Living in Dubai South’s Residential District: What Is Open Today, What Is Only Planned and What You Still Drive For (2026)

Checked on 5 November 2026.

The short answer

Living in the Dubai South Residential District works today if you want a quiet, car based neighbourhood close to Al Maktoum Airport, Expo City and Dubai Investments Park. A Lulu hypermarket, a GEMS school, parks and a mosque are reported open. The district’s first mall, South Bay Mall, is announced but has no opening date we could find. You will still drive for hospitals, big malls and most of the city.

If you want walkable cafes, a metro at your door or a finished neighbourhood, wait or look elsewhere. If you want more space for your money and can live beside building sites, it can suit you.

Key takeaways

1. People do live here. Dubai South says the district has over 25,000 residents, but it has used that same number since February 2022, so treat it as a rough size, not a count.

2. Reported open: a Lulu hypermarket (March 2023), GEMS Founders School (August 2024), parks, sports courts, a mosque, a petrol station and a bus route to Expo Metro station.

3. There is no mall called “Dubai South Mall.” The only mall announced for the district is South Bay Mall, about 200,000 sqft with around 60 shops. We found no opening date.

4. Sakany is staff housing for workers, not apartments for sale, even though some portals list it that way.

5. Ask for opening dates in writing. A brochure that says “mall nearby” is not a promise.

What the Residential District is

Dubai South is a planned city of about 145 sq km built around Al Maktoum International Airport and Expo City. The Residential District is the part made for homes.

Several communities sit inside it:

1. The Pulse. By early 2022, Gulf Today reported more than 1,400 apartments and 240 townhouses handed over here.

2. The Pulse Beachfront. It has 788 villas and townhouses. Driven Properties says it was delivered in 2025.

3. South Bay. It has more than 800 villas and townhouses, over 200 waterfront mansions and a one kilometre lagoon. Dubai South said the final phase sold out in four hours in June 2024.

4. Apartment towers and projects such as South Living, Greenfield Living and Oasis Residences.

Emaar South, the golf community, sits next to it as a separate area. Property Finder describes the wider Dubai South as a district still in progress, not a finished city centre. That matches what we see.

How many people really live here

You will see “over 25,000 residents” on many pages. We traced it back. Gulf Today used it in February 2022, Khaleej Times in April 2022, and Dubai South repeated it in June 2024. We found no newer count.

Older targets were bigger. Earlier reports spoke of 35,000 residents by 2020. A 2020 Gulf News gallery said the developer expected about 50,000 by the time Expo opened. So the number has not moved in years, and the old targets were not met.

Use 25,000 as a rough size. Do not quote it as today’s census.

What is open, announced or unconfirmed

We have not visited the district. This list comes from Dubai South announcements, news reports and portal pages, so please check on a site visit.

Reported open

1. Lulu hypermarket. Lulu opened a hypermarket in the district in March 2023.

2. GEMS Founders School, Dubai South. GEMS announced it in May 2024 for FS1 to Year 8, with plans to grow to Year 13 and over 2,500 students. Dubai South says it opened in August, subject to KHDA approvals.

3. Parks, sports courts, retail shops, a mosque and a petrol station. Dubai South listed these in its June 2024 release.

4. A public bus route to Expo Metro station. The same release mentions it. Drive times and the nearest stations are on our location page.

5. Cherry Tree Nursery. Our location page is where we keep developer drive times for the district.

Announced, not open

1. South Bay Mall. Details are in the next section.

Unconfirmed

1. Clinics and a Carrefour. A dubizzle area page lists a Saudi German clinic in the district and a Carrefour. We could not confirm either, so ask before you count on them.

The mall question

Many people search for “Dubai South mall.” No mall by that name exists today.

Dubai South Properties announced South Bay Mall on 25 November 2025. It will sit in the heart of the Residential District. Khaleej Times reports:

1. About 200,000 sqft across ground, first and rooftop levels, with lagoon views.

2. 60 retail units and two anchor stores.

3. A premium food hall, a gym, a spa, a clinic and a clubhouse.

4. Parking for over 400 cars.

The report does not say when building started or when the mall will open. Wego lists the opening as “date TBC.” We found no later news.

Some listings say a mall is 500 m away. Our location page is the place to check drive times. Until South Bay Mall opens, residents also use Ibn Battuta Mall and The Outlet Village, according to Metropolitan. The Town Mall is the nearer listed mall in those drive-time notes, about 16 minutes by car, from developer information.

Schools and nurseries

GEMS Founders School is the main school inside the district. Property Finder lists UK curriculum from FS1 to Year 9, with fees from AED 36,400 for FS1 up to AED 47,600 for Years 7 to 9. Fees change each year, so check the school and the KHDA website for the latest rating and price.

Many families also use schools in Dubai Investments Park, about 15 to 20 minutes away, says Metropolitan. The National reported in June 2024 that schools in the area had growing waiting lists and enrolment.

Ask every school about places before you commit.

What you still drive for

1. Hospitals. Developer notes put NMC Specialty Hospital at about 22 to 25 minutes and Aster Clinic at about 14.4 km. Confirm both on a site visit. See the location page.

