Highlights
ABOUT ARABIAN RANCHES
Arabian Ranches, more commonly known as ‘the Ranches’ is one of Dubai’s first suburban freehold neighbourhoods, making the dream of owning a villa in Dubai a reality for expats. This area guide of Arabian Ranches explores how living in the area exudes a sense of community living, evidenced by the fact that it frequently tops the list of most popular areas within the city, to rent and own a villa in Dubai according to Bayut.com's Property Market Report for Dubai 2018.
IN A NUTSHELL
- A completely self-contained and self-sufficient gated community
- Home to a world class golf course
- Pet-friendly neighbourhood
- Prides itself on a strong sense of community
- Convenient road and transport links to the rest of Dubai
Neighbourhood
COMMUNITY OVERVIEW
Arabian Ranches is a part of the larger Dubailand development and conceptualised by Dubai’s premier developer, Emaar Properties. It showcases an easy-going environment that truly embodies the concept of suburban living in Dubai.
Spread over 1,650 acres, the community in Arabian Ranches attracts professional couples and families from all over the world. The neighbourhood feels a world away from the rest of Dubai, nestled in lush, green, family-friendly tranquillity. Completely landscaped, all the different enclaves have their own swimming pools, tennis courts and several even have their own BBQ areas. These different factors make living in the Ranches a suburban dream.
PROPERTIES IN ARABIAN RANCHES
Being one of the first suburban neighbourhoods in Dubai, there are over 4,000 beautiful homes in Arabian Ranches that are architecturally inspired by Mediterranean and Arabian designs. The villas and townhouses here have a range of layouts and styles with maid’s rooms, access to community facilities or in the case of several larger villas, their own private pool.
Moving to Arabian Ranching can be a daunting task as the houses here are spread across 13 different sub-communities. The sub-communities in Arabian Ranches are Al Reem, Saheel, Mirador, Palmera, Terra Nova, Alvorada, Savannah, Alma and Al Mahra. The luxury communities include Hattan, Mirador La Collection, La Avenida and Polo Homes.
The community offers an array of property types for residents. Residential villas in Arabian Ranches are available for rent or sale and offer everything from 2 to 7-bedroom houses. There are also townhouses available for both tenants and investors. These units come in 2 to 5-bedroom property configurations.
All of the sub-communities in Arabian Ranches come equipped with unique villa styles and world-class amenities, such as community parks, dedicated children's areas, tennis courts, football pitches and much more.
TRANSPORTATION AND PARKING SPACES IN ARABIAN RANCHES
AMENITIES, SCHOOLS AND HEALTHCARE
Supermarkets in Arabian Ranches
The main supermarket in Arabian Ranches is the Carrefour in the Retail Centre. Otherwise, there is also a Spinneys supermarket in neighbouring Motor City as well as a larger Carrefour hypermarket in Mall of the Emirates close to the Ranches.
Schools in Arabian Ranches
It is no surprise that Arabian Ranches is a particular hit with families, especially those with school-going children. Raffles Nursery is located in the Saheel community and offers pre-school education from the age of two until four years. It follows the British pre-school Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) programme. There is the widely acclaimed Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS), it offers the UK curriculum till Year 11 and then switches to the IB curriculum until Year 13.
Nearby options include Ranches Primary School in Arabian Ranches 2, it follows the British syllabus until Year 6. In Sports City, you will find the GEMS United School, which offers the American module until Year 12.
Older students looking at university options will find that they won't have to look far as Dubai International Academic City is just a 15-minute drive away. It is home to many notable and reputed institutions such as the University of Birmingham Dubai, Heriot-Watt University Dubai and American University in the Emirates.
Churches, Temples and Mosques in Arabian Ranches
The Al Rahman mosque is the main mosque in Arabian Ranches. It is situated near the Retail Centre, easily reachable for the Alma, Saheel and Savannah communities. At the border of the Dubai Polo Club and the Palmera community is the Masjid Salam mosque, this would be easily accessible for the Palmera and Alvorado communities.
Christian residents will have to head to St. Mary's Catholic Church in Oud Mehta, it is a 30-minute drive away. For Hindu residents, the closest temple is 35 minutes away by car. You will find Shrinath Ji Temple, Shiva Temple and Shree Krishna Haveli in the Bur Dubai area.
Hospitals and Clinics in Arabian Ranches
Also, a part of the Retail Centre is the Mediclinic Arabian Ranches, it has a range of specialist medical services and also offers laboratory and x-ray facilities. There is a pharmacy in the community centre as well.
As part of The Ranches 2 Souk, there is an Aster Medical Center and Clinic, both open side by side. Otherwise, the nearest hospital to Arabian Ranches is the newly opened Mediclinic Park View Hospital on Umm Suqueim Road, just a 15-minute drive away.
