In Sharjah, there are plenty of options for those looking to rent an apartment. In fact, there are several areas within this emirate that offer a family-friendly living environment. Accordingly, one such area is the vicinity of Al Musalla. This community is close to some notable landmarks in Sharjah such as Rolla Park, Sharjah Clock Tower and King Faisal Mosque to name a few.
Al Musalla is a mixed use neighbourhood popular among expat community. This is predominantly a residential area with aparment buildings being a mix of older low-rise and newer mid-rise complexes. Al Musalla is one of the few communities part of the Al Gharb district in Sharjah. It is located close to many prominent mixed-use neighbourhoods.
The types of rental properties in Al Musalla you are likely to find will be limited. For instance, there are fewer listings for studios and 1-bed apartments. The most popular type of property are the 2 BHK apartments in Al Musalla.
The most popular locations in Al Musalla include Lootah Al Musalla and Al Musalla Building.
In Lootah Al Musalla, 1-bedroom apartments for rent are priced from AED 30k to AED 30k .
In Al Musalla Building, 1-bedroom apartments for rent are priced from AED 20k to AED 26k . 2-bedroom apartments for rent are priced from AED 35k to AED 35k .
When it comes to finding parking in Al Musalla, most residents would be assigned a covered spot inside their residential buildings. On the other hand, some older buildings may not have that facility so residents may have to find their own parking space. For those who have no option but to park on the street, they should expect to pay for parking as most parking spots along the street are paid.
Moving on, the situation with public transportation in Al Musalla is limited. While there is no bus stop in Al Musalla, the closest bus station is situated in the community of Al Rolla, known as Al Rolla Bus Stop. From this station, you could take a connecting bus to other emirates such as Dubai, Abu Dhabi or Ajman.
Although there are several supermarkets in the surrounding communities, there is only two major supermarkets in Al Musalla, Sahal Al Lulu Supermarket and Al Fayah Supermarket. For larger haul there is a branch of Grand Hypermarket in the Grand Mall in Musalla. Most supermarkets in Al Musalla will provide free home delivery.
There are many supermarkets in the nearby areas such as Al Telal Supermarket, Fathima Supermarket, New Al Madina Supermarket and more.
You won’t have to drive too far to find a church. Just south of Al Musalla, at a 5-minute drive is the community of Al Yarmook, with over 10 different churches that cater to the various denominations within Christianity. For instance, there’s the Russian Orthodox Church, Roman Catholic Church and Protestant Church situated in Al Yarmook. Thus, even though there is no church in Al Musalla, one can take a short-drive to attend Sunday prayers.
Moving on, residents can drive to Dubai to visit Shiva Temple on Al Fahidi Street. This temple is dedicated to deities of Shiva and Krishna. It is located at a distance of 25 minutes.
There are two mosques in Al Musalla, Oth’man Ibn Affan Mosque and Jasim Saif Mosque. It is important to know that Oth’man Ibn Affan Mosque is small in size and may not be able to accommodate all worshippers in the area during Friday prayers. The other mosque is the Jasim Saif Mosque which is even smaller than the latter. This is more of a makeshift mosque, but nonetheless, it is a popular place of worship. Al Musalla gets its name from the huge Eid prayer hall, known as a musalla. Sharjah Eid Musalla can house hundreds of worshippers and is popular during the holy month of Ramadan and the event of Eid.
Most primary schools in Musalla are not too far away from this community. For instance, the Progressive English School is just 7 minutes away in the community of Al Yarmook. In fact, there are over 10 schools around a 5 to 10-minute drive from Al Musalla.
For those looking to attend university, the closest universities are located in University City Sharjah, near Sharjah International Airport. Students can find American University of Sharjah, University of Sharjah and Skyline University College, 20 minutes south of Al Musalla.
Despite the fact that there are a few clinics in Al Musalla, there are several clinics in neighbouring communities. In Al Musalla, residents can find Al Mahmood Medical Centre and Al Ahlia Regional Medical Centre.
Nearby options include, Abrahams Medical Centre just 4 minutes north of this community, right on Al Zahraa Street. This clinic provides general health services as well as services relating to dentistry. They also have a dedicated department for gynaecology that caters to expecting mothers in the community. However, this is not a medical facility that you should visit in case of an emergency. For that, it is best that you go to a nearby hospital. The closest one will be Central Private Hospital and Al Zahra Hospital, both of which are just 3 minutes away.
