DAMAC Islands: a buyer's guide to DAMAC Islands and DAMAC Islands 2 (2026)

DAMAC Islands is a master community of townhouses and villas by DAMAC Properties in Dubailand, designed to feel like a tropical island resort. DAMAC gives it as 30 million sq ft with 5,915 villas and townhouses, in clusters themed on six island destinations.

DAMAC Islands 2 is a second master community beside it. It covers 20 million sq ft, takes its themes from eight islands, and is planned around what DAMAC calls the five pillars of eco living: nature, wellness, adventure, social and cultural.

People often use "DAMAC Islands" for both. This guide covers each, how they differ, what you can buy, how far they are from schools, malls and the airports, and what to check before you reserve. For the developer, see our DAMAC Properties page.

DAMAC Islands is in Dubailand, in Dubai's southern inland districts, with DAMAC Islands 2 next to it. Emirates Road and Al Qudra Road are the main routes in and out.

The nearest established communities are DAMAC Hills, Motor City and Dubai Sports City, which DAMAC puts about 15 minutes away by car. Arabian Ranches, The Villa and the Al Qudra desert are also nearby. For the wider district, see our Dubailand page.

The communities are some way from the coast and from the metro, so a car is part of daily life. In return you get a large plot of land per home and a setting built around water and planting.

DAMAC quotes about 15 minutes to DAMAC Hills, Motor City and Dubai Sports City, 20 minutes to Expo City Dubai and 23 minutes to Al Maktoum International Airport. The two communities have separate lists, so the figures below are given for each.

From DAMAC Islands, DAMAC's guide gives about 18 minutes to Dubai Investments Park, 28 minutes to Dubai International Airport and 30 minutes to the Burj Al Arab. From DAMAC Islands 2, it gives about 25 minutes to Downtown Dubai and 40 minutes to Dubai International Airport.

Closer to home, DAMAC lists these for DAMAC Islands 2:

• Shopping. The Ranches Souk for daily shopping and dining, and the Village Community Mall about 10 minutes away. Its guide also names City Land Mall, First Avenue Mall, DAMAC Mall and Dubai Outlet Mall in the catchment.
• Healthcare. Health Connect Clinic about 23 minutes, Dubai London Clinic's The Villa branch about 24 and HealthHub Clinic in Silicon Oasis about 25. Saudi German Hospital is in the wider catchment.
• Schools. South View School Dubai about 18 minutes and GEMS Winchester School Dubai about 24. Jumeirah English Speaking School, GEMS Metropole School, Jebel Ali School and Dunecrest American School are in the wider catchment.
• Hotels. Studio One Hotel about 16 minutes, Radisson Hotel Dubai DAMAC Hills and Park Inn by Radisson Motor City about 21 each, and Edge by Rotana in DAMAC Hills 2 about 28.
• Days out. Global Village, IMG Worlds of Adventure, Dubai Miracle Garden, Dubai Butterfly Garden, Hamdan Sports Complex, Trump International Golf Club and Al Habtoor Polo Resort.

Check school places and current ratings on the KHDA directory before you choose a home for the school run. Our guide to family communities and schools compares other options.

They share an island theme and a developer, but they are separate master communities. DAMAC Islands 2 is smaller in area, has more island themes, adds twin villas and leans on eco living, where the first community leans on water parks and jungle features.

The practical differences for a buyer:

• Timing. DAMAC Islands launched first, and Phase 1 set a Guinness World Records title for launch-day sales. DAMAC Islands 2 is the newer launch, due in 2030.
• Home mix. If you want a semi-detached twin villa, that is a DAMAC Islands 2 product. The very largest villas, of 10,000 sq ft and more, are in the first community.
• Feel. DAMAC Islands centres on an aqua park, jungle river and lagoon waterfalls. DAMAC Islands 2 centres on a lake and eco park, botanic garden, wellness and treetop adventure.

DAMAC Islands has six clusters, each named after a tropical destination: Maldives, Bora Bora, Seychelles, Hawaii, Bali and Fiji. DAMAC Islands 2 has eight: Bahamas, Tahiti, Bermuda, Barbados, Cuba, Maui, Mauritius and Antigua.

