Al Jaddaf is one of the few genuinely central Dubai districts where a one bedroom apartment still rents in the high five figures a year. It sits on the creek between Bur Dubai and Dubai Healthcare City, with Downtown a short drive up the water.

Alongside the off-plan, we are currently marketing 9 for sale from AED 715,000 and 6 to rent from AED 68,000 a year here.

What you get for the money

Newer stock than Bur Dubai next door, in towers rather than low rise blocks, and often with a pool and a gym. What you do not get is a finished neighbourhood: Al Jaddaf is still being built, and the towers sit alongside older industrial plots.

The metro is at Al Jaddaf station on the Green Line, and Dubai Festival City is across the creek. For anyone working at Dubai Healthcare City or in Bur Dubai, the commute is very short.

How it compares

Against Business Bay: meaningfully cheaper for a similar apartment, with less to walk to and a less established feel.
Against Bur Dubai: newer buildings, better amenities, higher rent, and less street life.
Against Dubai Silicon Oasis or JVC: more central, similar money, smaller units.

What to check before you sign

Which way the apartment faces. A creek facing unit and one looking back over the industrial side are very different at similar rents. Go and look.
Whether the view is protected. Vacant plots here are being built on. Ask what is consented next door.
Chiller charges, and whether they are included. This changes the real cost of two otherwise identical apartments more than anything else.
The building, not the district. Al Jaddaf towers vary a lot in management quality. Ask how quickly maintenance requests get answered.
Construction noise, which is the most common complaint here and is entirely predictable if you visit on a weekday morning.

We hold stock here and we know which buildings are well run. See what is available to rent, or read the Al Jaddaf area guide. How the annual contract works covers cheques and Ejari.