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
Median residential price, AED per sqft
1,0002,000AED 2,112/sqftJul 2023Jul 2024Jun 2025Jun 2026Jul 2023: AED 1,678/sqftAug 2023: AED 1,576/sqftSep 2023: AED 867/sqftOct 2023: AED 1,371/sqftNov 2023: AED 1,642/sqftDec 2023: AED 1,884/sqftJan 2024: AED 1,606/sqftFeb 2024: AED 1,630/sqftMar 2024: AED 1,606/sqftApr 2024: AED 1,713/sqftMay 2024: AED 1,604/sqftJun 2024: AED 1,499/sqftJul 2024: AED 2,181/sqftAug 2024: AED 1,620/sqftSep 2024: AED 1,541/sqftOct 2024: AED 2,010/sqftNov 2024: AED 2,125/sqftDec 2024: AED 1,743/sqftJan 2025: AED 1,749/sqftFeb 2025: AED 2,358/sqftMar 2025: AED 2,034/sqftApr 2025: AED 2,106/sqftMay 2025: AED 1,859/sqftJun 2025: AED 2,200/sqftJul 2025: AED 2,238/sqftAug 2025: AED 1,729/sqftSep 2025: AED 2,037/sqftOct 2025: AED 1,763/sqftNov 2025: AED 2,111/sqftDec 2025: AED 2,237/sqftJan 2026: AED 1,733/sqftFeb 2026: AED 2,464/sqftMar 2026: AED 2,519/sqftMay 2026: AED 2,124/sqftJun 2026: AED 2,112/sqft
Recorded sales per month
10Jul 2023: 12 salesAug 2023: 9 salesSep 2023: 6 salesOct 2023: 10 salesNov 2023: 7 salesDec 2023: 3 salesJan 2024: 4 salesFeb 2024: 11 salesMar 2024: 6 salesApr 2024: 14 salesMay 2024: 10 salesJun 2024: 5 salesJul 2024: 6 salesAug 2024: 11 salesSep 2024: 5 salesOct 2024: 7 salesNov 2024: 8 salesDec 2024: 10 salesJan 2025: 4 salesFeb 2025: 4 salesMar 2025: 4 salesApr 2025: 4 salesMay 2025: 4 salesJun 2025: 5 salesJul 2025: 5 salesAug 2025: 5 salesSep 2025: 6 salesOct 2025: 5 salesNov 2025: 2 salesDec 2025: 2 salesJan 2026: 5 salesFeb 2026: 5 salesMar 2026: 6 salesMay 2026: 6 salesJun 2026: 2 salesJul 2023Jul 2024Jun 2025Jun 2026
Monthly figures, last 12 months
MonthMedian AED/sqftSales
Jun 20262,1122
May 20262,1246
Apr 20260
Mar 20262,5196
Feb 20262,4645
Jan 20261,7335
Dec 20252,2372
Nov 20252,1112
Oct 20251,7635
Sep 20252,0376
Aug 20251,7295
Jul 20252,2385

Top-selling projects in The Lakes

Ranked by registered sales, Jul 2025 – Jun 2026. "Prior year" is the 12 months before that window.

ProjectSalesPrior yearMedian AED/sqft
The Lakes Ghadeer1191,871
The Lakes Zulal11232,305
The Lakes Deema 242
The Lakes Deema 4422,237

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.

ProjectDeveloperUnitsStatusFrom
Lakes VillaEmaar3–5 BRResale· unverifiedAED 5,500,000
The Lakes ZulalEmaar306CompleteAED 4,800,000
The Lakes Deema 4Emaar57Complete
The Lakes Deema 2Emaar53Complete
The Lakes - Deema 1Emaar66Complete
The Lakes Deema 3Emaar55Complete

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.

Analyze deals in The Lakes

See live prices, rents, and instant net-yield math for this area in the app.