The mansion-filled enclave of Emirates Hills is home to an abundance of trophy homes that rival one another in splendor and luxury. The fronts of the houses are designed to give maximum curb appeal, with driveways featuring cascading water fountains and luxuriant palm-filled gardens.
Designed to emulate Beverly Hills in California, more is more in this Dubai neighborhood. Not only do the houses look lavish, but they are huge, too. Property size range starts from 12,000 square feet and can exceed 80,000 square feet and plot sizes are from between 19,000 square feet and 50,000 square feet, according to Lucy Bush of Savills in Dubai.
Wrapped around the Address Montgomerie championship golf course, and home to lush landscaping and parks, residents of Emirates Hills have views of acres of green spaces and, if they are golfers, are within a stone’s throw of their hobby.
Emirates Hills is the most prestigious place to own a ready-made villa in Dubai, according to Leigh Williamson of Gulf Sotheby’s International Realty. "It is green, peaceful, safe and luxurious," she said.
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Boundaries
The community of Emirates Hills lies between the coast and the E 311 highway, also known as the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, five miles from the Palm Jumeirah and four miles from Dubai Marina.
First Al Khail Street forms its northern edge, while Corniche 2nd Street and The Address Montgomerie Golf Course run along its southern boundary.
Al Tellal Street sits along its western edge and Al Khamila Street makes up its eastern boundary.
Price Range
Villas currently for sale are priced between 20 million dirham (US$5.4 million) and AED170 million (US$46.2 million), according to Ms. Bush.
A five-bedroom house extending to about 22,400 square feet recently sold for AED52 million (US$14.1 million). This was the most expensive property sales transaction in the area recorded so far in 2018, according to Ms. Bush.
Many property sales in Emirates Hills are sold under bespoke terms and with price on application, Ms. Bush said. Gulf Sotheby’s International Realty, for example, is selling an off-market home for AED150 million (US$41 million) as a pocket listing, which means that the property is not advertised nor entered into a multiple listing system.
A 42,000-square-foot villa in Emirates Hills sold for AED100 million (US$15.5 million) in 2017, and was the most expensive property transaction recorded for this area. It set the benchmark, as this home is incomparable in many ways, said Ms. Williamson, who carried out the sale.
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The most popular price point is AED30 million (US$8.1 million), Ms. Bush said. Homes priced between AED20 million and AED 40 million (US$5.4 million and US$11 million) are a property "sweet spot," Ms. Williamson said.
"These villas are not always located in the prime locations of the community," she said, but they are impressive detached homes nonetheless.
Due to recent price drops in Dubai, villas in prime locations are selling for the price of the land, Ms. Williamson said. Gulf Sotheby’s International Realty say that they have four to five such properties, some of which need extensive renovations or to be knocked down and rebuilt.
The most expensive home on the open market in Emirates Hills is a palazzo-style property for AED170 million (US$46.2 million). For sale with Engel & Voelkers, the property has 43,000 square feet of living space, six bedrooms and a maid’s room, a spa bath, swimming pool and garden.
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Housing Stock
Launched to the market in 2003 by the Dubai-based real estate developer Emaar Properties, Emirates Hills is a master-planned community made up of large building plots designed for custom-built villas.
There are now more than 600 palatial detached houses set within gated compounds, which spread across 12 square kilometers. There are no apartment homes or semi-detached houses.
Emirates Hills has a huge range of architectural styles, as each property has been built to their owner’s individual layout and design. However, "most homes have beautifully landscaped gardens and parking for a number of cars based on the size of the plot," Ms. Williamson said.
Most of the land has been developed, and it is thought that there is less than 3% available.
What Makes it Unique
From elegantly designed landscaping to palatial houses, everything looks and feels lavish. It’s a golfer’s paradise too, as the neighborhood adjoins Address Montgomerie golf course.
A gated community with 24-hour security and maintenance, it is ideal for high-profile types who are keen to preserve their privacy and live in a secure setting.
The abundant lush landscaping brings nature and a sense of tranquillity. Meanwhile, there are picturesque walkways, manicured lawns and a series of lake. In addition, it adjoins the golf course, which has tropical palms and a colorful array of flowers.
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The golf course not only provides greenness and color, but it’s a social hub for the community. "Many owners are golfers and have family members who like the fact that it has five-star facilities within walking distance or a short drive away," Ms. Williamson said. "The clubhouse is a great place for people to meet and relax."
The area’s proximity to all the key areas in the city and the E 311 highway puts at the heart of everything.
Luxury Amenities
The area has 24-hour security and maintenance.
It is close to some of the best American schools, according to Ms. Williamson. Those include the Dubai International Academy, a co-ed independent school for kindergarten through grade 13 on the edge of the neighborhood. In nearby Al Barsha there is the Gems Dubai American Academy and the American School of Dubai, both of which offer education for students in grades to kindergarten to grade 12.
Emirates International School, an independent school for children ages 3 to 18, and Emirates Hills nursery school adjoin the neighborhood. "Dubai is continually attracting top-notch schools," Ms. Williamson said.
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The Address Hotel has a spa and fitness center as well as three restaurants. Monty’s serves international cuisine, Links is a family bistro that hosts theme nights and has a la carte menu and Nineteen is a renovated dining spot with Mediterranean cuisine.
Who Lives There
The Emirates Hills attracts wealthy international types and local residents, and when it launched as a freehold area, it attracted buyers from the Indian Subcontinent, Iran and Europe, Ms. Bush said.
Buyers hail from a cross section of different countries, but there is a dominant expat Indian community, she said. "A high-net-worth expatriate Indian community resides alongside locals, Arab nationals and other nationalities."
Since prices have fallen across Dubai, agents are seeing younger families moving in, as they are able to afford homes at entry level prices in the community, Ms. Williamson said.
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Notable Residents
As it has a good security, it attracts a number of high-profile residents and villa owners. It is popular with wealthy business types, including the Indian billionaire businessman Sunil Vaswani as well as notable former politicians.
The former president of Pakistan, Asif Ali Zardari, lives here. The late Pakistani politician Benazir Bhutto used to live here and some of her family still reside in the neighborhood.
The son of the president of Zimbabwe Robert Mugabe is said to be renting a villa here.
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Outlook
Emirates Hills has proved to be a stable market regardless of any negative market conditions, Ms. Bush said. "Prices have softened since the peak in 2014 but after plateauing they are starting to increase."
"At the moment there are more sellers than buyers," Ms. Williamson said, "so the opportunity is there for the buyers who want to make Emirates Hills their new home. This is a community for a specific homeowner, who can afford entry level of AED18 million (US$4.9 million) wants a specific lifestyle."
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