Expo City Dubai

Expo City Dubai occupies the site that hosted Expo 2020 Dubai, in the south of the emirate between Dubai Investments Park and Dubai South. After the world expo closed in 2022, the government kept most of the site and began turning it into a permanent city district, reusing the pavilions, plazas and infrastructure. COP28 was held here in 2023, and the Dubai Exhibition Centre now hosts large trade shows on site.

The residential side is new. The first homes, in the Expo Valley villa community, have been handed over, and apartment projects such as Mangrove Residences and Sky Residences are completing in stages. A masterplan approved in 2024 adds further districts, a much larger exhibition centre and more homes, so this is a place that will keep growing and changing for many years.

What sets it apart is the layout. Much of the core was designed for walking and cycling, with shaded paths, landscaped open space and car parking kept to the edges, and the Expo 2020 metro station is on site. The trade-offs are distance from the older parts of Dubai and a still-limited choice of everyday shops and services, which will take time to fill out.

• 01

  Metro station on site

  Expo 2020 station, at the end of the Red Line's Route 2020 branch, sits on the edge of the district, with direct trains towards Dubai Marina and beyond.

• 02

  Landmarks kept from Expo

  Al Wasl Plaza with its domed trellis, Terra (the sustainability pavilion) and Alif (the mobility pavilion) remain open as public attractions and event venues.

• 03

  Exhibition centre expanding

  The Dubai Exhibition Centre is being expanded into one of the region's largest venues, bringing visitors, offices and jobs to the area.

• 04

  Close to the future airport

  Al Maktoum International Airport, which Dubai plans to make its main airport over the coming years, is about 15 minutes' drive away.

Daily life is quieter than in central Dubai. The public spaces are the highlight: tree-lined walkways, water features, playgrounds, running and cycling routes, and open plazas that host concerts, festivals and markets through the cooler months. Restaurants and cafés operate across the site, though the choice is smaller than in established neighbourhoods and some outlets follow the events calendar.

For big supermarkets and malls, residents drive to Ibn Battuta Mall, to the shops in Dubai Investments Park and Dubai South, or further to Dubai Marina. Dubai Parks and Resorts, the beach resorts of Jebel Ali and the desert routes off Al Qudra Road are all within roughly 15–25 minutes by car.

Expo City sits where Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road (E311) meets Expo Road, with Sheikh Zayed Road (E11) and Emirates Road (E611) close by. The Expo 2020 metro station is the end of the Red Line's Route 2020 branch, so Dubai Marina and Downtown can be reached by train, although the ride into the centre is long. Inside the district, distances are short enough to walk or cycle, but most residents still keep a car for errands and school runs.

There is no large school inside Expo City yet, although the masterplan includes one in its southern Expo Fields district. For now, families use schools in Dubai Investments Park, Dubai South and Jebel Ali, most within 10–20 minutes by car, including Greenfield International School and The International School of Choueifat in Dubai Investments Park. For hospital care, NMC Royal Hospital in Dubai Investments Park is about 15 minutes away.

Housing comes in a few distinct forms. Expo Valley is a gated community of townhouses and villas, and its first phases are complete and occupied. Closer to the core, Mangrove Residences and Sky Residences add apartments, along with some townhouses and lofts, and further phases such as Expo Valley Views continue to launch. All of it is sold by Expo City Dubai itself, the government-owned master developer.

Because the residential community is young, there is little resale history, and buyers are mostly owner-occupiers and longer-term investors backing the district's growth, the exhibition centre and the airport expansion. Before buying, check the handover timetable of the specific phase, what is planned on the plots around it, and the projected service charges for the building or cluster.