TOP 5 COMMUNITIES IN ARABIAN RANCHES
Placing first is Al Reem, its sub-communities include Al Reem 1, 2 and 3. It consists of 1,100 townhouses with eight different layouts, making it the largest enclave within the Ranches community. The residences here come in a variety of detached 2 and 3 bedroom villas, ranging in size from 1,690 sq. ft. to 3,060 sq. ft. It incorporates Arabic and Spanish architecture in its residences. Al Reem is also the most affordable Ranches property, renting a 2-bedroom house in Al Reem starts at AED 95k.
Saheel ranked second and is well-known for its larger houses and proximity to the Retail Centre. It is also located towards the front of The Ranches, close to the main Mohammad bin Zayed Road and can also be accessed from Al Qudra Road. The villas here come in 3 or 5-bedroom configurations and range from 3,166 sq. ft. to 5,308 sq. ft. Renting a 3-bedroom villa in Saheel is priced on average for AED 195k.
Mirador is another highly popular community in Arabian Ranches. It contains 408 Spanish styled villas that overlook the desert course of the Arabian Ranches Golf Course. These homes come in 4, 5, 6 and 7-bedroom configurations and range from 4,311 sq. ft. to 6,911 sq. ft. The starting rental prices for 5-bedroom villas in Mirador is AED 240k.
Following Mirador, is Palmera - a unique cluster home community. It is located at the perimeter of The Ranches, next to the Al Qudra Road entrance, facing Arabian Ranches 2. It contains 600 Spanish styled 2 and 3-bedroom villas and some houses come with a view of the large lake in the centre of the community. According to the current Bayut listings, prices for renting a 2-bedroom house in Palmera starts at AED 110k.
Rounding up our list is Alvorada, these 3 to 5-bedroom villas are highly sought after mainly due to their plot sizes and spacious luxury finishings. They range from 3,566 sq. ft. to 4,844 sq. ft. in size and are set over two storeys in Portuguese style architecture. Alvorada is mainly popular among freehold buyers, you can purchase your own 4-bedroom villa in Alvorada from AED 4M onwards.
Nearby Areas
Motor City is nearby and is frequented by residents of the Ranches, thanks to the Dubai Autodrome and a multitude of other leisure options in the area. A short distance away from Arabian Ranches is Global Village, a multicultural theme park with international pavilions for shopping. Nearby neighbourhoods include Dubai Sports City, Mudon, Damac Hills and The Sustainable City.
Lifestyle
SHOPPING, DINING AND NIGHTLIFE
Malls in Arabian Ranches
For all shopping requirements, the Ranches Souk is the preferred destination for residents of this family-friendly community in Dubai. However, those looking for a larger variety of retail outlets can head on to Mall of the Emirates, just 20 minutes away by car.
Restaurants in Arabian Ranches
Located in the heart of the neighbourhood, the community centre features a few fast-food outlets like Burger King and Pizza Hut. Other restaurants include the Victorian-themed Shakespeare & Co and the Arab eateries: Al Arab and Man'Oushe Street. Cafe options include Costa Coffee and Caribou Coffee.
If you are looking for something a little more upscale then the Arabian Ranches Golf Club has a licensed sports bar and many acclaimed fine dining establishments with a view of the luxurious golf course.
BEACHES NEAR ARABIAN RANCHES
While Arabian Ranches is located inland, it is a mere 20 minutes from the beach opposite JBR and Dubai Marina with a wide range of watersports on offer, from jet skiing to paddle-boarding, kayaking and more.
OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES, FITNESS AND BEAUTY
There are 13 separate gated enclaves with their own host of amenities such as swimming pools (including a children’s paddling pool), landscaped parks, BBQ pits, basketball courts, tennis courts and even a skate park.
Those thinking of moving to Arabian Ranches will find that the neighbourhood is pedestrian-friendly. Walking and jogging trails snake through the entire community, residents can often be seen running or taking their pets for a walk.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
One of the key aspects of life in Arabian Ranches is its community vibe that brings its multicultural group of residents together. From school fetes and markets hosted by JESS to celebrating different holidays such as Diwali, Eid and Christmas, the inclusive community of Arabian Ranches is sure to make anyone feel at home, no matter where they’re from.
For a more active community lifestyle, there are quite a few facebook groups available for residents to join. The Ranches Ladies is a popular women’s expat social group that offers activities such as coffee mornings, social events, and book club. Otherwise, there is the Arabian Ranches Community group which is for residents only.
THINGS TO CONSIDER
While its peaceful location is a huge benefit, it also means that residents do need a car if they want to visit the rest of the city - or have to rely on taxis.