The project
South Bay, Dubai South
a swimmable lagoon, built by the company that owns the district around it
Zeyad Eid
Senior UAE Property Advisor
The district the airport is being built around.
Al Maktoum International is being expanded into the world's largest airport, and Dubai South is the district wrapped around it.
Dubai South posted some of the city's strongest price and rent gains last year. South Bay sits at the premium end of that district.
11 min to DWC15 min to Expo CityExpo Road E77Etihad Rail corridor
Zeyad Eid
Senior UAE Property Advisor
One lagoon, six phases, one developer.
Around 1,200 homes across six phases, arranged around a 1 km crystal lagoon with more than 3 km of promenade and swimmable beaches.
Dubai South Properties builds it and owns the district around it, so the roads, the mall and the school move on one timeline.
~1,200 homes6 phases1 km lagoon3 km promenade
Zeyad Eid
Senior UAE Property Advisor
Water you can actually swim in.
Beaches, a clubhouse, a water sports club and a lake park sit inside the gates, with a school and a shopping centre in the masterplan.
That amenity base holds rents up. Families who move in for the lagoon stay three to five years, which is what produces a stable return.
Swimmable beachesClubhouseWater sports clubSchool
Zeyad Eid
Senior UAE Property Advisor
Townhouses up to 13,000 sq ft mansions.
Three to five bedroom townhouses and semi-detached villas, then 5 to 7 bedroom waterfront mansions running past 13,000 sq ft.
Live asks run AED 1,010 to AED 2,211 per sq ft. Phase matters: South Bay 2 and 5 sit near AED 1,210, while South Bay 4 runs about AED 1,794.
Dubai South from the airThe district being built around the airport
The layout from aboveSix phases around one lagoon
The crystal lagoon1 km of water through the community
The beachesSwimmable water, sand and promenade
Waterfront frontageWhere the price premium actually sits
The townhouses3 to 5 bedrooms, garden frontage
Street levelLow-rise, gated, family scale
Semi-detached villas4 and 5 bedrooms on private plots
The mansions5 to 7 bedrooms, from 8,267 sq ft
Indoor to outdoorFull-height glazing to the garden
The kitchenStone island, integrated appliances
The bedroomsGarden and lagoon outlooks
Investment outlook
Bought before the infrastructure is priced in.
Phases 1 and 2 handed over in March 2025, so South Bay is no longer a drawing. The lagoon is filled, the first families are in, and the roads, the mosque and the retail around them are delivered by the same company that sells you the home. Dubai South Properties is the master developer of the whole district, and that single-timeline control over the surrounding infrastructure is the part most buyers here underestimate.
On price, the community trades today between AED 1,010 and AED 2,211 per sq ft across 101 live listings, at a median of AED 1,411. Entry is a 3 bedroom at AED 3.3 million, but the value sits one size up: four bedroom homes run a median of AED 1,209 per sq ft against AED 1,572 for the three beds, so AED 3.54 million buys 3,504 sq ft in South Bay 4 at AED 1,010 per sq ft, the lowest rate in the community. Comparable lagoon-led launches elsewhere in Dubai open above AED 3.5 million for a smaller three bedroom plus maid, and hand over two to three years later.
The value that is not yet in the price arrives after you own it: the Al Maktoum expansion toward the world's largest airport, the Etihad Rail corridor, and the district's own mall and school. The tenant is a family that wants a garden, a beach and a school run under ten minutes, and that family stays three to five years. That is what turns roughly 5.6 percent gross on the townhouses into a dependable income line while the five to seven year capital growth position plays out underneath it.
Why it stands out
Several demand drivers, combined.
Master developer backing
Dubai South Properties builds the homes and owns the district, so the infrastructure runs on one timeline.
A swimmable lagoon
1 km of crystal water with over 3 km of promenade and real beaches, all inside the gates.
Airport-led demand
Al Maktoum International is 11 minutes away and expanding toward the world's largest airport.
The four bedroom is the value band
A median AED 1,209 per sq ft against AED 1,572 for three beds. The best unit trades at AED 1,010.
Delivered, not promised
Phases 1 and 2 handed over March 2025; Phase 3 completes Q3 2026, Phase 4 in Q1 2027.
Weighted post-handover plan
50% through construction, 20% at handover and 30% spread over six instalments after you get the keys.
The location
Residential District, Dubai South, on Expo Road.
