Motor City

Motor City is a mid market community in Dubailand built around the Dubai Autodrome, mixing apartment buildings in Uptown Motor City with villas and townhouses in Green Community Motor City. It is one of the better value family areas with a genuine centre.

What distinguishes it from neighbouring Dubailand communities is that it feels finished. There are pavements, shaded walkways, shops that are actually open, and a resident population rather than a construction site.

Where is Motor City and who built it?

Motor City sits in Dubailand, on the eastern side of Al Barsha, reached from Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road. It was developed by Union Properties, which also owns the Dubai Autodrome at its centre, the motor racing circuit that opened in October 2004 and gave the community its name. The circuit hosts the Dubai 24 Hour endurance race and other motorsport events through the year, and Dubai Kartdrome, a separate karting facility, sits across from the main track.

Motor City is also one of the original components of Dubailand, the large mixed development announced in 2003 and originally planned around separate themed zones, of which the motorsport and racing theme became Motor City. That history is why the roads and the plot layout feel planned rather than organic, unlike the older districts closer to the creek.

Who does Motor City suit?

Families and couples who want space and a community feel at a lower cost than Dubai Hills or Arabian Ranches, and who do not need to be in the city every day. Dubai Sports City, Dubai Studio City and Arjan are immediate neighbours, and Al Barsha and Mall of the Emirates are a short drive.

It suits daily DIFC commuters less well: at peak times the run in is long.

What can you rent or buy?

What is nearby?

• Dubai Autodrome and Dubai Kartdrome, which are the community's landmark and the source of the name.
• First Avenue Mall for daily needs, with supermarkets and clinics inside the community.
• Schools and nurseries within a short drive in Motor City, Sports City and Arjan. Check current availability and ratings directly.
• Dubai Sports City and Dubai Studio City as neighbours.

Getting around Motor City

There is no metro station inside Motor City. Access is by road, mainly Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, which borders Al Barsha to the community's west and is the fastest route into the rest of the city. Residents who rely on public transport generally drive or taxi to a bus route rather than walk to one, which is worth factoring in if you do not run a car.

What should you check before renting here?

• Which building, and which side of it. Some overlook the track or main roads, others look into landscaped courtyards.
• Whether cooling is billed separately, which changes your summer costs.
• Noise on event weekends, if you are close to the Autodrome.
• Parking allocation, particularly for larger apartments.
• Service charges if you are buying, since they vary between buildings.

Is Motor City a good investment?

Apartments here have historically produced solid rental yields because entry prices are moderate and tenant demand is steady from families priced out of the more central communities. It is a rental income area rather than a capital growth story, and the community being complete is what protects it: there is no large unsold pipeline to compete with.

What is the postal code of Motor City?

Dubai does not use postal codes, so Motor City does not have one. Deliveries are addressed by building name within Uptown Motor City or Green Community Motor City, plus the nearest landmark, rather than a code. Where a form insists on one, 00000 is the usual entry for the UAE, or your PO Box number if the field allows letters.

Motor City: frequently asked questions

What is Uptown Motor City?

Uptown Motor City is the apartment side of the community, a cluster of low and mid rise residential and office buildings around First Avenue Mall, built up over a number of phases and still the part of Motor City most searched for by individual building name.

What is Green Community Motor City?

Green Community Motor City is the villa and townhouse side, a lower density, landscaped area that takes its name from the original Green Community development in Dubai Investment Park.

Is there a metro station in Motor City?

No. Motor City is reached by road, chiefly Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, and there is no metro line running through the community.

What is the Dubai Autodrome used for?

It is a motor racing circuit, opened in 2004, used for the Dubai 24 Hour endurance race and a programme of other motorsport, karting and corporate driving events through the year.

What is available now?

We may not have a Motor City listing today. Use the form on this page to tell us your budget and what you need, and we will let you know when something fits. In the meantime, see what we currently hold to rent and for sale, and our guide to the best areas to rent a house in Dubai.