Living in Sharjah Waterfront City: islands, beaches, commutes and buying a home

Living in Sharjah Waterfront City means living on a new island city on Sharjah's Gulf coast at Al Hamriyah, where the beach, the canals and the sea views are the point. It is a young community: the first villas are marketed as ready, while most of the master plan, including the marina, water park and mall, is still to come.

See all projects and prices on our Sharjah Waterfront City page. This guide covers what that page does not: what day-to-day life is like, how you get around, where children go to school, what it costs to run a home and how to buy off-plan there step by step.

It is written for people deciding whether to buy a home to live in or to let. It gives no forecast for prices or rents, and it is not legal advice.

It sits on the Arabian Gulf at Al Hamriyah, in the north of Sharjah, between Ajman and Umm Al Quwain. Ajmal Makan, the master developer, markets it as Ajmal Makan City, Sharjah Waterfront.

The city is served by three main roads: Al Ittihad Road, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road and Emirates Road. That matters because it gives you a choice of route towards Sharjah and Dubai, with Emirates Road as the inland bypass.

Al Hamriyah is a long way north of Sharjah city centre. That distance is the trade-off at the heart of living here: more coastline and space for your money, in exchange for a longer drive to the city, its schools and its offices.

By road, Ajmal Makan gives about 5 minutes to Ajman, about 15 minutes to Sharjah and about 29 minutes to Dubai. Sharjah International Airport is 22 minutes away and Dubai International Airport 35 minutes.

Ajmal Makan also gives 20 minutes to Sharjah University City and 13 minutes to Sheikh Khalifa Hospital. Treat all of these as off-peak figures.

The roads between the Northern Emirates and Dubai carry heavy commuter traffic in the morning and evening. Before you commit, drive the route you would use for work or school at the time you would use it, in both directions.

There is no Metro in Sharjah, and the city is a car-based community. Residents drive or use taxis, and the Sharjah Roads and Transport Authority (SRTA) runs the emirate's buses.

The distinctive part of the transport plan is water. Ajmal Makan plans a water taxi from the marina that links Sharjah and Dubai across the Gulf in 30 to 35 minutes, described as a 24-hour service for private anchors, hotels, resorts and marine clubs, with more stations to follow.

The water taxi is part of the marina plan. If a sea commute is a reason you are buying, ask Ajmal Makan when the service is due to start, where it will stop in Dubai and what it will cost, and plan your budget on driving until it runs.

Ajmal Makan describes a city of 60 million sq ft of waterfront land across eight islands, planned for more than 60,000 residents. The islands are separated by tidal canals, with beaches, a marina, a water park, a mall and hotels in the plan.

The canals. Water circulates naturally with the tide, about every 12 hours. The canals are up to 300 m wide and 5 m deep, and Ajmal Makan uses a geotextile system and wave breakers to keep the water clean and protect the beaches around the islands.

The marina. It is planned for 800 boats and yachts, with a marina walk, five-star hotels and serviced apartments, mixed-use towers, shops, cafés, restaurants and marine clubs. Ajmal Makan describes it as the only marina between Dubai Marina and Ras Al Khaimah.

The Crystal Gulf water park. It is planned on one of the natural islands, covering 1.5 million sq ft with more than 35 rides, open all year, with restaurants and family facilities.

The mall. A mall with 1.33 million sq ft of retail space, within 5.25 million sq ft of built-up area, is planned with a hypermarket, food court, cinema, children's areas and a shopping boulevard along a canal.

Plans like these take years to complete. When you compare homes, separate what is built and open today from what is planned, and ask the developer for expected opening dates for the facilities that matter to you.

Most homes are villas and townhouses on separate islands, each with its own character. There is one apartment building on sale, Blue Beach Residence 3, for buyers who want the beach without a villa budget.

Sun Island. A community of 321 smart villas, from four to seven bedrooms, marketed as ready to move into. Ajmal Makan describes green buildings that use less energy than typical villas, with smart home technology, 24-hour security and sports facilities. It suits buyers who want to move in soon. See Sun Island.

The View Island. Four-bedroom Perla and Alba townhouses and five-bedroom Aryam villas on the water. The island is built around open space: Central Park, South Park, Rock Island and a children's park, a lagoon, decks, an urban beach, running and cycling tracks and a clubhouse with a gym and games room. It is the family-oriented choice. See The View Island.

