Best areas to buy a villa in Abu Dhabi

The capital of the UAE, Abu Dhabi, is a popular place for investors to purchase villas. Villas are obviously much more spacious than apartments and give more privacy, making them ideal for small and large families with children. An important point before buying a house in Abu Dhabi is to choose a suitable district with a good location and look at all the necessary amenities for a comfortable life, including kindergartens, supermarkets and clinics. We have prepared an article with a selection of the best places in Abu Dhabi to buy a spacious villa. The selection includes areas such as Yas Island, Saadiyat Island, Al Reef, Al Raha Gardens, Khalifa City, Hydra Village and Ghantoot.

The real estate market in Abu Dhabi offers both apartments and villas for sale and to rent. Living in a villa has a number of advantages over living in an apartment:

• Villas give residents more privacy so you won’t hear other people through the walls, footsteps on the ceiling or loud music. In addition, villas are always more spacious than apartments.
• If a family has children, then the open space around the villa and the garden are ideal places for relaxing and kids games. The opportunity to have your own private swimming pool is another advantage of living in a villa.
• Buying a house is an excellent long-term investment that will bring a good return. Prices for villas are growing much faster than those for apartments.
• A healthy atmosphere, as usually villas are located a little further from the city center, which means less pollution and noise.

As of today, the prices of villas in Abu Dhabi have increased significantly, starting from the first half of 2021. According to a joint report by real estate portals Bayut & Dubizzle, demand for villas has increased both from home buyers and tenants.

Below is a selection of the best areas to buy villas in the UAE capital, including Yas Island, Saadiyat Island, Al Reef, Al Raha Gardens, Khalifa City, Hydra Village and Ghantoot. These districts are popular among investors, due to a variety of modern amenities, high-quality real estate and affordable prices.

Yas Island

Yas Island is one of the top residential island communities in Abu Dhabi, the developer of which is Aldar Properties. The area offers plenty of amenities such as cafes, restaurants, clubs, hotels and more. The well-known landmarks of the island; Yas Marina West Circuit, Ferrari World, Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi, Yas Links Abu Dhabi and Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi are all located in the district. Yas Mall, which is the biggest shopping destination in Abu Dhabi, is also situated on a man-made island. There are many resorts and hotels here, including the Park Inn by Radisson Abu Dhabi, Yas Island Rotana, Radisson Blu Hotel, W Abu Dhabi and Centro Yas Island.

Yas Island is the main luxury community in the emirate of Abu Dhabi and the area attracts a lot of investors due to the popular landmarks, top restaurants, luxury real estate and premium amenities. Investors can choose between the combination of both off-plan and ready real estate on Yas Island.

The configurations of houses on Yas Island comprise 2–6 bedroom villas. The most popular villa communities are Yas Acres, West Yas, Ansam and Noya and all residential complexes come with dedicated parking spaces. The cost for a 2-bedroom villa in the area starts from AED 1,520,000 (USD 414,000) and the average ROI for a 2-bedroom villa constitutes 6.3% and for a 6-bedroom villa the ROI is 4.7%.

Saadiyat Island

Saadiyat Island is the cultural capital of Abu Dhabi that offers beach villas and is also one of the hottest and most prestigious off-plan residential developments in the emirate. The picturesque island is surrounded by beautiful waters and mangroves. Here residents can benefit from a beachfront lifestyle with fast and easy access to amenities and entertainment venues. Various facilities on the island include luscious golf courses, cycling and running paths, beaches, a mosque, top restaurants, supermarkets, retail outlets, gymnasiums, swimming pools and children’s playgrounds.

The St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Manarat Al Saadiyat arts centre and The Louvre Abu Dhabi are also located here. Saadiyat Island is home to many top hotels and resorts in the emirate such as The Rixos, Jumeirah At Saadiyat Island Resort, The St. Regis Resort Abu Dhabi and Park Hyatt Abu Dhabi Hotel and Villas. Educational institutions in the neighbourhood comprise Redwood Nursery, Cranleigh School and New York University campus.

Villas on Saadiyat Island are exclusive due to their strategic location and resort-style amenities. Popular residential projects in the area where you can purchase villas include HIDD Al Saadiyat, Jawaher Saadiyat and Saadiyat Beach Villas. The community offers 3–7 bedroom villas for sale where the minimum price for villas with 3 bedrooms constitutes AED 5,500,000 (USD 1,498,000). The ROI for a 3-bedroom villa is 5%, while a 7-bedroom villa is 3.2%.

Al Reef

Al Reef is a mixed-use family-friendly community on the outskirts of the UAE capital, that consists of 2 sub-communities – Al Reef Downtown and Al Reef Villas which have been developed by Manazel Real Estate. The neighbourhood of Al Reef is designed to house 16,000 residents. Amenities of the self-contained area comprise community centers, gyms, Camp Masjid, Ibn Sina Medical Centre, groceries, a Super Care pharmacy, dining venues, swimming pools, health clubs, parks, green areas and children’s playgrounds. The Al Reef residential development is exclusively targeted at middle-income earners.

The Al Reef Villas sub-community offers 2–5 bedroom villas for sale which are grouped into several villages with unique styles and architecture: Arabian Village, Contemporary Village, Mediterranean Village and Desert Village. Each house has dedicated parking and a garden and some villas also have private swimming pools in the backyard.

The total number of houses in Al Reef Villas is more than 2,000 with starting prices for a 2-bedroom villa constituting AED 1,100,000 (USD 299,500). The average ROI for villas with 2 bedrooms in Al Reef is 7% and for 5-bedroom villas – 6.4%.

