Properties in MBR City

MBR City sits inland from Downtown Dubai. Meydan and Sobha, the joint developers of District One, describe it as about four kilometres from Downtown Dubai, with quick access to the Dubai International Financial Centre, Dubai World Trade Centre and Dubai International Airport. Sobha says Sobha Hartland is about 10 minutes from Downtown Dubai and 15 minutes from Dubai Marina. Those are developer estimates, so test the drive at the hours you would travel.

The racecourse end of the city is reached from Sheikh Zayed Road at Exit 47, following signs for Nad Al Sheba and turning onto Al Meydan Road (D69), according to Dubai Racing Club. The same source puts Meydan about a 10 minute drive from Dubai World Trade Centre.

The districts sit some distance apart, so two homes both advertised as "MBR City" can be a real drive apart. The full name, Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City, appears on developer brochures and is the same place. It is also searched as "Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid City" or "Bin Rashid City".

If a listing just says "MBR City", ask which district and which building. The district decides the price per square foot, the service charge and who your neighbours are far more than the MBR City name does.

MAG City and Meydan One have their own pages, and the wider Meydan page covers the districts around the racecourse. Meydan is a district inside MBR City, not another name for it. The confusion comes from the developer, because the Meydan name appears across several parts of the city. Our guide to Meydan and MBR City goes through the differences district by district.

District One

District One, also called Meydan District One, is the lagoon district. Crystal Lagoons, which supplied the lagoon technology, describes a 7 km lagoon with 14 km of shoreline, where residents can paddleboard, kayak, or do yoga and meditation on the beach. Access is a private amenity for residents. Meydan's own pages describe the apartments as one, two and three bedroom homes in low and mid-rise towers of four to sixteen storeys. Next door are Meydan Racecourse, the Grandstand, a 9-hole floodlit golf course and The Meydan hotel. Browse our District One Naya Residences Phase 2 and Residence 5 pages for current launches.

Sobha Hartland and Sobha Hartland II

Sobha says Sobha Hartland is an 8 million sq ft waterfront community with about 22 hectares of green space. It lists apartments such as Sobha Hartland Greens, Waves and the Creek Vistas towers, 3-level, 4 bedroom townhouses with private elevators and gardens, and Gardenia Villas with direct access to the central park. The Greens apartments are low-rise buildings close to the Dubai Water Canal, and Creek Vistas Reserve is a 33-storey tower with views of the Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary. Sobha names a 1.8 km boardwalk and park called Central Park as a community feature.

Sobha Hartland II is the next phase, also described by Sobha as an 8 million sq ft master plan. Its villa offer is Sobha Estates, a gated enclave of 5 and 6 bedroom villas, and its apartment clusters include Riverside Crescent, Skyscape and Skyvue. Sobha's microsite lists two lagoons for residents. See our off-plan in Sobha Hartland II page and the guide to Sobha Hartland 2 properties. The developer is covered on our Sobha page.

Meydan and Azizi Riviera

Meydan Group's own site lists Meydan Avenue as a mixed-use project at the centre of the Meydan Grandstand with food, retail and a 500 m boardwalk. Marsa Meydan is described as a waterfront development of villas, townhouses and apartments around a marina. Meydan One, with Meydan One Mall and Dubai One Tower, is described as a planned development, so treat its shops and tower as plans until they open. See the Meydan Group page for the developer.

Azizi Developments lists Riviera as one of its flagship projects in Meydan, at the heart of MBR City, with phases including Riviera Beachfront and Riviera Reve. If you are choosing between buildings, compare the exact phase, since the unit mix and handover dates differ between them.

Sport, racing and the lagoon

• Meydan Racecourse. Run by Dubai Racing Club, it hosts the Dubai World Cup meeting on the last Saturday of March. The track has a 1,750 m dirt course and a 2,400 m turf course, and The Meydan hotel has 285 suites overlooking the racing.
• District One lagoon. Paddleboarding, kayaking and beach walks for residents, on a lagoon with 14 km of shoreline.
• Meydan golf and tennis. Meydan lists a 9-hole floodlit golf course next to District One and a tennis academy among its facilities.

