Off-Plan Projects in City Walk

Meraas was founded in 2007, became a subsidiary of Dubai Holding in 2020 and launched City Walk in December 2013. Its current releases on this page include City Walk Crestlane 3, Erin in Central Park, Central Park Plaza, which is listed with townhouses as well as apartments, and City Walk Myrtle.

Meraas's own City Walk page marks some releases, including Verve City Walk and City Walk Northline, as sold out. Where a sold-out project still has homes on offer, ask whether you are buying from the developer or taking over another buyer's contract, because the paperwork and fees differ.

City Walk is an urban district in the Al Wasl community, close to Al Safa Road, Al Wasl Road and Sheikh Zayed Road. It covers more than 900,000 square metres, was built in two phases of commercial and residential areas and opened to the public in February 2016.

According to Meraas, the district is home to Central Park, a private park with an outdoor gym and running track, the 17,000-capacity Coca-Cola Arena, The Green Planet bio-dome and the Canadian University of Dubai. For transport, check the RTA journey planner from the exact building, as walking distances to bus and metro stops vary across the district. For the wider neighbourhood, see our Al Wasl guide and off-plan in Al Wasl.

Under Dubai Law No. 8 of 2007, a developer who wants to sell homes off-plan must apply to the Dubai Land Department to open an escrow account for the project, buyers' payments are deposited into that account, and the money is reserved for building that project alone. Law No. 13 of 2008 set up the Interim Property Register, and a sale of an off-plan unit is void unless it is entered in it. The Dubai Land Department runs this register through its Oqood system. In practice:

1. Pay only into the escrow account. The account details belong in your sale contract. Do not send money to any other account.
2. Get the sale registered. Ask for proof that your contract has been entered in the Interim Property Register before you treat the purchase as done.
3. Check the developer. Meraas has finished, lived-in buildings across City Walk, so you can visit them to judge the finish and how they are run. For projects by other developers, use our guide on how to check a developer before buying off-plan.
4. Look up the service charges. The Dubai Land Department Service Charge Index shows the approved service fees for a project by year, on its website and the Dubai REST app. A new tower may have no approved figure yet, so ask the developer for its estimate in writing. Our guide on checking service charges before you buy walks through it.

One more protection is worth knowing: once the completion certificate is issued, the law requires the escrow agent to hold back 5% of the account, and that sum is only released to the developer one year after the homes are registered in the buyers' names.

Off-plan gives you a new building and stage payments, with a wait until the handover date in your contract. A finished apartment, mostly in the Central Park buildings and City Walk Crestlane, lets you see the exact home, check its service charge history and move in or let it straight away.

Compare both routes with our City Walk area guide and the apartments for sale in City Walk.