The Lakes

What distinguishes The Lakes from the wider Emirates Living family is its premium positioning — more spacious plots than The Springs, more accessible pricing than Emirates Hills, and a water-feature-centred design that creates genuinely beautiful views from a large proportion of its homes. The combination of mature landscaping, golf adjacency, excellent school access and a fixed supply of only 600 villas makes it one of the most consistently in-demand villa addresses in Dubai.

Community & Lifestyle

The Lakes is one of the rare Dubai communities where residents genuinely tell you they never want to leave. The seven lakes at the heart of the development create a daily living environment of calm beauty, while the community's connection to Emaar's wider Emirates Living infrastructure adds a breadth of facilities that a community of only 600 homes could not independently sustain.

Key lifestyle features include:

• Seven decorative and recreational lakes forming the scenic centrepiece of the community
• The Lakes Club — the community's social hub with a gym, aerobic studio, squash and tennis courts, swimming pools, baby pool and a restaurant and café
• Reform Social & Grill — a well-regarded dining destination within the community
• 11 community swimming pools, 10 playgrounds and BBQ areas across the sub-communities
• Basketball, volleyball and tennis courts within the community
• Walking, jogging and cycling trails linking all six sub-communities
• Choithrams supermarket at Jumeirah Islands — 1-minute walk
• Spinneys and Waitrose at Meadows Souk — short drive
• Emirates Golf Club 1 km away; Montgomerie Golf Club immediately adjacent

Properties in The Lakes

The Lakes offers some of the most sought-after residential property for sale in Dubai — exclusively villas and townhouses with 12 architectural styles across six sub-communities.

• 3 to 7-bedroom detached villas in sub-communities: Deema, Forat, Ghadeer, Hattan, Maeen and Zulal
• All villas include private gardens, covered parking and maid's rooms; many include private pools
• Zulal villas: lakefront-facing, 3 to 4-bedroom, among the most in-demand in the community
• Hattan villas: premium 4 to 7-bedroom on larger plots, some overlooking the golf course
• Plot sizes typically from approximately 5,000 sq ft; Hattan plots significantly larger
• 3-bedroom villas from approximately AED 3.3 million to AED 3.95 million; 4-bedroom from AED 4.2 million; 5-bedroom from AED 4.7 million to AED 12.5 million
• Average villa price approximately AED 6.72 million; average price per sq ft approximately AED 10,000 to AED 12,000 per m²

Property Prices & Rental Market

The Lakes sits firmly in the premium tier of the Emirates Living villa market — an established choice for those who want to buy luxury property in Dubai in a lakeside, golf-adjacent setting — with pricing reflecting its scarcity, lake views and larger plots.

• Sale prices per sq ft approximately AED 1,030; some upgraded and lake-facing properties significantly higher
• Annual rents: 3-bedroom villas from approximately AED 18,000 per month (AED 216,000 per year); larger homes from AED 25,000+ per month
• Rental price per sq ft rose from AED 64 in 2024 to approximately AED 75 by late 2025 — 8.2% growth 
  Apartment prices surged approximately 41% over the past three years

Investment Potential

The Lakes delivers stable, scarcity-driven investment fundamentals with consistent demand from premium long-term tenants.

• Rental yields approximately 4% to 6% depending on property type and condition
• Capital appreciation of approximately 5% to 8% projected for 2025, supported by the wider villa market surge
• Fixed supply of only 600 villas with no new development — scarcity is structural
• Freehold — accessible to international buyers
• Emirates Hills 2 development nearby is expected to boost demand in the wider corridor
• Two Outstanding-rated schools within 1 km support sustained family demand

Sub-Communities

The six gated sub-communities of The Lakes are: Deema (spacious family villas with green views), Forat (mid-tier villas with lakeside access), Ghadeer (quiet, well-positioned cluster), Hattan (premium 4 to 7-bedroom villas, some golf-facing), Maeen (central community with easy access to The Lakes Club) and Zulal (lakefront-facing, one of the most sought-after sub-communities in the entire development).

Location & Connectivity

The Lakes sits between Sheikh Zayed Road Interchange 5 and Emirates Hills, 3 km inland from Dubai Marina.

• Approximately 10 minutes to Dubai Marina and JBR
• Approximately 12 minutes to Palm Jumeirah
• Approximately 13 minutes to Mall of the Emirates
• Approximately 35 minutes to Dubai International Airport

Al Khail Metro Station on the Red Line is approximately 5 minutes away by car. JLT Tram Station approximately 8 minutes. RTA buses from nearby JLT stops connect to the metro network.

Nearby Amenities & Services

• Retail: Choithrams at Jumeirah Islands (1-minute walk); Meadows Souk (Spinneys, Waitrose, restaurants, gym); Dubai Marina Mall 7 to 8 minutes; Mall of the Emirates 13 minutes
• Healthcare: multiple clinics in JLT, approximately 10 minutes
• Golf: Emirates Golf Club (Dubai Desert Classic) 1 km; Address Montgomerie immediately adjacent

Nearby schools include:

• Dubai International Academy Emirates Hills — 0.8 km, KHDA Outstanding
• Regent International School — 1.0 km, British curriculum
• Emirates International School — approximately 10 minutes
• Dubai British School Emirates Hills — 2.5 km, KHDA Outstanding

Key Highlights

• Emaar villa community within Emirates Living, 600 homes across 6 gated sub-communities
• Positioned between Emirates Golf Club and Montgomerie Golf Club — two world-class courses
• Seven decorative lakes forming the scenic heart of the development
• Rental price per sq ft up 8.2% year-on-year; villa prices up approximately 31.6% in 2024
• Two KHDA Outstanding schools within 1 km
• Freehold — accessible to international buyers

Pros & Cons

Pros

• Exceptional lake views from a majority of properties
• Surrounded by two world-class golf courses
• Fixed supply of 600 villas creates genuine scarcity
• Outstanding schools within walking distance
• Well-established community with mature landscaping and active social calendar

Cons

• Higher price point than The Springs and The Meadows for comparable villa sizes
• Car-dependent — limited public transport directly within the community
• Older villas may require modernisation investment
• Limited in-community retail — relies on nearby Meadows Souk and JLT

Why Choose The Lakes

The Lakes occupies a very particular niche that many Dubai villa buyers eventually discover: the intersection of lake views, golf proximity, a genuinely small and intimate community character, and excellent school access, all at a price that sits below Emirates Hills while delivering a lifestyle that, for many residents, surpasses it. With 600 villas and no new supply possible, demand consistently outstrips available stock — making patience a requirement but satisfaction almost guaranteed.

FAQs About The Lakes

Who developed The Lakes? 

The Lakes was developed by Emaar Properties as part of the Emirates Living master development. It was one of the earlier Emirates Living communities, completed in the mid-2000s.

How many villas are there? 

Approximately 600 villas across six gated sub-communities: Deema, Forat, Ghadeer, Hattan, Maeen and Zulal.

Is The Lakes freehold? 

Yes. The Lakes is a freehold community, open to UAE nationals and international buyers.

What are the nearest schools? 

Dubai International Academy Emirates Hills (0.8 km, KHDA Outstanding) and Regent International School (1.0 km, British curriculum) are both within extremely convenient reach.

What makes Zulal the most sought-after sub-community? 

Zulal offers lakefront-facing villas — direct views over the water — which are the most prized in the entire community and command significant premiums over equivalent non-lake-facing properties.