Al Barsha South, Dubai: a buyer's guide to the area, its communities and off-plan homes (2026)

Al Barsha South is one of the most searched place names in Dubai property and one of the least understood. It is an official district that takes in several separate developments, each with its own master developer, and one part of it is not on the open market at all. This guide explains what Al Barsha South is, what you can buy there, and what to check before you do.

Two parts of the district have their own pages with full project lists: Jumeirah Village Circle and Arjan. Dubai Science Park has its own page too. This guide sits above them and links to each.

Al Barsha South is a district in western-central Dubai, south of Al Barsha and Mall of the Emirates. It lies between Al Khail Road (E44) and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road (E311), with Umm Suqeim Street and Hessa Street giving access.

Dubai's statistics divide it into five communities: Al Barsha South First, Second, Third, Fourth and Fifth. Developers and agents use the developments' own names instead, so the same building may be listed as being in Al Barsha South, in JVC or in Arjan.

The neighbours set its character. Mall of the Emirates and Al Barsha are to the north, Dubai Hills Estate is across Umm Suqeim Street, and Jumeirah Village Triangle, Motor City and Dubai Sports City are to the south and west. For how these districts compare, see our guide to Dubai's areas and districts.

Five numbered communities, which hold four kinds of neighbourhood: villa housing for UAE nationals, Jumeirah Village Circle, Arjan and Dubai Science Park.

• Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC). A Nakheel master development of about 860 hectares, laid out as a circle of ten districts numbered 10 to 19 with Circle Mall at the centre. Most sources place it in Al Barsha South Fourth. It has more off-plan towers than any other part of the district; see our JVC page for them.
• Arjan. A low- to mid-rise apartment district inside the wider Dubailand zone, beside the junction of Umm Suqeim Street and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road. Developers give it as Al Barsha South Third. Dubai Miracle Garden and Mediclinic Parkview Hospital are here.
• Dubai Science Park. A TECOM Group business community for pharmaceutical, health, life sciences and energy companies, off Umm Suqeim Street across from Dubai Hills Estate. Residential towers now stand beside the offices and labs.
• The Al Barsha South villa areas. Low-rise villa neighbourhoods, including a housing project for UAE nationals in Al Barsha South First.

The boundaries in buyers' minds rarely match the official ones. When you compare listings, ask which master development the building belongs to. That decides who issues your NOC on resale, which master community charge applies and which rules govern the building.

About 74,937 people lived in Al Barsha South at the end of 2023, on Dubai Statistics Center estimates, up from about 20,186 at the end of 2015. Al Barsha South Fourth, where most sources place JVC, held about 31,371 of them.

What the numbers show is where homes have been delivered. Al Barsha South Third, which developers give as Arjan, grew from 720 residents to 12,022 as its apartment buildings completed. The pattern matters to a buyer: a district this young still has towers under construction around many completed ones, so check what is being built next to the building you choose.

Any nationality can buy in the freehold master developments: JVC, Arjan and Dubai Science Park. The villa housing project in Al Barsha South First was built for UAE nationals.

The Emirati housing project. The Mohammed Bin Rashid Housing Establishment's Al Barsha South project covers 170.47 hectares, with 1,240 houses in 11 models of one or two floors. In September 2018, 626 houses in its fourth to sixth phases were allocated to citizens, at an estimated cost of AED 680 million.

The freehold developments. In JVC, Arjan and Dubai Science Park, buyers of any nationality, resident or not, can own an apartment, townhouse or villa outright. Off-plan sales are registered on the Dubai Land Department's interim register, Oqood, and a title deed follows completion. Our guide to whether foreigners can buy property in the UAE explains freehold areas and title.

New towers are on sale in Dubai Science Park, Arjan and JVC. The tables below are built from our project data for Dubai Science Park and Arjan and change whenever we add or update a project. Sold-out projects drop out.

Dubai Science Park

Skyhills Astra by HRE Development is two towers with 1,696 homes: studios, one-bedroom apartments and two- and three-bedroom duplexes from AED 850,000. Handover is in the fourth quarter of 2027, and the plan is 20% on booking, 15% during construction, 25% on handover and 40% over 40 months after handover. Binghatti Hillviews has 1,552 studios and one- and two-bedroom homes, with studios from AED 853,000 on a 20/50/30 plan and completion scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2026.

Arjan

Arjan's buildings are mostly low- to mid-rise, from small blocks of 42 homes to a 28-storey tower. Handovers run from late 2026 to 2029, which gives a buyer a choice between a home that completes soon and a longer plan.

Jumeirah Village Circle. JVC has the most projects in the district. See every one, with prices and handover dates, on our JVC page.

For homes across Dubai in the same price range, see projects under AED 1 million and our ranking of the cheapest off-plan apartments in Dubai.

They vary more than the prices. Some leave 40% of the price until after handover; others ask for most of it during construction.

