 km |
| Dubai International Airport (DXB), Terminal 3 | 35 to 40 min | 34 km |
| Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) | 45 to 50 min | 40 km |
| Abu Dhabi (Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque) | 85 to 90 min | 115 km |
By car, outside rush hour. Times vary with traffic.
Investment potential
Palm Jumeirah is bought mainly for long-term value rather than for yield: prices per square foot are among the highest in the city, the supply of beachfront land is fixed, and demand from wealthy buyers from abroad has held up even in quieter years.
About 1,200 homes changed hands in the twelve months to October 2026, about a fifth fewer than the year before, with a median price of around AED 5.9 million. Apartments sold for about AED 3,250 to 4,250 per square foot, depending on the source and the building, and their prices were broadly level to slightly up over the year. Villas traded at about AED 8,000 to 8,400 per square foot, but there are only a few dozen villa resales in a half year, so their averages can move sharply from one period to the next.
Gross rental yields are lower than in the mid-market districts: about 4.5% to 5.4% for apartments and about 4% for villas. Studios and one-bedroom apartments tend to yield the most, and holiday letting is common in the trunk's towers. Service charges are high by Dubai standards and vary widely between buildings, with the branded towers at the top end, so they should be checked building by building before buying.
Most new supply comes from branded towers on the last plots of the trunk and the crescent, including Como Residences by Nakheel, Armani Beach Residences by Arada and Six Senses Residences by Select Group, with handovers spread over the next few years.
Indicative prices
- Studio
- from AED 1.4M
- Annual rent about AED 80,000 to 105,000
- 1 bedroom apartment
- AED 2.6M to 3.2M
- Annual rent about AED 150,000 to 170,000
- 2 bedroom apartment
- AED 4.5M to 6.1M
- Annual rent about AED 230,000 to 250,000
- 3 bedroom apartment
- AED 5.4M to 9.9M
- Annual rent about AED 320,000 to 380,000
- 4 bedroom villa
- AED 23M to 34M
- Annual rent about AED 1.2M to 1.4M
- 5 bedroom villa
- AED 38M to 53M
- Annual rent about AED 1.6M to 2.1M
Key figures
- Average price per sq ft, apartments
- About AED 3,250 to 4,250
- Average price per sq ft, villas
- About AED 8,000 to 8,400
- Price change, last 12 months
- Apartments level to about 3% up; villas higher, on few sales
- Gross rental yield
- About 4.5% to 5.4% for apartments, about 4% for villas
- Median sale price
- About AED 5.9M
- Sales in the last 12 months
- About 1,200, about a fifth fewer than the year before
Figures as of October 2026.
Sources: Dubai Land Department data via Property Finder and Property Monitor; Metropolitan Premium Properties H1 2026 resale reports; Bayut H1 2026 sales and rental market reports; dataHabibi; listing data from Provident and Betterhomes.
Figures are indicative and for information only. They are not financial advice.
Lifestyle
Daily life on the trunk is close to that of a smaller beach town: residents walk to Golden Mile Galleria or Palm Jumeirah Mall for groceries, cafes and the cinema, and most apartment buildings have their own pools, gyms and stretch of beach. On the fronds, life is quieter and more private, centred on the villa and its garden and beach. The Palm Jumeirah Boardwalk on the crescent is popular for walking, running and cycling, and Al Ittihad Park on the trunk has shaded paths and play areas.
The hotels on the crescent give residents a wide choice of restaurants, spas and beach clubs, and Atlantis The Palm, with its water park and aquarium, is a few minutes' drive from most homes. Palm West Beach, on the western side of the trunk, has a row of beach clubs and restaurants open to the public.
There are nurseries on the island but no schools; families drive 10 to 20 minutes to schools in Al Sufouh and Al Barsha, such as Dubai College and GEMS Wellington International School. Clinics in the two malls cover everyday healthcare, and the nearest full hospitals are in Al Barsha, about 15 minutes away.
Places nearby
Schools and nurseries
- Dubai College, Al SufouhBritish curriculum, ages 11 to 18, off the island
- GEMS Wellington International School, Al SufouhBritish and IB curriculum, ages 4 to 18, off the island
- American School of Dubai, Al BarshaAmerican curriculum, off the island
- Blossom Nursery Palm JumeirahBritish early years curriculum, in Golden Mile Galleria
- Asya's NurseryEarly years, in the Shoreline Apartments
Healthcare
- Emirates Hospital Clinic, Palm JumeirahClinic in Golden Mile Galleria
- Dubai London Clinic, Palm JumeirahSpecialty clinic in Palm Jumeirah Mall
- Al Zahra Hospital Dubai, Al BarshaFull hospital, about 15 minutes by car
Shopping and groceries
- Palm Jumeirah MallFormerly Nakheel Mall: shops, restaurants, a cinema and a supermarket on the trunk
- Golden Mile GalleriaShops, cafes and services at the base of the Golden Mile buildings
- Spinneys, Waitrose and ChoithramsSupermarkets on the island
Dining
- West Rooftop, Palm Jumeirah MallRooftop of restaurants with views over the island
- Club Vista MareBeachfront restaurants on the eastern side of the trunk
- Nobu, Atlantis The PalmJapanese restaurant on the crescent
Parks and beaches
- Palm West BeachPublic beach with beach clubs and restaurants
- Palm Jumeirah BoardwalkWaterfront path for walking, running and cycling on the crescent
- Al Ittihad ParkPark on the trunk with shaded paths and play areas
Culture and leisure
- Atlantis Aquaventure and The Lost Chambers AquariumWater park and aquarium at Atlantis The Palm
- The View at The PalmObservation deck at the top of The Palm Tower
- Skydive DubaiTandem skydives over the island
Why buyers choose it
- Beachfront living, with private beaches for most villas and many apartment buildings
- Among the most recognised addresses in Dubai, with steady demand from wealthy buyers from abroad
- A fixed supply of land, which has supported values over the long term
- Two malls, around 30 hotels and many beach clubs and restaurants on the island
- Media City, Internet City and Dubai Marina in about 10 to 20 minutes outside rush hour
- A quieter, more private setting than the mainland waterfront districts
- Freehold for all nationalities
Worth knowing
- Some of the highest prices per square foot in Dubai, with lower rental yields than mid-market areas
- Service charges are high and vary widely between buildings, especially in branded towers
- Traffic queues at the island's entry and exit points at rush hour
- No Metro station; the monorail only runs along the trunk and was closed for six months until July 2026
- No schools on the island; families drive 10 to 20 minutes to Al Sufouh or Al Barsha
- Several new towers are under construction, so some homes face building work for the next few years
- Few villa sales each year, so villa prices can move sharply from one period to the next
Who it suits
- Buyers looking for a beachfront villa or apartment as a long-term store of value
- Families who want a villa with a garden and a private beach, if a school run off the island suits them
- Professionals working in Media City, Internet City or Dubai Marina who want a short drive
- Investors in furnished or holiday lets in the trunk's apartment buildings
- Second-home owners who spend part of the year in Dubai
Palm Jumeirah in pictures
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