DAMAC describes each cluster's character in its guide:

• Maldives. Calm and green, with reflective water features and palm-lined paths.
• Bora Bora. The livelier cluster, with water sports and beachside spots.
• Seychelles. Close to nature, with tropical planting and clear water features.
• Hawaii. Open spaces, open-air lounges and tropical plants.
• Bali. A quieter, zen-like setting with water ponds and bamboo accents.
• Fiji. Tropical gardens, open spaces and bright colours.

In DAMAC Islands 2, the clusters differ in home mix as well as theme. DAMAC's guide places the standalone 6 bedroom villas in Bahamas and Bermuda, and the 5 bedroom twin villas in Bahamas, Cuba and Tahiti. Townhouses are spread across several clusters. Maui is a cluster of 434 townhouses and twin villas.

DAMAC Islands is built around water and jungle features: an aqua park, a jungle river with rapids, lagoon waterfalls and a central hub fountain. DAMAC Islands 2 adds more than 45 eco-living experiences, from a lake and eco park to canopy walks.

DAMAC lists these for DAMAC Islands:

• Central hub fountain. A show of water, light and fire at the heart of the community.
• Aqua park. Slides and splash areas for all ages.
• Jungle river and jungle swings. A planted river route with rapids, and swings over the water and greenery.
• Lagoon waterfalls and paddling. Waterfalls into the lagoon, and LED-lit paddling at night.
• Water platforms. Raised social spaces over the water.
• Also planned. A mini-golf island, a tortoise garden, a parrot park, a wedding venue, gondola-style paddling and a clubhouse in each cluster.

For DAMAC Islands 2, DAMAC lists a tranquil lake and eco park, a waterfall with a yoga deck, a botanic garden, a wellness spa, canopy walks and a treehouse park, an eco lodge with farm-to-table dining, an art and sculpture garden, a wild park for children, and a solar-shaded e-scooter park.

Amenities in a new master community open in stages as clusters are completed. If one matters to you, ask DAMAC which cluster it is in and when it is due.

Both communities sell townhouses and villas. Townhouses have 4 or 5 bedrooms; villas run from 5 bedroom twin villas in DAMAC Islands 2 to 7 bedroom villas of more than 17,000 sq ft in DAMAC Islands.

Townhouses in DAMAC Islands 2 come as mid units and end units. An end unit has more outdoor space and windows on three sides; a mid unit is the lower-priced way into the same bedroom count.

Browse other communities by home type on our villas and townhouses pages.

We track these releases. Each page has the current prices, sizes, payment plan and handover date.

• DAMAC Islands 2. The second community: 4 and 5 bedroom townhouses, 5 bedroom twin villas and 6 bedroom villas across eight island-themed clusters.
• Maui at DAMAC Islands 2. The Hawaiian-themed cluster: 434 homes, 208 with 4 bedrooms and 226 with 5, as townhouses and twin villas.
• The Tropics at DAMAC Islands. An apartment release planned inside DAMAC Islands, in two collections. Details are on request.

DAMAC releases these communities cluster by cluster, and earlier clusters may no longer be available from the developer. For the latest releases see new launches, and for time-limited terms see offers.

If you are comparing nearby DAMAC communities, DAMAC Hills 2 is also in Dubailand; we track Violet 4 Phase 2 there.

Yes. Homes in both DAMAC Islands and DAMAC Islands 2 are sold freehold, so buyers of any nationality can own them outright, with no need to live in the UAE.

Under Law No. 7 of 2006, non-UAE nationals may own freehold property in the areas of Dubai designated for them. The off-plan sale is registered on the Dubai Land Department's interim register, Oqood, when you sign, and converts to a title deed after handover once the unit is fully paid.

For a residence visa, the property route to the ten-year Golden Visa needs property worth at least AED 2 million; check the price of the home you choose against it. See our guide to the Golden Visa through UAE property.

You pay during construction and the rest at handover. The DAMAC Islands 2 plans we track ask 75% during construction and 25% on handover; for Maui, DAMAC sets the construction share as monthly instalments of 1%, including the booking amount.