Al Thuraya Island. A private beachfront island of large villas and mansions, from five to eight bedrooms, each with a private pool, plus a dock, a floating platform, a beach lounge, a spa and cycling paths. Within it, Verde Villas is a smaller collection of four-bedroom garden villas of 4,626 sq ft, with completion due in December 2028 and 70% of the price paid over two years after handover. See Al Thuraya Island.

Blue Beach Residence 3. One-, two- and three-bedroom apartments on the shoreline, with private balconies, restaurants, a spa, fitness facilities and 24-hour security. It is the entry point to the city for buyers who want an apartment. See Blue Beach Residence 3.

If you are deciding between a villa and a townhouse in general, our villas and townhouses pages compare projects across the UAE.

The table below lists the projects we track in Sharjah Waterfront City, with starting prices, payment plans and handover dates. It updates as prices change and as we add projects.

Starting prices are for the smallest or cheapest available home in each project on the developer's latest list. Ask for the current availability and the price of the specific unit you want, because a starting price rarely applies to the better positions on an island.

For Verde Villas' post-handover plan and others like it, see post-handover payment plans. For a sense of how these prices compare with other new launches, see new launches.

Day to day, life is centred on your island, the beach and the car. Each residential island has its own facilities, such as The View Island's parks and clubhouse or Al Thuraya Island's beach lounge and spa.

Groceries and errands. Until the planned mall opens, expect to drive for a big shop. Ajman is about 5 minutes away by road, so its supermarkets, malls and services are the nearest to hand for most residents.

Beaches and the water. The beaches are the main daily amenity, and the canals are designed for clean, tidal water. Ask what beach access your home has: private, shared within the island, or public.

Boats. If you own a boat or plan to, the marina's 800 berths are the reason to look here. Ask when berths will be available and how they are allocated and charged.

Work. Most residents commute to Sharjah, Ajman or Dubai. Hamriyah port is close by, which makes the city practical for people who work locally in the north of Sharjah.

Families should plan on schools on the mainland. The master plan focuses on homes, beaches, the marina, the water park and the mall, so check school places before you buy.

Schools. The Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA) publishes a directory of Sharjah's private schools that you can filter by area, curriculum, annual fee range, grades and evaluation rating. Ajman's schools are closer for many residents; check their places and bus routes with each school directly.

Universities. Sharjah University City is 20 minutes away by road on Ajmal Makan's figure.

Healthcare. Ajmal Makan gives 13 minutes to Sheikh Khalifa Hospital. Ask your insurer which hospitals and clinics nearby are in its network.

A school run from Al Hamriyah is a real daily commitment. Before you choose a home, ask each school you are considering whether its buses serve Sharjah Waterfront City and how long the ride takes.

Yes, in approved projects. On 1 November 2022 the Sharjah Executive Council issued a decision allowing all nationalities to own real estate of all kinds, without time limit, in real estate development areas and projects, the day after Law No. 2 of 2022 amended the emirate's real estate registration law.

The permission attaches to the project rather than to a whole district. Before 2022, non-GCC buyers in Sharjah could generally hold only usufruct, a long-term right to use and benefit from a property. Usufruct is still used in Sharjah: fee reductions announced for the ACRES 2026 exhibition set different purchase rates for freehold ownership and for usufruct arrangements.

So the question to ask is not "can foreigners buy here?" but "what title will I hold on this unit?". Get the answer in writing from Ajmal Makan and check that the sale agreement and registration say the same. Our guide to buying property in Sharjah as a foreigner explains the rules in full.

The steps are close to buying off-plan anywhere in the UAE, but the regulator and the rules are Sharjah's. Off-plan projects must be registered before they are marketed, and buyers' money goes into a project escrow account.

1. Choose the island and the unit. Compare homes by type, handover date, payment plan, beach access and the facilities that will be open when you move in.
2. Confirm the title. Ask Ajmal Makan to confirm in writing what title your nationality receives on the unit: ownership without time limit, or usufruct.
3. Check registration and escrow. Under Executive Council Resolution No. 37 of 2024, development projects must be registered before units are offered, and each project needs a dedicated escrow account with an approved trustee, with a sub-account for each unit. Ask for the project's registration and escrow details.
4. Reserve and sign. Pay the booking deposit and sign the sale and purchase agreement. Read the payment schedule, the completion date and any grace period, and what happens if a payment is late.
5. Pay into the project account. Pay every instalment into the project's escrow account, never to an individual or agency, and keep every receipt.
6. Register the purchase. The sale is registered with the Sharjah Real Estate Registration Department (SRERD). Ask who handles it and what the fee is.
7. Handover. At completion, inspect the home, list defects in writing, pay the balance and take the keys. Our handover guide is written for Dubai, but the checks carry over.

