Oud Metha

Oud Metha is a small, established residential locality of roughly 1.5 square kilometres. It is bordered by Al Karama, Umm Hurair 2 and Zabeel, with Dubai Creek and Dubai Healthcare City to the east. It grew up on a street grid rather than a master plan, so building age and condition vary from one block to the next.

The name works two ways. Oud Metha is also called Al Nasr, which is also the name of the district's football club, Al-Nasr Sports Club. In daily use, people say Oud Metha for the road, the metro station and the neighbourhood around Wafi and Healthcare City.

Oud Metha sits on the Dubai side of the creek, along Oud Metha Road, with Sheikh Rashid Road and Sheikh Zayed Road within reach. Across the creek is Deira, and a short drive away are Dubai Creek Park and Dubai Festival City.

Shopping and food

• Wafi Mall. A long-running mall of more than 300 stores that opened in 1991, with Wafi City around it.
• The Pyramids at Wafi. The pyramid-shaped complex of restaurants, cafes and spas.
• Lamcy Plaza. A neighbourhood mall on Oud Metha Road with everyday shops.
• Al Karama. A short walk away, with its dense streets of casual restaurants, tailors and markets.

Parks and outdoors

• Zabeel Park. A large park next to the district with a lake, jogging track and play areas, and home to the Dubai Frame.
• Dubai Creek Park. A park on the creek a short drive away. See our best parks in Dubai guide.

Hotels, clubs and culture

• Raffles Dubai and Sofitel Dubai The Obelisk. The two hotels at Wafi.
• Community clubs. The India Club, the Iranian Club, the Sudanese Social Club and the Pakistani Association of Dubai hold events that give the district a community identity.
• Al-Nasr Sports Club. The UAE football club that shares the district's second name.
• Across the creek. The Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood and the creek abra rides in Bur Dubai are a short metro hop away. Visit Dubai and Dubai Culture list them.

Oud Metha is mainly apartments, from studios to larger family flats, in older low-rise and mid-rise blocks and a few offices. Villas are not a feature. Many buildings carry the owner's name or a generic name such as "tower" or "building", which is why a search for a building name often needs the street as well.

Browse 1 bedroom apartments for rent and 2 bedroom apartments for rent across Dubai and filter to Oud Metha.

Rent in Oud Metha depends on the building and the street rather than an area average. The table shows what drives it. For a nearby area, see the Bur Dubai guide.

Compare live adverts for similar sizes in the same street. If you are thinking about buying, do not assume freehold. Ask for the title deed and read our freehold guide. If you want newer stock close by, look at Al Jaddaf, where our apartments for rent in Al Jaddaf and apartments for sale in Al Jaddaf pages are live.

Oud Metha station is on the Green Line. The stations run from BurJuman to Oud Metha, Dubai Healthcare City, Al Jadaf and Creek. BurJuman is the interchange with the Red Line, so one stop takes you to the Red Line towards Business Bay and Downtown. Union is the other interchange, further up the Green Line toward Deira.

• Green Line toward Deira: BurJuman, Sharaf DG, Al Ghubaiba, Al Ras, Gold Souq, Baniyas Square and Union.
• Green Line the other way: Dubai Healthcare City, Al Jadaf and Creek.
• Walking: Al Karama and its ADCB Red Line station are a short walk away.
• Roads and buses: Oud Metha Road runs alongside the creek. Check current bus routes at rta.ae.

Parking is tight in parts of the district, and traffic near the hospitals can be heavy. Drive times vary with the hour, so test your own route.

Oud Metha has a long-standing reputation for schools. They include Dubai Gem Private School, The Indian High School, Al Rashed Al Saleh Private School and St Mary's Catholic High School, and Lycée Français International Georges Pompidou keeps a preschool campus here. Schools change campuses, ratings, fees and places, so confirm each school's current address and inspection rating on the KHDA website.

Healthcare is the district's main economic anchor.

• Rashid Hospital. A government hospital on Oud Metha Road next to the creek, opened in 1973, with a major trauma centre completed in 2006.
• American Hospital Dubai. A large private hospital on Oud Metha Road.
• Dubai Healthcare City. A healthcare free zone established in 2002, with hospitals including Emirates Specialty Hospital, Mediclinic City Hospital and Dr Sulaiman Al-Habib Hospital. It has its own Green Line station.

Services change, so check the DHA website for current information. Staff at these hospitals are a large part of the local rental demand.

Many people who search for Oud Metha also look at Al Jaddaf, another station along the same Green Line.

Choose Oud Metha when you want to live next to the hospitals, schools and Wafi in an established district. Look at Al Jaddaf if you prefer a newer building and are happy to be a few stops further along the line.

1. List your priorities. Distance to the station, a parking bay, a quiet bedroom and the age of the building rarely come together at one rent.
2. View twice. Visit once in the daytime and once at the hour you would normally get home, particularly if the building is close to a hospital access road.
3. Test the basics. Check air conditioning, water pressure, the lift and any damp or smell. Ask who looks after repairs.
4. Agree the terms. Rent, number of cheques and whether chilled water is included.
5. Register the contract. Use Ejari. See the Ejari guide for what you need.
6. Plan your renewal and exit. Our rent increase guide and deposit guide cover both.

The district's rental demand is shaped by who works and studies nearby. Staff at Rashid Hospital, American Hospital and Dubai Healthcare City look for a short walk or a one-stop metro ride. Students and teachers favour streets near the schools. Families often rank the school first and the flat second, so they tend to choose by school catchment, then by building. If you are in any of these groups, check the commute at your shift or school-run time, because traffic near hospitals and schools peaks at predictable hours.

For longer-term plans, remember that campuses and ratings change. Confirm the school's current inspection rating and fees before you sign a 12-month contract that depends on it.

Most listings here are rentals. If you are looking to buy, confirm that the title can be registered in your name, ask for the latest service charge statement and ask about planned major works, which can be costly in older buildings. Our DLD fees guide explains the transfer costs, and our service charge index guide shows how to check what a fair charge looks like. Ask for recent registered sales in the same building.

• Healthcare and education staff who want to live near work.
• Students and young professionals who prefer a metro commute.
• Families who want established schools nearby and accept older buildings.

It suits people who want a pool deck and resort amenities less well. Compare it with Al Karama and Bur Dubai, or read our best areas to live in Dubai.

• The building: age and management vary sharply within a few streets.
• Parking: ask whether a bay is included.
• Noise: flats facing a main road or a hospital access route can be loud.
• Air conditioning age and whether chilled water is included, using our DEWA and chiller guide.
• Ejari registration, explained in our Ejari guide, and the tenant guide.

Dubai does not use postcodes, so Oud Metha, or Al Nasr, has none. Addresses use the building name, street and landmark, with Wafi and the metro station common reference points. Forms that insist on a code often accept 00000. The Dubai Land Department publishes official registration information.