Al Raha Gardens

Al Raha Gardens is a popular community that is situated opposite the prestigious Al Raha Beach. It is also one of the most in demand waterfront communities in the UAE, which offers residents a family-friendly lifestyle. There are green zones, a community centre, mosques, a Safa Express Supermarket, Al Yasmina Academy (British curriculum), dining venues, fitness centers and Gardens Plaza community mall on the territory of the area. Two international schools are located in close proximity to Al Raha Gardens as well.

The Al Raha Gardens district is divided into 11 districts. The total area of the neighbourhood constitutes 7,158,000 sq. ft and the developer of the enormous project is Aldar Properties. All real estate in the neighbourhood has a traditional Arabian design and some houses in Al Raha Gardens provide parking spaces for multiple cars.

The community offers 3–5 bedroom villas for sale with all houses having private gardens, a storage room and a maid’s room. The most popular residential complexes to buy villas in Al Raha Gardens include Sidra Community, Hemaim Community, Yasmin Community and Al Mariah Community. Starting costs for a 3-bedroom villa constitutes AED 2,100,000 (USD 572,000). The average ROI for villas with 3 bedrooms is 6.3% and for villas with 5 bedrooms generate 5.6%.

Khalifa City

The Khalifa City community consists of 3 areas: Khalifa City A, Khalifa City B (Shakhbout City) and New Khalifa City (Zayed City). The area developed by Aldar Properties is in high demand among investors as the Khalifa City neighbourhood is close to Dubai, so this community is ideal for those who often take a trip to this emirate.

Al Forsan International Sports Resort and Abu Dhabi Golf Club attractions are located here and Al Raha Beach and Saadiyat Island are in close proximity to the community as well. Amenities of the area include schools, retail stores, restaurants, supermarkets, nurseries, mosques, a golf course, pharmacies and medical clinics. Several notable hotels are situated on the territory of Khalifa City, including the Marriott Hotel Al Forsan and The Westin Abu Dhabi Golf Resort & Spa. The nurseries in the district comprise Little Smarties, Humpty Dumpty and Noah’s Art.

Khalifa City A, Al Merief, Al Forsan Village and Golf Gardens are the most popular areas for buying 3–7 bedroom villas in the Khalifa City neighbourhood. All houses have dedicated parking spaces. The cost of a 3-bedroom villa for sale starts from AED 2,700,000 (USD 735,100). The average ROI for villas with 4 bedrooms constitutes 4% and for villas with 7 bedrooms is 5.8%.

Hydra Village

The Hydra Village residential development is located on Highway 11. The official launch of the Hydra Properties LLC real estate company project was back in 2006 and the completion was only in 2021. The total area of the district is 10,193,423 sq. ft. and the community is divided into 10 zones. Hydra Village is part of ”New Abu Dhabi”. Yas Island, Al Raha Beach and Al Raha Gardens are in close proximity and the main entrance to the neighbourhood can be accessed from Sheikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Road (E11) and leads to Zone 7 and Zone 4.

There are about 2,400 villas in Hydra Village in total. The community offers spacious 2 and 3-bedroom villas, which are surrounded by green zones, open spaces and parks. Numerous amenities in the district comprise a mosque, a nursery, retail services, supermarkets, a gymnasium, a clinic, laundry service, a squash court, billiard club, a swimming pool and more.

The popular areas to purchase villas in the Hydra Village community include Zone 4, Zone 7 and Zone 8. The minimum price for villas with 2 bedrooms constitutes AED 695,000 (USD 189,300) and the ROI for a 2-bedroom villa is 7.5%, while the ROI for a 3-bedroom villa is 7.6%.

Ghantoot

Ghantoot is an off-plan residential project that is well-known for housing Ghantoot Marina and Resort, and Ghantoot Racing & Polo Club. Residents of the community have fast access to the neighbouring areas and other parts of Abu Dhabi due to its strategic location near Sheikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Road (E11). Ghantoot is situated between Dubai and Abu Dhabi, due to which residents can easily reach the districts of both the emirates.

Ghantoot offers a beachfront lifestyle where the amenities of the area include Ghantoot Palace Grocery Store supermarket, grocery stores, retail units, the Mosque of the mother of Ali Mohammed Sadiq Al Balushi, cafes, restaurants and the biggest paintball field in the UAE – Battle Park. There are numerous green spaces and thousands of trees in the community.

The residential neighbourhood offers 2–7 bedroom villas with a property size ranging from 1,410 sq. ft to 12,917 sq. ft. Villas have a traditional Arabic design with majlis and courtyards. All houses offer covered parking spaces for residents. Al Jurf is a popular area for buying villas in the Ghantoot community. The minimum price for a 2-bedroom villa constitutes AED 1,800,000 (USD 490,100). The average ROI for villas in the district constitutes 7%.

1. Prices for villas are growing much faster than that of apartments.
2. The best areas for buying villas in Abu Dhabi are Saadiyat Island, Hydra Village, Al Reef, Yas Island, Al Raha Gardens, Ghantoot and Khalifa City.
3. The Yas Island villa community is home to Yas Links Abu Dhabi, Ferrari World, Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi, Yas Marina West Circuit, Yas Waterworld Abu Dhabi and the largest shopping destination in Abu Dhabi – Yas Mall.
4. Saadiyat Island is the cultural capital of Abu Dhabi with St. Regis Saadiyat Island Resort, Manarat Al Saadiyat arts centre and The Louvre Abu Dhabi are located here.
5. Villas in the Al Reef neighbourhood are grouped into several villages with unique style and architecture. The villages are separated by the Contemporary Village, Arabian Village, Mediterranean Village and Desert Village.
6. The Ghantoot community is situated between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, in which residents can easily reach the districts of both the emirates.