Sharjah introduced its first escrow account system for real estate projects at the ACRES 2026 exhibition in January 2026, in which buyers' payments go into a bank-managed account and developers draw funds as construction milestones are met. Our general guide to off-plan payment plans explains how instalments are usually structured.

Costs fall into three groups: the price and payment plan, the government fees on purchase, and running costs once you live there. Prices and plans are in the live table above.

Registration fees. These are set by the Sharjah Real Estate Registration Department and can depend on your nationality and the title you buy. For transactions at the ACRES 2026 exhibition, the Executive Council set reduced purchase rates, reported by Sharjah24 as 1% for UAE and GCC nationals and, for other nationalities, 2% under freehold ownership and 1% under usufruct. Those rates applied only during the exhibition, so ask SRERD for the rate that applies to your purchase.

Villa running costs. Large villas on the water cost more to run than apartments: garden upkeep, pool maintenance, air conditioning for bigger spaces, and salt-air wear on outdoor fittings. Ask an existing owner on Sun Island what a year costs in practice.

Our guide to the true cost of buying off-plan lists the kinds of cost to plan for; it is written for Dubai, but the categories carry over.

It can, if the property is worth enough. The UAE's Golden Residency for real estate investors is a federal scheme run by the Federal Authority for Identity, Citizenship, Customs and Port Security (ICP), and it applies in Sharjah as in other emirates.

ICP's guide sets the threshold at one or more properties worth at least AED 2,000,000 in total, registered fully in the investor's name. Off-plan units also count if they are bought from an approved local developer. A mortgage is allowed if it is from an approved local bank, and valid health insurance is required.

Many villas in the city are priced above that threshold, but the test is the value as assessed, not the asking price. Our Golden Visa guide explains how off-plan, mortgaged and jointly owned property is treated.

Of the communities below it is the furthest from Sharjah city, and the only one built around islands and canals. The choice depends on whether you value the sea or the commute more.

If you are weighing these against each other, read our guides to living in Aljada and living in Masaar, and our Sharjah area guide for every project in the emirate.

It suits buyers who put the beach, space and a sea view first, and who are comfortable driving for schools, work and errands. It suits people who work in Ajman, the north of Sharjah or Umm Al Quwain particularly well.

It suits families who want a large villa or townhouse with a garden and open space, and boat owners waiting for the marina. It also suits buyers who want a ready villa now, on Sun Island, rather than waiting years for a handover.

It is a harder fit for people who commute daily to Dubai at peak hours, need to walk to shops, schools or a Metro, or want a finished town with every facility open. If that is you, look closer to Sharjah city or Dubai, or wait until more of the plan is built.

1. Title. Written confirmation of the title your nationality receives on this unit.
2. Registration and escrow. The project's registration and its escrow account details.
3. Handover date. The completion date, any grace period and what happens if it slips.
4. Facilities. Which beaches, parks, shops and services will be open when you move in, and which are planned.
5. Beach access. Whether your beach is private, shared or public.
6. Running costs. The estimated service charge and any master community charge.
7. Commute. A test drive at the hours you would travel.
8. Schools. Places, fees and bus routes for your children's year groups.
9. Fees. The SRERD registration fee for your nationality and title, and who pays it.

Ajmal Makan City, Sharjah Waterfront. The developer's name for Sharjah Waterfront City.

Usufruct. A right to use and benefit from a property for a set period, without owning it outright. It was the main option for non-GCC buyers in Sharjah before 2022.

Escrow account. A bank account for a single project into which buyers' payments go, released to the developer as construction progresses.

SRERD. The Sharjah Real Estate Registration Department, which registers property transactions in the emirate.

Post-handover plan. A payment plan in which part of the price is paid to the developer after you receive the keys.

Start from the homes: compare the islands in the live table above and on our Sharjah Waterfront City page. Then confirm the title, registration and handover date in writing, and drive the commute before you pay a deposit. For every off-plan project across the emirate, see Sharjah, or browse all off-plan projects.