Like the name suggests, the International City Dubai is a melting pot of the divergent nationalities and diverse cultures. The inspiration for developers for this project was to create an awe-inspiring city within the city and resultantly, they developed The International City. Initially, the vision was to provide an affordable yet stylish accommodation solution to more than 60,000 people. Today it successfully does exactly that by helping many people to own properties in Dubai. The community is ordained to be the cultural hub of different nationality holders and the core business destination of the Middle East as well as the surrounding regions.

International City community is located in the Al Warsan region of Dubai, along the Dubai-Hatta road. The fact that it lies between Interchange 5 and 6 of Emirates Road, and has close proximity to the Dubai Central Fruit and Vegetable Market makes it a desirable place to live in. It is also around 15 to 20 minutes drive from the centre of the city. Dubai International City is spread over 800 hectares and offers a wide range of business activities, retail opportunities and tourist attractions with an exotic mix of residential features where most of its key elements are picked up from different parts of the world. The master plan of the city is a major contributor to Dubai’s growing reputation as an ideal international state that has the ability to accommodate people from all corners of the world.

The development, true to its name, offers a dash of a country themed architect in every building, every tourist attraction and even in most of its recreational facilities. The meticulous design of the entire development is inspired by the intricately patterned traditional carpets of the Middle East. The project consists of studio, one and two apartment units along with the network of living, working, shopping and leisure centres to form a unique city within the city. Divided into ten precincts, residential district of the International City in Dubai is home to 60,000 people from over 75 countries from around the world. The diversity of the community makes it a unique destination and this harmony makes it a perfect community to live in for just about everyone.

International City is a project of Al Nakheel Development. It is divided into five districts which are: Residential District, Central District, Dragon-Mart Complex, Lake District and Forbidden City. All of these ten precincts are designed to represent the architectural styles of the regions they are built to depict, just to enhance the multicultural persona of the community. The districts of the International City are:

• Emirates
• China
• Russia
• Italy
• France
• England
• Morocco
• Spain
• Greece
• Persia

The names of the residential districts are derived from country-specific architectural themes so to add an international essence to the project. International City is actually a multi-faceted community where diversity represents the harmony. The best thing you can do in this community is to be yourself as it is the best fashion statement.

This community has also attracted businesses to open retail outlets in the residential blocks of the community. Additional facilities such as lush green stretches, shopping malls, restaurants and open parks are also there to give a convenient living option to the residents while facilitating all kinds of lifestyles and cultures.

Commuting across Dubai International City is as easy as it gets. While the popular mode of travelling around, in and out of International City Dubai remains cars but there is no dearth of public transportation. Much like the rest of Dubai, there is a web of local taxies which take the local residents around and about the locality. The three modes of transportation that are most frequently used in International City in Dubai are:

• Private cars
• Taxies
• Buses

International City is one of the prime Dubai real estate developments so it is well connected with the other parts of the city with an extended web of roads. With the rapid development of Dubai property in and around International City, the development has recently faced a mild problem with the traffic. Since there is only one entry and exit level that controls the influx and the outflow of transport in the city, commuters can face heavy traffic issues for 10 to 20 minutes during rush hours.

The Road & Transport Authority (RTA) bus service, over the years, has emerged as the prime local transportation service provider in International City. These buses cover the popular routes across International City, catering to the travelling needs of residents. Payment methods and the routes of some of the buses are mentioned below.

Method of Payment

If you wish to get on the RTA buses, you are required to pay via your Nol Card. These prepaid bus or Metro cards are used for paying fairs and can also be recharged. Unfortunately though, there are no Nol service providers in International City as of the moment so if you wish to acquire or recharge your card, you can do so via Major Bus Terminus or Metro Stations.

RTA Local Bus Routes

53 Dubai Gold Souk Bus: You can catch this bus every 25-30 minutes in International City. There are various stops this bus makes around in the community. Al Badia constitutes to be its first stop, from where it leaves for Dubai Festival City. Deira City Centre makes its last stop after which it heads back to Dubai Gold Souk.

X23 Dubai Gold Souk Bus: This is the most active route for the RTA bus service in International City where you can catch a bus for this route every 10 to 15 minutes. Oud Metha makes the second stop of this bus service after Ras Al Khor and then the bus heads back to Dubai Gold Souk to complete its circle.

365 Rashidiya Metro Station Bus: These buses operate with the same frequency as the 53 Dubai Gold Souk buses and cover two stops along the way, connecting Silicon Oases with Dubai Academic City before heading back to Rashidiya Metro Station.

RTA Intercity Bus Service for International City

300 Dubai International City Intercity Bus: This service passes through several of International City Clusters. The various stops it makes along the way include England, Dragon Mart, China, Police Station, Civil Defence and Greece.

You can get in touch with the RTA in case you have any queries by giving them a call at: 800 9090.

Dragon Mart goes perfectly with the entire theme of International City Dubai. Just the way International City offers affordable and quality accommodation to expats from different parts of the world, Dragon Mart fulfils their shopping needs by offering an array of household and grocery items at reasonable rates. It is China's first superstore in Dubai and also the largest one outside of China.

This dragon shaped mart is spread over an area of 1.2 kilometres and is home to almost 4000 retail shops. It is operational since December 2004 and receives thousands of visitors on daily basis from different parts of Dubai as well as other states. The interior as well as exterior of the mart is one of its many attractive features.

Dragon Mart is home to countless products manufactured in China and thus acts as a gateway to Chinese products in the region. Since Dubai is considered the shopping centre of the world, many people thought that a Chinese mart would attract little or no attention. However, Dragon Mart instantly became a huge success. It is now widely regarded as the alternative station for many of those who do not afford to buy stuff from the branded souks in Dubai.

The huge space occupied by the Dragon Mart is used very well for a variety of trade related purposes including exhibitions, trade shows, business related events, and family galas. Many restaurants and warehouses are also a part of the mart to serve the related needs of the customers and shop owners. In order to offer adequate solutions to meet the modern business needs of the shop owners as well shoppers, there are conference rooms, negotiation rooms, office area, business centres, ATMs, coffee shops, and customer care desks.

The customers at Dragon Mart can openly renegotiate the price with the shop owners. Getting discounts on cheaper goods sounds great. You can buy electrical appliances, textile, furniture, interior decor items, and products that fall under the arts and crafts genre. Other than the above mentioned items, Dragon Mart is also known for groceries, food, jewellery, bags, cosmetics, footwear, garments, toys, and sports accessories.