Al Maktoum International Airport11 min
Expo City Dubai15 min
Emaar South golf course15 min
Dubai Marina~35 min
Downtown Dubai~45 min
The lagoon and beaches0 min
Residences & prices
What the market is asking today.
3 Bedroom
2,098 to 3,155 sq ft
From AED 3.3M
4 Bedroom
2,745 to 4,476 sq ft
From AED 3.54M
5 Bedroom
3,552 to 10,774 sq ft
From AED 4.95M
6 Bedroom Mansion
8,267 to 9,627 sq ft
From AED 14M
7 Bedroom Mansion
10,333 to 11,674 sq ft
From AED 21M
Across 101 live listings
AED 1,010 to 2,211 per sq ft
Median AED 1,411
50%
During construction · starting with a 5% booking deposit
50%
20% on handover, then 30% over six post-handover instalments
The specification
Every number, in one place.
Project
South Bay, Dubai South
Developer
Dubai South Properties — master developer of Dubai South
Location
Residential District, Dubai South · Expo Road (E77)
Community
Approx. 1,200 homes across six phases, gated
Centrepiece
1 km crystal lagoon · 3 km+ waterfront promenade · swimmable beaches (the developer also markets it as a 3 km lagoon)
Unit types
3 to 5 bedroom townhouses and semi-detached villas, 6 to 7 bedroom waterfront mansions
Mansion sizes (listed)
6 and 7 bedroom mansions listed at 8,267 to 11,674 sq ft
Entry price
From AED 3.3M — 3 bedroom, 2,098 sq ft, resale
Price per sq ft
AED 1,010 to AED 2,211 · median AED 1,411 across 101 live listings
Payment plan (Phase 3)
50% construction · 20% handover · 30% post-handover over six instalments — terms vary by phase
Phases 1 & 2
Approx. 400 homes — handed over March 2025
Phase 3
213 homes — handover Q3 2026
Phase 4
100+ homes — completion Q1 2027
Phase 6
Launched July 2024, sold out within four hours
Main contractors
Ginco General Contracting · Al Kharafi Construction (AED 2bn)
Market snapshot
101 listings live across all six phases · September 2026 · median AED 1,411 per sq ft
Phase price spread
South Bay 2 & 5 near AED 1,210 per sq ft · South Bay 4 near AED 1,794
Indicative gross yield
~5.6% on 3 bed townhouses (Dubai South area average)
Imagery
Artist's impressions © Dubai South Properties — renders, not photographs of completed homes
Common questions
What buyers usually ask me.
Is South Bay Dubai South a good buy in 2026?+
Entry today is AED 3.3 million for a 3 bedroom of 2,098 sq ft on resale, with the community trading at a median of AED 1,411 per sq ft across 101 live listings. It works for a family end user and for a five to seven year capital growth position. Phases 1 and 2 are handed over and lived in, and the strongest value is in the four bedroom band, which runs a median AED 1,209 per sq ft.
How much does a home in South Bay cost?+
Across 101 live listings, 3 bedrooms start at AED 3.3 million, 4 bedrooms at AED 3.54 million and 5 bedrooms at AED 4.95 million. Six bedroom mansions run AED 14 to 17.7 million and seven bedrooms AED 21 to 23 million. The community trades between AED 1,010 and AED 2,211 per sq ft at a median of AED 1,411, and the phase matters: South Bay 2 and 5 sit near AED 1,210 while South Bay 4 runs about AED 1,794.
What is the payment plan at South Bay?+
Fifty percent runs through construction, starting with a 5 percent booking deposit, 20 percent falls due on handover, and the remaining 30 percent is spread over six instalments after you have the keys. Terms have moved between phases, so confirm the current schedule against the specific phase and unit you are buying.
Who is the developer and when does South Bay hand over?+
Dubai South Properties, the master developer of the wider Dubai South district, which means it controls the roads, retail and schools around the community as well as the homes inside it. Phases 1 and 2 handed over in March 2025, Phase 3 completes in Q3 2026 and Phase 4 in Q1 2027. The final phase sold out within four hours of its July 2024 launch.
Talk South Bay through with Zeyad.
A free 30-minute call. I will go through what is actually available across the remaining phases and the secondary market, which plots carry real lagoon frontage, the price per sq ft you should be paying, and the units I believe hold their value best.
Explore more