All in all, despite there being no clinics or hospitals in Al Musalla, one can seek medical treatment at the clinics and hospitals near Al Musalla in nearby neighbourhoods.
To the west of the community is the community of Al Ghuwair and Rolla Area. To its immediate east is the community of Al Yarmook (home to several churches in the area). To the north of the community is the district of Maysaloon and to its south is the popular community of Al Mahatah.
In Sharjah, nightlife mostly revolves around shopping, dining and spending time with family. Sharjah is not for those who want to go clubbing or need to take the edge off at a local bar. For that, the best place to enjoy such activities would be Dubai or Ajman.
There is one major mall in Al Musalla known as Grand Mall Sharjah. It is located on Ibrahim Mohammed Al Medfa’a St (S118). It was recently constructed in 2019 and is a fairly new addition to the community. Although not as large as other Sharjah malls such as Mega Mall, this mall does offer a great indoor shopping experience where you can shop for groceries, apparel, footwear and electronics in one located. There are also a few restaurants in this mall and several kiosks selling perfumes and oud.
There are a handful of restaurants in Al Musalla. In the fast-food/casual dining category, there is High Broast Restaurant which not only serves fried chicken but has a variety of BBQ food such as grilled lamb and chicken kebabs. For Egyptian food, Al Musalla has a popular restaurant called Amoon Restaurant which serves traditional Egyptian cuisines and snacks such as falafels and hummus.
For Pakistani food, there is Al Naseeb Restaurant that serves traditional Pakistani dishes such as nihari, biryani and other dishes that are preferred by the Pakistani expat community. Al Reem Bakery is a popular location for desserts and other savoury snacks.
For those looking forward to enjoying the sun, there are a few beaches near Al Musalla. Al Khan Beach and Al Mamzar Beach can be reached in 15 minutes or less. Both beaches are popular with residents and tourists, have many amenities and waterfront restaurants. Al Khan Beach has water sports activites on offer and Al Mamzar Beach has picnic and barbecue spots available. Those looking to experience a little bit of history can also visit the monuments and watchtowers near Al Khan Beach.
Residents can also head to Sharjah Beach, just 10 minutes away on the northen end of Sharjah. It is a less developed beach but there are plans underway to make the beach more lively. It is expected to have a promenade, multiple restaurants and other family-friendy activities.
One won’t have to travel far to find some places of interest. For instance, the Zahra Square – Clock Tower Roundabout is a landmark just two minutes away. It is a popular fitness spot, you can find many families sitting on the benches and relaxing as well.
The Kuwait Square Roundabout is also located on the south east side of Al Musalla. It is located around Al Fayha Park, Sharjah Municipality – Main Office in Al Musalla and the Consultative Council of Sharjah. The area is surronded by green spaces.
In 11 minutes by foot, you can reach Rolla Square Park which is fitted with water fountains and play areas for children, leading it to be popular with families in the surrounding neighbourhood. There’s a water fountain in the centre of the park which looks spectacular at night. For children, there are a few swings and slides. This park covers a sizable area and is mostly busy during the evenings. Al Fayha Park is a 5-minute drive away for a 15-minute walk away. It is popular among the sporty community in Al Musalla as it features basketball, volleyball and football pitches. It also has a small cafeteria serving snacks and drinks.
There are multiple gyms near Al Musalla, offering a workout for all skill levels. Popular options include Al Fehoud Body Building Gym in Maysaloon, Energy Bodies Building Gym in Al Ghuwair and Al Saah Sports Club Gym in Al Nabba.
For those who care about maintaining their beauty regime, they will find that there are a few spas in the area. For instance, The Mask Spa Centre which is a 5-minute drive east of Al Musalla caters to women who live in the neighbourhood. Salons nearby include Shahinaz Ladies Salon, Al Lulu Al Lamiee Beauty Saloon and Al Burj Ladies Saloon.
Overall, Al Musalla is an ideal community for smaller families as the properties on offer do not exceed 2-bedrooms. The community is in a well-established neighbourhood that is close to some major landmarks. However, parking your car can prove to be difficult if your building doesn’t provide covered parking.
Although the rental rates for apartments are on the more affordable side, many apartment buildings lack modern amenities and thus you’ll have to sacrifice some convenience for more affordable rental rates.