Zayed City property investment guide

Key numbers

Price tier

Mid-market

Ownership

Freehold

Maturity

Planned

Handover

2027+

Metro served

No

Commute to downtown

30 min

Projects tracked

11

New & off-plan projects

Amenities & access

Beach

25 min drive

Metro

No metro

Schools

Several schools

Also nearby

Government district (planned)

Infrastructure that moves values

• Dalma Malloperational · 2011

  One of Abu Dhabi mainland's largest malls, in MBZ City directly opposite the new Etihad Rail passenger station, serving as the principal retail anchor for Zayed City / MBZ City residents.

• Zayed City Schools (3 campuses)operational · 2024

  Three modern government school campuses with combined capacity of 5,360 students, the UAE's first PPP for school infrastructure (BESIX–Plenary), completed and opened in September 2024 with Estidama Pearl 2 sustainability targets.

• Zayed International Airport – Terminal Aoperational · 2024

  The 780,000+ sqm Midfield Terminal A opened (soft-launch Nov 2023, official inauguration Feb 2024), lifting capacity past 45M passengers a year; all flights now operate from it. Directly east of Zayed City and its main international gateway.

• Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street (E20) & arterial road gridoperational

  Zayed City is wrapped by major arterial roads linking it to Abu Dhabi island, MBZ City, Khalifa City and the airport. Core internal infrastructure (roads, lighting, sewerage, utilities) is partly built; about 20-25% of essential infrastructure was complete by 2025.

• Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadiumoperational

  Al Jazira Club's home ground in adjacent Mohammed Bin Zayed City, a multi-purpose stadium and 2019 AFC Asian Cup venue that anchors leisure and sports amenity near Zayed City.

• Neighbourhood mosques (~35 across the district)operational

  Roughly 35 community mosques are distributed across Zayed City's neighbourhoods, with the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque a short drive away on Abu Dhabi island.

• Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC)operational

  The capital's main exhibition and convention venue lies a short drive from Zayed City, providing major business, events and hospitality infrastructure for the surrounding districts.

• Etihad Rail – Mohammed Bin Zayed City Passenger Stationunder construction · 2026

  The UAE's flagship Abu Dhabi passenger rail station (opposite Dalma Mall in MBZ City), inaugurated Jan 2026 with introductory Abu Dhabi–Fujairah service starting 30 June 2026. It is the most central Abu Dhabi rail station and the nearest mainline station serving Zayed City / Capital District commuters.

• Zayed City (Capital District) Master Planunder construction · 2030

  The ~4,900-hectare district (formerly 'Abu Dhabi Capital District') is being built out as the federal seat of UAE government, planned for 370,000+ residents with a project value around $40bn. As of 2025 roughly 25% of core infrastructure (roads, lighting, sewerage, utilities) was complete; phased delivery targets 2030, with later phases adding ministries, embassies and institutional hubs.

• Abu Dhabi–Dubai High-Speed Rail (Airport station)under construction · 2030

  A ~150 km, ~$8bn high-speed line; design-build contracts for civil works and stations were awarded Feb 2025 (NPC, Trojan Tunnelling, Kalyon, CSCEC). Five stations include an underground stop at Zayed International Airport just east of Zayed City. Targeted completion 2030, cutting Abu Dhabi–Dubai to about 57 minutes.

• Khalifa City School (Zayed City Schools – Stage 2)under construction

  Procured in January 2025 as a PPP (design, build, finance and 18-year O&M) for a new campus accommodating 3,380 students in neighbouring Khalifa City, expanding the government school network serving the Zayed City / Capital District catchment.

• Federal Ministries & Embassies Districtapproved · 2030

  Upcoming phases of the master plan prioritise government buildings and institutional hubs: the district will house federal ministries, foreign embassies and Fortune 500 headquarters as Abu Dhabi's second downtown and institutional core.

• Zayed International Airport – future expansion (65M capacity)announced · 2032

  In October 2025 Abu Dhabi announced a major Zayed International Airport expansion to lift capacity from ~45M to 65M passengers by 2032, with construction expected to start within about two years and AI/biometric 'Smart Travel' upgrades. The airport sits immediately east of Zayed City.

• Zayed City Medical Campus & Biomedical Research Hubannounced

  The master plan earmarks an iconic medical campus with biomedical research facilities, intended as a flagship health-and-research district within Zayed City. Announced as part of the institutional cluster alongside new universities.

• Zayed City University Clusterannounced

  The plan calls for new universities to anchor Zayed City's knowledge district, creating synergies with the medical campus and private sector. Part of the institutional core showcased in the Capital District master plan.

• Abu Dhabi Inner-City Metro Network (10 stations)announced

  Phase two of the Etihad Rail / Abu Dhabi rail programme envisions a 10-station inner-city network plus links to Al Ain and Sharjah. The Capital District master plan explicitly reserves corridors for metro and regional rail, but no Abu Dhabi metro line is operational yet as of June 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Can foreigners buy property in Zayed City?

Yes — Zayed City is a freehold zone, so foreign buyers get full ownership with no residency requirement.

How far is Zayed City from downtown Abu Dhabi?

Zayed City is roughly 30 minutes from downtown by car. Upcoming infrastructure: Etihad Rail – Mohammed Bin Zayed City Passenger Station, Zayed City (Capital District) Master Plan, Abu Dhabi–Dubai High-Speed Rail (Airport station), Khalifa City School (Zayed City Schools – Stage 2), Federal Ministries & Embassies District, Zayed International Airport – future expansion (65M capacity), Zayed City Medical Campus & Biomedical Research Hub, Zayed City University Cluster, Abu Dhabi Inner-City Metro Network (10 stations).

What new projects are selling in Zayed City?

Current launches include Bloom Living - Granada 2 by Bloom Holding (from AED 620,000), Bloom Living - Carmona by Bloom Holding (from AED 1,950,000), Bloom Living - Marbella by Bloom Holding (from AED 3,720,000), Bloom Living - Malaga by Bloom Holding (from AED 3,930,000), Bloom Living - Seville by Bloom Holding (from AED 1,730,000), Bloom Living - Granada 1 by Bloom Holding (from AED 570,000), Bloom Living - Cordoba by Bloom Holding (from AED 1,570,000), Bloom Living - Toledo by Bloom Holding (from AED 1,590,000), Bloom Living - Casares by Bloom Holding (from AED 1,660,000), Bloom Living - Olvera by Bloom Holding (from AED 1,750,000), Bloom Living - Almeria by Bloom Holding (from AED 3,640,000).

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