Emirates Hills: the “Beverly Hills of Dubai”

In short: Emirates Hills is known as the “Beverly Hills of Dubai”. Around a golf course stand large, often individually built estates on spacious plots – just a few minutes from Dubai Marina and JLT. The district is one of the most exclusive in the city; supply is small and prices match.

Location and access

Emirates Hills lies on the inland side of Sheikh Zayed Road, directly behind JLT. Dubai Marina and the beach at JBR are a few minutes away, Downtown about 25 minutes. Around it lie the Emaar communities The Springs, The Meadows and The Lakes and Jumeirah Islands. The Internet City and Media City free zones are minutes away.

How Emirates Hills came about

Emaar developed Emirates Hills in the early 2000s as the most exclusive part of its “Emirates Living” master plan. Unlike most communities, mainly plots were sold here, on which buyers had their own villas designed and built. That’s why hardly any two houses in Emirates Hills look alike: from classic country houses to modern glass villas, everything is here. At the heart of the district lies a championship golf course with lakes.

Living in Emirates Hills

• Privacy: Guarded entrances, large plots, little through traffic.
• Golf: The golf course and clubhouse are in the middle of the district.
• Neighbours: Entrepreneurs, executives and wealthy families from around the world.
• Everyday life: Shopping, restaurants and schools in The Springs, The Meadows, JLT and the Marina – all minutes away.
• Beach: About ten minutes by car to JBR or the Palm.

Buying a villa in Emirates Hills

In Emirates Hills you buy large villas or plots. The houses are mostly individually built, often with five or more bedrooms, a large pool, staff quarters and a garden. Because supply is small, properties rarely come onto the market.

What matters

• Location: Plots right on the golf course or the lake are the most coveted.
• Build quality: Because every house was built individually, quality varies greatly. A thorough technical inspection is a must.
• Plot or house: Older houses are sometimes bought for the plot and rebuilt.
• Approvals: New builds and alterations must follow master plan guidelines that you should know beforehand.

How buying in Emirates Hills works

In Emirates Hills you mostly buy villas or townhouses – ready and second-hand, or new from the developer:

• Ready house: viewing, sale agreement in line with RERA (Form F) with a deposit of usually 10 percent, a no objection certificate (NOC) from the developer and transfer at a Registration Trustee. For houses a technical inspection of air conditioning, pool, roof and pipes is worth it. Details in our guide Buying a ready property.
• New build: purchase agreement with the developer, registration in the Oqood register and payments according to construction progress into an escrow account. Details in our guide Buying off-plan in Dubai.

For ready houses, budget around 6.5 percent in buying costs. Many villas are worth more than AED 2 million and therefore qualify for the Golden Visa.

Typical mistakes when buying in Emirates Hills

• Buying only the prestige: Even at the best address there are houses with poor layouts or structural damage.
• Underestimating running costs: Pool, garden, air conditioning and staff cost much more for large estates than for an apartment.
• Renovation plans without checking: What may be changed on the house is governed by the master plan guidelines.

Running costs as an owner in Emirates Hills

With a house, some typical costs come on top of the usual items:

• Service charges: for roads, green spaces, security and community facilities. The approved rates are listed in the Service Charge Index of the Dubai Land Department.
• Electricity and water: via DEWA; noticeably higher for large houses with pool and garden than for apartments, especially in summer.
• Garden, pool and air conditioning: regular care and servicing are a must if the house is to keep its value.
• Housing fee: 5 percent of the annual rental value via the DEWA bill – paid by the tenant if you let.
• Ejari: registration of every tenancy contract, AED 177.75 via Dubai REST.

There is no annual property tax. All buying costs are explained in our guide Buying costs in Dubai.

A visa through your property

With a property in Emirates Hills you may also be able to get a residence visa:

• Golden Visa: ten years of residence if your properties in Dubai are worth at least AED 2 million in total – also with a mortgage or, under certain conditions, off-plan.
• Investor visa: a shorter visa for owners who don’t reach the Golden Visa threshold.

The detailed requirements are explained in our guide Golden Visa with property.

Renting out

Most owners live in their villa themselves. If you rent out, tenants are executives and diplomats on long-term leases. The running yield on luxury villas is lower than on apartments; what counts here is the value of a rare address. You can check the numbers with our rental yield calculator.

Emirates Hills compared

Pros and cons

Who Emirates Hills suits

Emirates Hills is the address for the lifestyle investor looking for a large estate, and for the relocator with a matching budget moving to Dubai with a family. If you’d like a smaller entry point, look at The Meadows and The Lakes right next door.

Our verdict

Emirates Hills is not a mass market but a small circle of exceptional houses. If you buy here, have each property inspected individually and very thoroughly. Then you acquire one of the rarest and most sought-after residential addresses in the city.

Frequently asked questions

Updated: October 2026. This article describes the district in general terms. Prices, rents and service charges change all the time; for a specific property we check the current figures with you.