Jumeirah Islands

Jumeirah Islands is a Nakheel community of villas built on a series of man-made islands, each one a cluster of houses surrounded by lakes. It was launched in 2003 and completed in 2006, and sits next to Jumeirah Lakes Towers, with Jumeirah Park, The Meadows, The Springs and Emirates Hills as neighbours.

Each cluster has its own architectural theme, including European, Mediterranean, Islamic and Contemporary, and most villas back directly onto the water. The islands connect to the community's main roads by short bridges, so traffic inside is limited to residents and their visitors. Two decades on, the planting is lush and the community feels private and very quiet.

It appeals to buyers who want a large house and garden, water views and privacy, while staying a few minutes from Dubai Marina and JLT. The original villas are now older, so many have been heavily renovated and condition varies a lot from house to house. There is no metro within walking distance, and life here depends on the car.

• 01

  Gardens on the water

  Most villas have gardens that run down to the lake, and many owners have added pools, decking and outdoor kitchens along the water's edge.

• 02

  Clubhouse and Pavilion

  Jumeirah Islands Club has pools, tennis courts, a gym and restaurants, while the Jumeirah Islands Pavilion has a Choithrams supermarket, a clinic, salons and cafés.

• 03

  Minutes from JLT

  Jumeirah Lakes Towers is next door, with its restaurants and DMCC metro station, and Dubai Marina and JBR are around 10–15 minutes by car.

• 04

  Room to renovate

  Large plots and generous layouts suit buyers who want to remodel, and fully modernised villas sit alongside original ones, so there is choice at both ends.

Daily life is quiet and outdoors whenever the weather allows. Residents walk and cycle along the lakeside paths, swim and play tennis at the clubhouse, and pick up groceries at the Choithrams in the Pavilion. The clubhouse restaurants and pool are a common meeting place for families at weekends.

For anything more, JLT is next door with a long list of cafés and restaurants around its lakes, and Dubai Marina, JBR beach and Ibn Battuta Mall are all around 10–15 minutes away. Jumeirah Park Pavilion, with a Carrefour, is in the neighbouring community.

Jumeirah Islands sits between interchanges 5 and 6 on Sheikh Zayed Road, and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road is reached via Garn Al Sabkha Street. The nearest metro station is DMCC on the Red Line, inside Jumeirah Lakes Towers. It is a short drive or taxi ride from most villas but too far for a comfortable walk in summer. Most residents drive.

Families are well served for schools. Dubai British School has a campus in neighbouring Jumeirah Park, Emirates International School – Meadows is a few minutes away, and Regent International School in The Greens and Dubai British School's Springs campus are both close. There are several nurseries in JLT. The Pavilion has a clinic, Mediclinic Meadows is nearby, and Saudi German Hospital and Al Zahra Hospital in Al Barsha are about 15–20 minutes by car.

The original stock is four- and five-bedroom villas in three main layouts, known as Garden Hall, Master View and Entertainment Foyer, repeated across the themed clusters. There is also a separate enclave of larger mansions, and a group of townhouses near the Pavilion that was completed in 2017. Plots on the outer edge of the islands, with open views across the water, are the most sought after.

Almost all sales are resale, and value depends heavily on condition, since a fully renovated villa and an original one in the same cluster can be very different propositions. Buyers are mostly families who plan to live here. Before buying, check the condition of the lake edge and any decking, confirm that extensions and pools were approved, and get a full building survey.