The Lakes property investment guide
Upgraded villas among greenery
The Lakes is a mid-market villas community in Dubai where recorded residential sales have a median price of AED 2,179 per sqft. Ownership is freehold. The nearest metro station is Al Fardan Exchange, 1.0 km away.
A leafy, upgraded villa enclave within Emirates Living, quieter and greener than its neighbours.
Key numbers
- Avg asking price*
- AED 1,940/sqft
- Price tier
- Mid-market
- Ownership
- Freehold
- Maturity
- Established
- Handover
- Ready
- Metro served
- No
- Commute to downtown
- 20 min
- Projects tracked
- 7
Market data: recorded sales
Over the 12 months to Jun 2026, The Lakes recorded 49 property sales with a residential median of AED 2,072 per sqft — +8.3% on the previous 12 months.
See how The Lakes ranks city-wide: price per sqft, sales momentum, price growth.
- Median sale price
- AED 2,179/sqft
- 27 residential sales, last 4 quarters
- Sales, last 12 months
- 49
- -31.9% vs the 12 months before
- Price change, year on year
- +8.3%
- residential median AED/sqft
Monthly figures, last 12 months
| Month | Median AED/sqft | Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Jun 2026 | 2,112 | 2 |
| May 2026 | 2,124 | 6 |
| Apr 2026 | — | 0 |
| Mar 2026 | 2,519 | 6 |
| Feb 2026 | 2,464 | 5 |
| Jan 2026 | 1,733 | 5 |
| Dec 2025 | 2,237 | 2 |
| Nov 2025 | 2,111 | 2 |
| Oct 2025 | 1,763 | 5 |
| Sep 2025 | 2,037 | 6 |
| Aug 2025 | 1,729 | 5 |
| Jul 2025 | 2,238 | 5 |
Top-selling projects in The Lakes
Ranked by registered sales, Jul 2025 – Jun 2026. "Prior year" is the 12 months before that window.
| Project | Sales | Prior year | Median AED/sqft |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Lakes Ghadeer | 11 | 9 | 1,871 |
| The Lakes Zulal | 11 | 23 | 2,305 |
| The Lakes Deema 2 | 4 | 2 | — |
| The Lakes Deema 4 | 4 | 2 | 2,237 |
Projects
Build status and unit counts from the Dubai Land Department project register; rows we could not match to a register entry are marked unverified.
| Project | Developer | Units | Status | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lakes Villa | Emaar | 3–5 BR | Resale· unverified | AED 5,500,000 |
| The Lakes Zulal | Emaar | 306 | Complete | AED 4,800,000 |
| The Lakes Deema 4 | Emaar | 57 | Complete | — |
| The Lakes Deema 2 | Emaar | 53 | Complete | — |
| The Lakes - Deema 1 | Emaar | 66 | Complete | — |
| The Lakes Deema 3 | Emaar | 55 | Complete | — |
Amenities & access
- Beach
- 15 min drive
- Metro
- 12 min
- Schools
- Nearby
- Also nearby
- Lakes Club, parks
Getting around & daily life
Nearest of each, measured to the edge of The Lakes — not driving distance.
- Metro station
- Al Fardan Exchange · 1.0 km away
- Tram stop
- Marina Towers · 1.4 km away
- School
- Dubai International Academy · 70 m away
- Hospital
- Saudi German Hospital · 1.7 km away
- Mall
- The Springs Souk · 2.0 km away
- Supermarket
- Carrefour JLT · 770 m away
- Park
- Nisreen park · 540 m away
- Beach
- 2.3 km away
- Golf course
- Par 3 - 9 hole course · 260 m away
- University
- American University in Dubai · 1.4 km away
- Airport
- Al Maktoum International Airport · 18 km away
Locations © OpenStreetMap contributors.
Infrastructure that moves values
- Al-Fardan Exchange Metro Station (Red Line, ex-Al Khail/Nakheel)operational · 2010
Nearest Red Line station, beside Emirates Golf Club on Sheikh Zayed Road (~6 min drive from the community centre). Originally Nakheel, renamed Al Khail in 2020 and Al-Fardan Exchange in March 2025.
- Sobha Realty Metro Station (Red Line)operational · 2010
Second nearby Red Line station (formerly DMCC), giving Emirates Living residents an alternative metro access point toward Dubai Marina and JLT.
- Dubai Tram (Al Sufouh - Dubai Marina)operational · 2014
Tram network linking Dubai Marina and Al Sufouh with Red Line transfers, giving Emirates Living residents onward connectivity along the beachfront corridor.
