Jumeirah Garden City
Jumeirah Garden City is a medium-density residential district under construction between Al Satwa and Sheikh Zayed Road. It is part of Meraas' plan to revitalise Dubai's bustling Al Satwa area.
The masterplan for the district is a scaled-down revision of an early 2008 version for the area which originally depicted a canal lined by tall skyscrapers. Due to the Global Financial Crisis of 2008 the project was simplified and the canal element cancelled. What remains is a plan for a mixed-use neighbourhood based on a grid layout containing modest residential apartments, retail spaces, hotels and parks.
The landmark Obai Bin Kaab Masjid and various utilities remain, but all other buildings in the area have been demolished to make way for the new development.
Transport & Access
From Jumeirah Garden City it takes roughly 8 minutes to drive to Dubai Mall, 20 minutes to Palm Jumeirah, 19 minutes to Burj Al Arab and 24 minutes to The Walk JBR.*
Dubai International Airport (DXB) is roughly 30 minutes' drive and the new Al Maktoum International Airport is roughly 46 minutes' drive.*
Properties on the Market
Local shops and outlets
There are 68 outlets currently open in Jumeirah Garden City including a car rental shop, eight men's salons, six mini marts, two catering kitchens, 10 restaurants, two sweet shops, four supermarkets, six ladies' salons, a bike/scooter shop, two smoking accessories shops, five laundrettes, four salons, a spa, three paint shops, two typing centres, two pharmacies, a dance studio, a gifts & entertainment shop, two cafés, a coffee shop, a health food shop, a butcher, a fashion shop and a print shop.
New outlets in Jumeirah Garden City 2022 & 2023
For a full list and analysis of shops and services in Jumeirah Garden City visit our Jumeirah Garden City amenities page.
Jumeirah Garden City Location
The map below shows the location of Jumeirah Garden City and just below are summaries of the nearest attractions, parks, beaches, golf clubs and cinemas.
Local Schools
Jumeirah Garden City has many schools nearby including Jumeira Baccalaureate School at 1.8 km and Citizens School at 2.0 km.
In terms of performance there are seven schools nearby that have achieved either of two highest government inspection rating of 'Very Good' or 'Outstanding' including Dubai English Speaking School which has a rating of 'Outstanding' and Horizon English School Dubai which also has a rating of 'Outstanding'.
Things to Do
We've partnered with LadiesNightDubai.com and BrunchCrunch.ae to give an overview of the current Ladies Nights and Brunch offers in the vicinity of Jumeirah Garden City.
Nearby neighbourhoods
Explore communities that are either adjacent or close to Jumeirah Garden City.
Masterplan
A look at the original masterplan published by the developer at the time of the launch of Jumeirah Garden City.
Design Stage
Images depicting the initial concept designs for Jumeirah Garden City.
Projects often go through a number of design revisions as they progress and developers may or may not honour their original plans when it comes to architectural designs, amenities and landscaping. The images below are provided as a means to compare the original plans with the realised development.
Jumeirah Garden City History
The project was originally conceived as an AED350 billion ($95bn) mini-Manhattan style city which would be home to some of the tallest buildings in the world. It was the first project from Meraas Development and was masterplanned by Chicago architect Adrian Smith from Gordon Gill Architecture.
The masterplan depicted a number of elaborate skyscrapers and towers which would be home to a population of 50,000 to 60,000 residents. The 100 million square foot development would comprise seven districts including Dubai Park, which would have been half the size of Safa Park.
A sub-district called Jumeirah Gardens was masterplanned by Japanese firm Nikken Sekkei and depicted a canal running directly parallel to Sheikh Zayed Road with hundreds of glass-fronted skyscrapers, as can be seen in the video below:
The timing of the launch was unfortunate, however, with the 2008 Global Financial Crisis starting to grip the world. Despite the downturn, the demolition work required for the city began in 2008 and the first phase was given an estimated completion date of December 2013.
In 2009, shortly after that announcement, the project was put on hold whilst the plans were ‘re-evaluated’ to account for the change in the financial climate. A few years later a much simpler plan emerged without the canal connecting the various elements together and without the tall skyscrapers. As such, each part of the original masterplan became its own separate project and a major element, namely the super-tall skyscrapers and the northern canal running parallel to Sheikh Zayed Road, was cancelled.
Three major aspects of the the original plan, City Walk, Jumeirah Bay, and Pearl Jumeirah island were built between 2013 and 2020 and the Al Satwa area redevelopment was scaled down to a simple district of parks surrounded by mid-rise apartment buildings. In 2016 a revised masterplan for Jumeirah Garden City emerged and the freeholds for the residential plots were put up for sale to private developers. No deadline to construct was issued so there is no way to know when the area will be complete. The first signs of building work appeared in 2017 and the first buildings were finished by 2019. As of summer 2021 there were around 50 complete buildings and another 25 in various stages of construction.
Construction Updates
Jumeirah Garden City in the News
Jumeirah Garden City Buildings
There are 86 building developments in Jumeirah Garden City. For a full list of all Jumeirah Garden City buildings visit our Buildings Guide.
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