Propsearch guide to Dubai real estate: Developments

Deira Waterfront (Deira Enrichment Project)

District, Deira, Dubai

25°16'33.9"N 55°18'2"E

Updated 6th Mar 2021

Deira Waterfront Key Information

Location type

District

Area

Deira

Phase

Under development

Also known as

Deira Enrichment Project

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Deira Waterfront Overview

The Deira Waterfront project is part of the Deira Enrichment Project (DEP) that began life in 2012; a plan to develop Deira and expand its footprint towards the sea.

Deira is one of the oldest communities in Dubai and also one of the most densely populated districts. It has an extensive transport infrastructure, numerous established businesses as well as traditional ones such as gold, textiles, spices and carpets, and a large number of shops, restaurants and cafes.

It is also outgrowing its historic footprint. The DEP Masterplan seeks to retain Deira’s traditions and cultures and incorporate them in the revitalization of the waterfront area, a project known as Deira Waterfront.

The waterfront aea covers the northern portion of the existing Deira District, across the street from the Gold Souq and fronting the Dubai Creek.

Built in two phases over eight years, the project includes the expansion of the Deira Souq, making it the centrepiece of the district, the creation of new retail spaces, and a bustling promenade along the creek with a strip of hotels, restaurants and shops.

The project also involves the creation of residences for over 31,000 people, the addition of new community components such as plazas, parks, bicycle routes and transportation hubs, and the regeneration of the existing shops, hotels, commercial zones, parking garages and storage areas.

The first phase of Deira Waterfront comprises 21 Plots, or districts, each containing a cluster of half a dozen or so residential and commercial buildings. The ground floors of most of these buildings are to be occupied by shops. There will be 50 mixed-use buildings in all, containing 2,200 residential units, 416 commercial units, 843 retail units, restaurants and cafes, as well as eight hotels with more than 1,450 rooms and serviced apartments. Leisure facilities include a park overlooking the waterfront and green landscaping. Multi-storey parking will replace the present open car parks and provide over 8,000 extra spaces.

Construction began in 2017 with Plots 1, 2, 3, 11 and 13. Plot 3, ‘Sherina Plaza’, was completed in September 2020. It consists of two residential buildings, a hotel and an office building. The residential buildings contain 350 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments ranging from 861 to 2,680 square feet. The four-star hotel, operated by Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, has 290 rooms, and the office building has 721,182 square feet of office space. There are 45 restaurants and shops throughout the plot.

Plot 2 comprises another four plazas, Osha, Afra, Maryam and Hind. The Adagio aparthotel in Afra Plaza consists of 189 furnished apartments.

The Gold Souq Extension on Plots 11 and 13 was due to be completed by the end of 2020. It comprises a new cluster of shops and offices dedicated for use by Dubai’s gold and jewellery trade. This frees up congestion at the current Gold Souq, where, owing to its density, the addition of new facilities has been virtually impossible.

An integrated transportation hub on Plot 4 will provide access to the metro, buses and taxis.

The Waterfront Market, which opened in June 2017, is part of the wider project. It is located next to Hamriyah Port and covers an area of 100,000 square metres, selling fresh fish, fruit, vegetables and meat.

Companies Associated with Deira Waterfront

Master Developer

Ithra Dubai

Architectural Consultant

DAR Consult

The project was launched in 2012.
Construction began in 2017.
The master developer is Ithra Dubai.
The design contract was awarded to DAR Consult.
From Deira Waterfront it takes roughly 17 minutes to drive to Dubai Mall, 29 minutes to Palm Jumeirah, 28 minutes to Burj Al Arab and 33 minutes to The Walk JBR.
Dubai International Airport (DXB) is roughly 19 minutes' drive and the new Al Maktoum International Airport is roughly 54 minutes' drive. All durations are calculated by Google Maps and assume the fastest route in typical traffic conditions.
In January 2021 the Deira Enrichment Project received the “Mixed-use Development of the Year” award at the Big Project Awards ME 2020 for its role in uplifting and modernizing one of Dubai’s longstanding residential districts and the emirate’s historic heart of commerce.