- Dubai British School Emirates Hills expansionoperational · 2025
Established British-curriculum school in neighbouring Emirates Hills/Springs that expanded onto the former Amity Early Learning Centre site from August 2025, adding capacity for Emirates Living families including The Lakes.
- The Lakes Cluboperational
The community's ~30,000 sq ft social and wellness hub with gym, outdoor and children's pools, tennis and squash courts, and a spa - the central amenity for The Lakes.
- Reform Social & Grilloperational
Popular licensed British neighbourhood restaurant with a lakeside garden setting, the heart of The Lakes' dining and social scene.
- Choithrams Supermarketoperational
In-community supermarket covering residents' daily grocery needs without leaving The Lakes.
- Emirates International School Meadowsoperational
KHDA 'Very Good'-rated IB school (EY1-Grade 12) in adjacent The Meadows, a primary schooling option for The Lakes families.
- Dubai International Academy / Regent International Schooloperational
Leading international schools serving Emirates Living, alongside the American School of Dubai, all within a short drive of The Lakes.
- Medcare Medical Centre, Meadowsoperational
Multi-specialty clinic in neighbouring Meadows Village handling everyday primary-care needs for Emirates Living residents.
- American Hospital Dubai / Saudi German / Al Zahraoperational
Major hospitals within ~14 minutes' drive (American Hospital Dubai, plus Saudi German and Al Zahra) providing full secondary/tertiary care for the community.
- Emirates Golf Club & Address Montgomerie Golf Cluboperational
Two championship golf courses flanking The Lakes; Emirates Golf Club (host of the Dubai Desert Classic) and the Address Montgomerie define the community's greenbelt setting.
- Mall of the Emiratesoperational
Major super-regional mall (Ski Dubai, department stores, cinemas) about 13 minutes' drive from The Lakes.
- Dubai Marina Malloperational
Waterfront retail and dining destination roughly 8 minutes' drive away, the closest large mall to The Lakes.
- Dubai Metro Gold Line (Line 4)approved · 2032
RTA's announced ~$9bn Gold Line (Metro Line 4) starts at Al Ghubaiba and runs broadly parallel to the Red Line before turning inland via Business Bay; consultancy awarded to Aecom. Improves the wider Red Line corridor that serves Emirates Living. Still early-stage with no confirmed opening date as of June 2026.
- Airport Express Line spur to Al-Fardan Exchange (Emirates Golf Club)announced
RTA's planned ~55km Airport Express Line (DXB to Al Maktoum/DWC) includes a branch spur running from the new JVC station to the Al-Fardan Exchange (ex-Al Khail) Red Line station beside Emirates Golf Club, the metro stop serving The Lakes. As of June 2026 the project is in the consultancy/study tender phase, with a contractor meeting set for 21 July 2026 and bids due 20 September 2026; no opening date yet.
- Dubai Internet City Loop / wider metro-network capacity upgradesannounced
Part of Dubai's 35-project 2026 traffic-improvement programme covering Sheikh Zayed Road, Al Khail Road and surrounding interchanges that carry The Lakes' commuters. These corridor upgrades are announced/in early stages and improve regional access from Emirates Living.
Frequently asked questions
- How much does property cost in The Lakes?
- Recorded residential sales in The Lakes over the last four quarters have a median price of AED 2,179 per sqft, across 27 transactions. Prices are up +8.3% year on year. Buying costs add roughly 7–10% on top, and net rental yield after service charges typically lands 2–3 percentage points below the gross figure.
- What is the nearest metro station to The Lakes?
- Al Fardan Exchange is the nearest metro station — 1.0 km away, measured to the edge of The Lakes.
- What are the best-selling projects in The Lakes?
- By registered sales over the last 12 months, the top projects in The Lakes are The Lakes Ghadeer (11 sales), The Lakes Zulal (11 sales), The Lakes Deema 2 (4 sales).
- Can foreigners buy property in The Lakes?
- Yes — The Lakes is a freehold zone, so foreign buyers get full ownership with no residency requirement.
- How far is The Lakes from downtown Dubai?
- The Lakes is roughly 20 minutes from downtown by car. Upcoming infrastructure: Dubai Metro Gold Line (Line 4), Airport Express Line spur to Al-Fardan Exchange (Emirates Golf Club), Dubai Internet City Loop / wider metro-network capacity upgrades.
Compare with nearby areas
*Average asking price for The Lakes is derived from recorded prices across its sub-communities, not measured on the area as a whole. Source: Dubai Land Department open data, sales data through Jun 2026. Medians are computed from registered residential sales and can lag or diverge from asking prices. Not investment advice. Asking-price figures come from Esto’s area dataset, updated 2026-07-15. Net yield after service charges and buying costs is what decides a deal —here’s how to run that math.
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