Off-Plan Villas in Dubai Land

Dubailand was announced on 23 October 2003 as a district covering 278 square kilometres, first developed by Tatweer, part of Dubai Holding. It has no single master developer today: communities such as Arabian Ranches 3, DAMAC Hills, Mudon and Dubai Sports City sit side by side, each built by its own developer. Global Village, Dubai Miracle Garden and IMG Worlds of Adventure are all in the district. Judge the community first, then the villa.

• DAMAC, DAMAC Islands. An island-themed masterplan with clusters named after islands, each with its own landscaping and water features. This page lists the Hawaii and Seychelles clusters and DAMAC Islands 2, where the second phase adds four and five bedroom townhouses and five and six bedroom villas.
• Meraas, The Acres. Meraas lists villas of three to five bedrooms set around swimmable lagoons with floating decks, with a park, a primary school, a clubhouse and a mosque. The Acres Estates are larger homes of five to seven bedrooms. As of November 2026 Meraas shows both as sold out, so a home in The Acres now means buying from an owner.
• Aldar Properties, Haven. Aldar's Dubai community has more than 2,400 residences, mostly townhouses and eco villas, from 2,280 sq ft, with bike loops, communal gardens and a gym.
• Aldar Properties, Athlon. Villas and townhouses planned around an active lifestyle, with a Nature Loop, Bike Loop and Parklife Loop, pools and an outdoor cinema.
• Reportage Properties, Taormina Village. 838 villas and townhouses on a 148,638 sq m plot, with floor plans for three, four and five bedroom townhouses, pools and a gym. This page lists Taormina Village 1 and Taormina Village 2.

A townhouse shares walls with its neighbours, while a villa stands alone. Most Dubailand projects mix the two: DAMAC Islands, Haven and Athlon offer both, and Taormina Village is mostly townhouses. No live project here is villas only: The Acres was, but it is sold out, so if you want a standalone villa ask each developer which plots are detached. Check the plot size and how far the nearest park or school is on the master plan.

Reportage describes Dubailand as a district on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road (E311), and DAMAC Islands 2 sits between Emirates Road (E611) and the E311. Meraas puts The Acres about 5 minutes from the E311, 15 minutes from Al Khail Road and Al Ain Road, and 25 minutes from Dubai International Airport and Downtown Dubai. Most Dubailand communities are not on the metro, so plan for a car and test your commute on the RTA journey planner at the hour you would travel.

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. Read the payment plan. The down payment, for example 10% or 20%, is set by the developer for each release. Get the full schedule into the contract you register.
4. Check the developer. Visit finished villa communities each developer has handed over in Dubai and read our guide on how to check a developer before buying off-plan.
5. 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 community may have no approved figure yet, so ask the developer for its estimate in writing.

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 home and stage payments during construction, with a wait until the handover date in your contract. A ready villa lets you see the exact house and street, check the service charge history and move in straight away. Our Dubailand area guide covers daily life in more depth.