Emirates Hills

Emirates Hills is a gated villa enclave within Emirates Living, the Emaar master community that also includes The Springs, The Meadows and The Lakes. Emaar sold the land as individual plots from the early 2000s and owners built their own homes, so no two streets look alike. The enclave is laid out around the Montgomerie golf course and a series of lakes, with the towers of JLT and Dubai Marina on the skyline.

It has long been one of Dubai's most exclusive villa addresses, with guarded gates, very low density and almost no through-traffic. Plots are among the largest in the city, and many houses sit directly on the fairways or the water. Residents tend to stay for a long time, so the community is quiet and settled, and homes come to market less often than in other villa areas.

Because homes were built one by one over two decades, the area mixes recent architect-designed mansions with older villas that are being renovated or knocked down and rebuilt. That means some streets have construction going on at any time. There are no shops inside the enclave itself; everyday shopping is in the town centres of the neighbouring Emirates Living communities.

• 01

  Large custom-built homes

  Owners designed and built their own villas, so each house is different, and plot sizes are among the largest in the city.

• 02

  Montgomerie golf course

  The Montgomerie golf course runs through the community, and the Emirates Golf Club, home of the Dubai Desert Classic, is a few minutes away.

• 03

  Privacy and security

  A gated, guarded community with low density and little traffic, which is why it attracts owners who value privacy.

• 04

  Central to west Dubai

  Dubai Marina, JLT and Al Barsha are around 10 minutes away, and Sheikh Zayed Road is close by.

Daily life is private and home-centred: most villas have their own pools, gardens and staff quarters, and many residents spend their leisure time at the Montgomerie or the Emirates Golf Club. For shopping and cafés, residents use the nearby town centres, such as Springs Souk in The Springs, which has a supermarket, a cinema and restaurants.

The surrounding Emirates Living communities add lakes, walking paths and parks, and the beaches at JBR and Dubai Marina are about 10 to 15 minutes away by car. Mall of the Emirates and Dubai Marina Mall cover bigger shopping trips.

There is no metro station inside Emirates Hills, and residents almost always drive. The nearest Red Line stations, such as DMCC, are on Sheikh Zayed Road on the JLT side, a short drive away. The community has access to Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road, which lead to the rest of the city in both directions, though the main junctions around Emirates Living get busy at school times.

Families here are well served. Dubai International Academy is on the edge of the community, Emirates International School Meadows and Dubai British School in The Springs are a few minutes away, and Regent International School in The Greens is close by. Mediclinic Meadows provides outpatient care nearby, and Saudi German Hospital and the other hospitals in Al Barsha are about 15 minutes away.

Homes are detached villas, from older family houses to very large mansions with cinema rooms, multiple pools and staff accommodation. Some plots change hands empty, or with houses the buyer plans to demolish, since many buyers want to build their own home. Golf-course and lake frontage are the most valued positions.

The buyers are mostly end users, along with some investors who build or renovate homes to sell. Fewer properties are offered for rent than in other villa communities. Due diligence matters: check building permits and completion certificates for any additions, the condition of the structure and systems, and the community's design rules for any planned works.