Dubai’s peaceful golf community may have been developed around two 18-hole golf courses, but it has much to offer non-players, too. From the local community to the school and shopping facilities, here’s what you need to know if you’re thinking about making the move
Whether you’re new to Dubai or are simply deciding upon an area to relocate to, moving can be tricky. But one location not to be overlooked is Jumeirah Golf Estates – or JGE in its slimmer form.
JGE has its own distinctive character, with abundant greenery, swooping parakeets, and actual gradients – the villas are plotted at different levels – making for an attractive landscape. If you like the idea of being woken by birdsong instead of car horns, this is the place for you.
From local schools to transport links, here’s what you need to know before signing on the dotted line:
Community
A country club, which all property owners have to be paid-up members of, is home to a pool, gym, and daily exercise classes, while communal events are fairly common and well attended. The lively Sports Bar here trumps the main clubhouse restaurant, Flame Tree Restaurant & Grill, and there are multiple active Facebook groups devoted to residents and a recently introduced community concierge service – a first for a community in Dubai. Enhancements to the development as a whole are made on an on-going basis.
Transport
With quick and easy access to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road or the E44 (Al Khail Road), JGE is well connected, if you drive. If not, you’ll have to wait for the opening of the planned metro station.
Schools
There is no school within the development, but in the adjacent Victory Heights you’ll find Victory Heights Primary School, while a 10-minute drive away (if you time it just right) is Nord Anglia International School, which caters for foundation through to secondary.
Shopping
Within the community itself is The Fairways, home to a decent little Choithrams supermarket and handy services like a tailor, pharmacy, dry cleaning and both men and women’s hair and beauty salons. A five-minute drive away is City Centre Me’aisem, which is anchored by a large Carrefour.
Properties
The size of the properties ranges from one to four-bedroom apartments, two to four-bedroom townhouses and four to seven-bedroom villas – with prices as equally diverse. Alandalus apartments starting at Dhs749,000, townhouses from Dhs3 million, and villas in the wider community going all the way up to Dhs24 million.* Buy within the Flame Tree Ridge, Redwood Park or Whispering Pines communities, and you’ll be granted a golf buggy to help you get from A to B, however.
What the neighbours say
Elisha Tyler and family rent a villa in Whispering Pines. She tells BLiving:
“We moved to Jumeirah Golf Estates four years ago, originally to a large villa in Sienna Lakes, but after a couple of years there we decided to downsize a little to free up some more disposable income.
“We initially considered Silicon Oasis which would have been closer to our kids’ schools, but opted to stay in Jumeirah Golf Estates as we loved the community so much – it suits us perfectly. It’s safe for our 12-year-old son to cycle to other communities within JGE to meet his friends, and my husband and I enjoy a great social life with our neighbours and make full use of the country club facilities.”
What the real estate agents say
Omar Mohammed is the resident JGE expert at Betterhomes. He tells BLiving:
“Launched in 2005, Jumeirah Golf Estates has 15 different communities in total, five of which are under construction. Jumeirah Golf Estates is the ‘master’ developer and they have designed five of the communities: Flame Tree Ridge, Redwood Park, Redwood Avenue, Whispering Pines, Olive Point, and Alandalus. The others each have a different developer. Owners of Whispering Pines properties in particular will tell you of their superior build quality. “
“There has been a lot of demand in the rental market, where prices have remained steady over the past 12 months. Sales transactions have been slower as the entry price for villas is still higher than in neighbouring communities, such as Victory Heights.
“There has been a lot of interest recently from people who currently live in Al Barari and Emirates Hills but are are looking to move to Jumeirah Golf Estates. Small families and couples who want to live in JGE should take a look at the apartments and townhouses in the soon-to-be-completed Alandalus development, or the already complete townhouses at Redwood Park.”
If you’d like to contact him to arrange a showing or to learn of any ‘open house’ dates in the JGE development, call +971 58 206 4911.
*Prices valid as of December 2018