2. Big malls. The Town Mall is about 16 minutes away. Ibn Battuta Mall and The Outlet Village are further.

3. The city. Developers list Downtown Dubai at 20 to 40 minutes and Dubai Marina at 15 to 34 minutes. These are developer figures and change with traffic.

4. Work. Al Maktoum Airport is 4 to 17 minutes away by developer figures, and Expo City is 3 to 20 minutes.

What homes and rents look like

Buying

Among projects on sale now, the lowest price stated for this site on 5 November 2026 was AED 498,000. Some older portal pages quote entry prices of AED 340,000 to 380,000 for the district. Those are probably older resale or ready units, so ask which building and size.

Driven Properties says studios in The Pulse start around AED 510,000. Our cheapest studios guide compares studio projects.

Renting

1. Metropolitan’s 2025 report gives average Dubai South rents of AED 41,025 for a studio, AED 55,002 for a one bedroom and AED 80,334 for a two bedroom.

2. Provident Estate says district apartments rent from AED 44,000 to AED 120,000 a year.

3. A two bedroom in The Pulse Residence, 1,155 sqft, was listed on dubizzle at AED 78,000 a year in July 2026. That is an asking price, not a signed rent.

Owners also pay service charges. Ask the developer for the published figure and whether it includes cooling. Our rental yield guide shows what rent really earns after costs.

Sakany: staff housing, not apartments for sale

OER Live reported on 13 September 2020 that Sakany is Dubai South Properties’ first leasehold staff accommodation, a AED 500 million project for blue collar workers. Ten buildings then housed about 7,000 people at roughly 80% occupancy. The report also describes a gated, female only building and a grocery store on site.

Yet Binayah lists “Sakany apartments” for sale from AED 550,000, freehold, with a 50/50 post handover plan and a 7% to 9% yield. AiGents shows a different price range and mentions villas. These pages disagree with each other and with the original report.

If someone offers you a Sakany unit, ask for the title or Oqood record, the developer’s written approval and the permit number before you pay anything. Our guide to buying off plan safely explains these checks.

Who this district suits

A good fit if you

1. Work at the airport, Expo City, Dubai Investments Park or nearby, and want a short drive.

2. Want a villa, townhouse or larger apartment at a lower price than central Dubai.

3. Drive, or are happy to plan trips around a car.

4. Can live with building work nearby.

A poor fit if you

1. Need a metro station within walking distance.

2. Want cafes, restaurants and a mall in walking distance today.

3. Need a hospital within ten minutes.

4. Want a finished neighbourhood without construction.

Living beside building sites

This is still a district under construction. DLD dates for the projects we checked run into 2029 and 2030, so building work will continue for years. If you buy off plan, check the registry date before you pay, because a project’s handover date decides when your rent can start.

If you want to buy a home in a project that has sold out, ask us about resale. We do not have a separate resale guide yet.

Questions to ask before you rent or buy

1. What is open in the community today, and what is only planned?

2. When will South Bay Mall open, and can you confirm it in writing?

3. How many places does the school have, and what is the waiting list?

4. What are the service charges, and does the quote include cooling?

5. Which buildings nearby are still under construction, and until when?

6. How far is the nearest metro station by road, and how do I get there?

Frequently asked questions

Conclusion: a young district with real homes, real gaps

The Residential District is a real, lived in community. It has a hypermarket, a school, parks and several finished neighbourhoods. It still lacks a mall, a nearby hospital and a metro station of its own.

Check what is open before you move, ask for dates in writing and visit on a weekday and a weekend. Then decide if the space and the price are worth the drive.

Want help comparing homes in the district? Register your interest and an advisor will send current availability, floor plans and payment plans for Dubai South. Prices, plans and dates can change, and nothing here is financial or legal advice. Read our disclaimer.

How we checked this page

1. We read the Khaleej Times report on South Bay Mall and the OER Live report on Sakany.

2. We traced the “25,000 residents” figure through Gulf Today, Khaleej Times and Dubai South’s own releases.

3. We read Dubai South’s 2024 releases on the hypermarket, school and bus route, and GEMS Education’s May 2024 announcement.

4. We took drive times and hospital distances from our location page, which uses developer information, and rents from Metropolitan’s 2025 report.

5. We treated portal claims as claims, not facts.

What we could not confirm

1. We have not visited the district, so the “reported open” list comes from announcements and news, mostly from 2023 and 2024.

2. We found no opening date for South Bay Mall and no newer resident count.

3. We could not confirm the Carrefour or the clinic that one portal lists.

About this site

Dubai South Capital is a property information website operated by MBR Properties. It is not the official website of Dubai South, of any developer or of any government authority. Prices, plans and dates come from developer information and can change.

Corrections and contact

If you find an error, email admin@dubaisouthcapital.ae and we will check and fix it. Updated 5 November 2026.

Sources

1. Khaleej Times, South Bay Mall announcement (25 November 2025)

2. OER Live, Sakany staff accommodation (13 September 2020)

3. Dubai Media Office, South Bay final phase sells out (13 June 2024)

4. GEMS Education, agreement with Dubai South (30 May 2024)

5. The National, school waiting lists in Dubai South (June 2024)

6. Gulf Today, Dubai South 2021 results (4 February 2022)

7. Metropolitan, Dubai South report

8. Dubai South Properties, South Living sell out page