Tilal Al Ghaf

Tilal Al Ghaf was launched by Majid Al Futtaim in 2018 on about 3 million square metres of land, with an investment of around AED 14 billion planned over ten years. The original plan was for more than 6,500 freehold homes, including apartments, townhouses, bungalows and villas, with completion targeted by 2027. Serenity and Harmony were the first neighbourhoods released.

The community is named after the Ghaf tree, which is native to the UAE and lines its streets. It is designed around walkable neighbourhoods linked by green spaces, pathways, cycling tracks and jogging trails, with around 500,000 square metres of parks. Whether you want a family home or are looking to buy off-plan, Tilal Al Ghaf has a range of villas and townhouses at different sizes.

Tilal Al Ghaf is at the junction of Hessa Street (D61) and Sheikh Zayed Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street (D54), with direct access to Al Khail Road (E44), Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road (E311) and Emirates Road (E611). Its neighbours are Dubai Sports City, Motor City, DAMAC Hills, Jumeirah Village Triangle, Jumeirah Village Circle and Discovery Gardens.

There is no metro station in the community. The nearest is Jumeirah Golf Estates on the Red Line, about 18 minutes' drive away, and RTA buses run from stops in neighbouring Dubai Sports City.

• The lagoon: homes are set around Lagoon Al Ghaf, a swimmable lagoon with sandy beaches. Neighbourhoods such as Lanai Islands and Elysian Mansions have private beachfront.

• Green space: parks, gardens, cycling tracks and jogging trails run between the neighbourhoods.

• A school inside the community: The Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai, a British curriculum school, opened in Tilal Al Ghaf in September 2021.

• Road links: quick access to Hessa Street, Al Khail Road, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road and Emirates Road.

Tilal Al Ghaf is made up of named neighbourhoods, each with its own home type. The neighbourhoods released so far are villas, townhouses and mansions:

Are there apartments or studios in Tilal Al Ghaf?

Apartments were part of the 2018 plan, but the neighbourhoods released so far are houses rather than apartment buildings. If you want a studio or apartment close to Tilal Al Ghaf, the neighbouring off-plan projects in Dubai Sports City and Motor City are the nearest places to look.

Yes. Elan is the main townhouse neighbourhood: its first three phases were 916 townhouses with three or four bedrooms, and the first homes were due for handover from December 2022. Each Elan phase sold out within a week of launch. Aura Gardens adds three and four bedroom townhouses alongside four bedroom twin villas, in a gated cluster a short walk from the lagoon and the community's school.

For what to look for in any townhouse purchase, see our guide to buying a townhouse in Dubai.

Parts of Tilal Al Ghaf were still under construction in 2026. These are the off-plan neighbourhoods being built now:

Handover dates for off-plan homes move, so always check the date in your sale contract and the project's progress on the Dubai Land Department records before you pay each instalment. Plagette 32, for example, has been sold on a 10% deposit, 50% during construction and 40% on handover.

Tilal Al Ghaf is a freehold community, so foreign buyers can own homes outright. Before you buy, off-plan or ready, check these points:

• Ready or off-plan. Earlier releases such as Elan, with first handovers due from December 2022, are where ready homes come from, so you can see what you are buying. The waterfront releases are newer and still being built.

• Which side of the lagoon. Homes with private beachfront, such as Lanai Islands and Elysian Mansions, are a different product from homes a few streets back.

• The developer's schedule. Compare the handover date you are given with what has already been delivered. Our guide on how to check a developer before buying off-plan sets out how.

• The payment plan. Most off-plan homes here are paid in stages. Plagette 32, above, is one example of how the stages are split.

• Service charges. Ask for the figure per square foot in writing.

We do not have homes listed in Tilal Al Ghaf at the moment. Tell us your budget, the home type and the neighbourhood you prefer, and we will search for you.

• Lagoon Al Ghaf: a swimmable lagoon with sandy beaches, used for swimming and beachside dining.

• Parks and trails: about 500,000 square metres of parks, with jogging and cycling trails, outdoor games areas and swimming pools.

• Shops: the Distrikt retail centre, with a Carrefour, Starbucks, Aster Pharmacy and Fitcode gym.

• Mosque: there is a mosque in the community.

Schools near Tilal Al Ghaf

• The Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai: British curriculum, inside Tilal Al Ghaf. It opened in 2021 with Nursery to Year 6 and is adding year groups towards ages 3 to 18.

• Victory Heights Primary School: British curriculum, in Dubai Sports City, about 4 minutes' drive.

• Roads: Hessa Street and Sheikh Zayed Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street meet at the community, with Al Khail Road, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road and Emirates Road close by. These connect it to Dubai Sports City, Motor City and DAMAC Hills.

• Dubai International Airport: about 30 minutes by car.

• Public transport: no metro station in the community. RTA buses stop in Dubai Sports City, and the nearest metro is Jumeirah Golf Estates on the Red Line.

• Damac Mall: about 11 minutes' drive.

• Dubai Autodrome: about 14 minutes' drive, in Motor City.

• Dubai Butterfly Garden: about 14 minutes' drive.

• Dubai Marina: a drive away for the waterfront promenade, shops and restaurants.

Tilal Al Ghaf combines villas, townhouses and mansions with a swimmable lagoon, large parks and a school inside the community. Several earlier phases are complete, and newer waterfront releases are due from 2026. It suits families who want a house rather than an apartment, and buyers who want lagoon living in this part of Dubai. For nearby golf course living, compare it with Jumeirah Golf Estates.