Parks and nature

• Central Park, Sobha Hartland. A 1.8 km boardwalk and landscaped park, according to Sobha.
• Dubai Water Canal. The canal, built by RTA and opened in 2016, runs from Business Bay towards the Gulf and is next to the Greens apartments in Sobha Hartland.
• Ras Al Khor Wildlife Sanctuary. A Dubai Municipality protected area on the creek with Mangrove, Flamingo and Lagoon hides, where flamingos can be seen through the year. Visits are booked through Dubai Municipality.

Shopping and dining

Shopping inside MBR City is still developing. Meydan Avenue and the Meydan Grandstand have food and retail outlets, and Sobha has announced Hartland Mall in Sobha Hartland. Meydan One Mall is part of the planned Meydan One. Check what is open before you rely on any of them, and expect to drive to Downtown Dubai for the largest malls.

MBR City is one of the widest-ranging areas in Dubai because the districts are priced so differently. We do not quote an area average, because it would hide the gap between a District One villa and a Sobha Hartland apartment. The reliable method is to compare price per square foot between buildings in the same district.

As of November 2026, our off-plan page for MBR City shows 26 projects currently selling, from AED 1,141,817. Villas are listed on the off-plan villas in MBR City page. For ready homes, start with apartments for sale in MBR City or the 2 bedroom apartments for sale, then read our guide to buying in MBR City.

To rent, browse all property for rent in MBR City, apartments for rent, or by size: 1 bedroom and 2 bedroom. Our renting guide explains the Ejari step, and the Ejari guide covers the tenancy contract.

Service charges differ by building and district. Towers with pools, gyms and concierge cost more to run than low-rise blocks. Dubai Land Department says service charges are approved by the Real Estate Regulatory Agency and paid by the owner according to the area on the title deed. Check the current figure for the exact building in the Dubai REST app or on dubairest.gov.ae, and ask the seller for the latest service charge statement. Our service charge index guide and the guide on how to check service charges before you buy show the steps.

MBR City is mainly a car area. It is reached from Al Khail Road and Sheikh Zayed Road, and the Dubai Water Canal separates it from the Business Bay side. The RTA bus network around Al Khail Gate and Business Bay changes from time to time, and RTA announced new routes from 17 July 2026, so use the RTA journey planner and the S'hail app at rta.ae to find the nearest Red Line metro station and bus stop to the building you are considering.

These are the developers' own estimates. Test your own commute at the hours you travel, especially on Al Khail Road in the morning and evening rush.

Sobha says its community has two international schools. North London Collegiate School Dubai teaches the International Baccalaureate from primary years to the diploma, according to its own site. Hartland International School teaches the British curriculum, and KHDA rated it Very good in its 2023 to 2024 inspections. Fees, places and ratings change every year, so check each school's current report in the KHDA directory and confirm the campus address with the school. Dubai Hills Estate and Al Barsha have further options. Hospitals and clinics are licensed by the Dubai Health Authority, and you can check a facility on dha.gov.ae.

Compare it with Business Bay, Downtown Dubai and Dubai Hills Estate if you are weighing neighbours. Families tend to start in Sobha Hartland, professionals who drive to Downtown Dubai or Business Bay suit most districts, and buyers of larger homes look at District One, Sobha Hartland and Sobha Hartland II.

1. Set the budget first. A District One villa and a Meydan apartment sit in different price worlds, so one budget will rule out most districts.
2. Decide how you will travel. If you rely on the metro, check the nearest station for each building. If you drive, Al Khail Road and Sheikh Zayed Road are the main routes.
3. Check the school run. Map the route to the school before choosing a street.
4. Look at what is finished. Visit at the weekend. Some districts are still building, so noise, dust and empty plots are part of the picture.
5. Compare like for like. Use price per square foot between buildings in the same district, and compare service charges as well as prices.

Rent first if you are new to Dubai or unsure which district you like. Annual contracts are the norm, and registering the contract on Ejari is a legal requirement. Buy once you know the district and the commute. Confirm the title type of the exact unit with the Dubai Land Department property status enquiry before you pay a deposit. Costs are in our DLD fees guide, the steps in the buying process guide, and foreign buyers can read buying as a foreigner.

For off-plan, check that payments go into the project's escrow account, ask what is owed after handover as well as before it, and compare the price per square foot with ready homes in the same district.

See also apartments for rent in Mohammed Bin Rashid City.