What’s the area like?
Al Raha is all about the future – a ‘vibrant waterfront community’ screams the brochure. It is adjacent to, and often lumped in with, Khalifa City ‘A’. Non-nationals were able to purchase property in Al Raha Gardens on a 99-year lease, although these quickly sold out. Although Al Raha is still under construction, residents say it’s developing into a reasonably quiet area.
Amenities
Al Raha Mall is a 1km walk, or 10km drive, but a lack of footpaths and footbridges doesn’t make the going easy. Residents tend to head to the nearest Spinneys in Mangrove Village or to Khalifa City ‘A’.
Best for…
Families with money to spare. There are plenty of schools within the area, but you will need a car to get in and out of the city.
Pros
It offers easy access to the airport and the Dubai/Al Ain road, and it’s a 30-minute drive (on a good day) along Al Salam Road to take you to the heart of the city. The proposed Shahama-Saadiyat motorway is also expected to cut travelling time from Raha Beach to downtown in half.
Cons
Raha Gardens is not cheap, and for the time being at least, there isn’t a lot here. Forget about hailing a taxi, too – it just won’t happen; you might also want to memorise the route until the cabbies get the gist. Time will tell for singles seeking sublets (there aren’t many at the moment), and no matter how quickly the city expands, you’re still going to feel a bit out of it.
Rent
The lowest we found was a three-bed ‘townhouse’ for Dhs300,000.
To buy
One of the few areas available for purchase, a three-bed can be snatched up for a cool Dhs1.5 million.