A long construction period with monthly instalments spreads the cost, but it adds up: at 1% a month, a year of instalments comes to 12% of the price. Check the monthly figure in dirhams, not just the percentage. Write down the amount due each month and on handover, in dirhams, and check that you can carry it alongside your other commitments.

Our guide to off-plan payment plans in the UAE compares structures in money terms, and the payment plans page lists projects by plan. If you will use a mortgage for the handover share, read off-plan mortgages in the UAE first.

DAMAC's guide gives June 2030 for DAMAC Islands 2. The releases we track are due between the second and fourth quarter of 2030: Maui in the second quarter, the wider DAMAC Islands 2 release and The Tropics in the fourth.

Handover dates for the original DAMAC Islands clusters are on request. Each cluster has its own date in its sale and purchase agreement, together with a grace period.

You can follow a building's certified completion percentage on the Dubai REST app. Other projects due the same year are on handover in 2030, and what happens at handover is in our handover process guide.

On top of the price, budget for the 4% Dubai Land Department fee when the sale is registered, small registration and administration fees, and service charges every year from handover.

• The 4% DLD fee. Paid once, on registration. Some launch offers waive it on qualifying purchases; see offers.
• Service charges. Under Law No. 6 of 2019, a building or community budget needs RERA approval before owners are charged. Once approved, the rate appears on the Dubai Land Department's Service Charge Index. Ask for the estimated rate per sq ft before you buy.
• Master community costs. Lagoons, water features and extensive planting are part of what shared charges pay for.
• Running a large home. Villas with pools, gardens and roof terraces cost more to cool, water and maintain than an apartment of the same value.

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

These checks cover most of what matters:

1. Which community and cluster. DAMAC Islands and DAMAC Islands 2 are separate. Confirm the community, cluster and plot on the reservation form.
2. The exact home type. Mid or end townhouse, twin villa or standalone villa, and whether the area quoted is saleable or built-up.
3. The handover date and grace period. Read both in the sale and purchase agreement.
4. The schedule in money. List each monthly and milestone payment, and how you will fund the handover share.
5. The plot's position. Ask how far the home is from the lagoon, the cluster's clubhouse and the main gate, and what is planned next to it.
6. Registration. Check the project on the Dubai REST app before you pay.

The full method is in our guide on how to check an off-plan project and developer, and the purchase steps are in how to buy off-plan property in Dubai.

• Master community. A large development planned and run by one master developer, with shared roads, lagoons, parks and amenities. Each cluster or building inside it is a separate project.
• Cluster. A themed group of homes inside the master community, released and built as one or more phases.
• Saleable area and built-up area. Saleable area usually includes the home plus a share of terraces and other spaces; built-up area is the enclosed floor area. Ask which one a price per sq ft is based on.
• Twin villa. A semi-detached villa that shares one wall with its neighbour, with its own entrance and garden.
• Mid and end townhouse. A mid unit sits between two neighbours; an end unit sits at the end of a row, with a side garden and more windows.
• Oqood. The Dubai Land Department's interim register for off-plan sales. Your purchase is recorded there until the title deed is issued after handover.
• Grace period. Extra time after the anticipated completion date, set in your contract, within which a later handover is not a breach.

DAMAC Islands suits buyers who want a townhouse or villa with space, in a new resort-style community, and who are happy to wait for handover and to drive for work and school.

• Families get 4 to 7 bedrooms, gardens and amenities built for children, with schools a 15 to 25 minute drive away.
• Buyers planning ahead use the long construction period to spread payments before moving in around 2030.
• Buyers comparing DAMAC communities often weigh DAMAC Islands against DAMAC Lagoons, which has a Mediterranean theme, apartments as well as villas, and earlier handovers in some clusters.

If you need to be on the metro or close to an office district, a central area may suit you better. Our guide to Dubai's areas and districts compares the options.

Decide between the two communities first, then between clusters and home types. Ask DAMAC for the floor plan, plot position and full payment schedule for the unit you want, and compare the current releases on the project pages above.