A worked example. On a Skyhills Astra home at AED 850,000, the 20/15/25/40 plan works out as AED 170,000 at booking plus the 4% DLD fee of AED 34,000, then AED 127,500 during construction and AED 212,500 on handover. The last AED 340,000 is paid over the 40 months after handover, about AED 8,500 a month if spread evenly.

A plan with a large post-handover share suits a buyer who wants the keys first. It also means paying the developer, the service charge and the utilities at the same time for three years. If you plan to fund a handover payment with a mortgage, read off-plan mortgages in the UAE. Every structure is compared in off-plan payment plans, and live projects are grouped on our payment plans page.

By car mainly. Four major roads run through or beside the district, and there is no Metro station inside it. The nearest is Mall of the Emirates on the Red Line.

The roads. Al Khail Road (E44) and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road (E311) run along its sides towards Downtown and Deira in one direction and Jebel Ali and Abu Dhabi in the other. Umm Suqeim Street and Hessa Street give access from inside the district and lead to Sheikh Zayed Road and the coast.

Drive times. From JVC, Dubai Marina is about 15 minutes, Downtown Dubai about 20 minutes, Dubai International about 25 to 30 minutes and Al Maktoum International about 30 minutes. From Dubai Science Park, Dubai Hills Mall is a few minutes away, Mall of the Emirates about 10 minutes and Dubai Marina and Downtown about 20 minutes each. Times vary with traffic.

Public transport. Mall of the Emirates station is about 10 to 15 minutes by car from JVC and about 15 minutes from Arjan. Bus J01 links JVC to the mall and bus F36 serves Arjan. Check current routes on the RTA journey planner.

It is a district of apartment towers, low-rise blocks and villa streets, with the large malls and hospitals of Al Barsha and Dubai Hills a short drive away. Inside the developments, shops and cafés sit at the foot of the buildings.

• Shopping. Circle Mall is at the centre of JVC. Mall of the Emirates and Al Barsha Mall are to the north, and Dubai Hills Mall is a few minutes from Dubai Science Park.
• Healthcare. Mediclinic Parkview Hospital is in Arjan, and King's College Hospital in Dubai Hills is about 9 minutes from Dubai Science Park by car.
• Green space. Dubai Miracle Garden is in Arjan. JVC has parks within each district, and Dubai Hills Park is in Dubai Hills Estate next door.
• Work. Dubai Science Park is itself a workplace, and Al Barsha, Barsha Heights and the business districts on Sheikh Zayed Road are within about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Schools. Several schools are in and around the district. Check each school's rating and fees on the KHDA website, and see our guide to family communities and schools.

Who tends to buy here. First-time buyers and buyers who want a lower entry price than the coast, buyers who work in Al Barsha, Dubai Hills or Dubai Science Park, and owners who want a home to let to tenants who work in the same places. Rents vary by building; look at the best areas in Dubai for rental yield before you set a figure.

Beyond the price you pay the 4% DLD fee once, then service charges, cooling and utilities every year. Service charges differ from building to building, even on the same street.

• Service charges. Approved by RERA and invoiced through Mollak. Look up the building's rate on the Dubai Land Department's Service Charge Index. For a new building, ask the developer for its estimate per square foot.
• Master community charges. JVC, Arjan and Dubai Science Park each have their own master developer. Ask whether a master community charge applies on top of the building's service charge.
• Cooling. Ask whether the building uses district cooling and how it is billed.
• Letting. A long-term let is registered on Ejari. A holiday let needs a permit from the Department of Economy and Tourism and the building's consent.

Every fee, from booking to resale, is in the true cost of buying off-plan.

1. The development, not the district. Confirm whether the building is in JVC, Arjan, Dubai Science Park or elsewhere, and who the master developer is.
2. What is being built next door. Many plots are still under construction; ask what is planned on the neighbouring plots.
3. The developer and project. Check the project's registration and escrow account. The steps are in how to check an off-plan project and developer.
4. The plan in money. Turn the percentages into amounts and dates, including any share due after handover.
5. The service charge. Ask for the estimate, or look up the approved rate on the Service Charge Index.
6. The commute. Drive the route to work at rush hour, and check the bus to Mall of the Emirates if you will rely on the Metro.
7. Parking. Ask how many bays come with the home.
8. Your exit. If you may sell before handover, ask what share must be paid before the developer allows a resale. See selling off-plan before handover.

• Al Barsha South. The official district of five numbered communities between Al Khail Road and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road.
• Master developer. The company that plans and manages a development such as JVC (Nakheel) or Dubai Science Park (TECOM Group).
• Freehold. Outright ownership, open to buyers of any nationality in designated areas.
• Post-handover plan. A plan in which part of the price is paid to the developer after you receive the keys.
• Service Charge Index. The Dubai Land Department's public list of approved service charges by building.

For the full project lists, go to Jumeirah Village Circle, Arjan and Dubai Science Park. For neighbouring districts, see Dubai Hills Estate, Jumeirah Village Triangle and Motor City, or browse all off-plan projects.

Tell us your budget and whether the home is to live in or to let, and we will send the Al Barsha South buildings that fit, with today's availability checked for each.