International City Phase 1
apartment community
Buyer read
A balanced buyer case without one dominant signal
Apartments have a median sale price of AED 440K. 17% of recent sales are off-plan, while market activity ranks above average. The downside profile is moderate, based on 2 of 5 available inputs.
AED 440K
Apartment median · 2025-07-31 to 2026-07-31
17% off-plan
Low supply-pressure proxy
Above average
Relative to Dubai communities
Moderate
2 of 5 risk inputs available
Dubai's most affordable residential area with country-themed architecture. Home to Dragon Mart, one of the largest Chinese trading hubs outside China.
Median PSF
AED 671
Apartments
YoY change
+10.8%
5-yr sales
7,440
DLD transactions
Median price
AED 440K
All property types
DUBUY VERDICT
Exceptional amenity density, weaker transit
International City Phase 1 offers exceptional amenity density with public-transport coverage is unscored. The mapped inventory covers 86 named venues; use the detail cards below to check the categories that matter to your routine.
Amenity access
100/100
Outdoor access
—
Transit
—
Mapped venues
86
Dining
9/100
37 mapped
Shopping
7/100
17 mapped
Health
8/100
10 mapped
Nightlife
0/100
0 mapped bars
DUBUY VERDICT
Broad access to highly rated schools
17 schools sit in the mapped catchment; 17 currently have a KHDA inspection rating, including 4 rated Very Good or Outstanding. Families can choose across 3 curriculums; check actual drive times and admissions availability below.
Schools nearby
17
Top-rated
4
Curricula
3
Best rating
Outstanding
Schools nearby
17
Within the mapped catchment
Curriculum
UK
+2 more
Median fees
AED 32K
Approx. annual fee
Rating
Outstanding
Best nearby KHDA rating
DUBUY VERDICT
Capital growth, not cashflow for the appreciation thesis
International City Phase 1 has compounded 66% over 3 years. Yields are below median — buy for resale, not rental income.
YoY change
+10.8%
3-yr growth
+66%
Gross yield
—
5yr volume
7,440
Current PSF
AED 716
6-month forecast
+5.4%
Forecast range
695–815
AED per sqft
Confidence
Medium
Model confidence
International City Phase 1 is a primarily apartment-based community in Dubai with 7,440 transactions on record over the last five years. Median price per square foot sits at AED 671, up 10.8% year-on-year, outperforming the city-wide 8.3% benchmark. Use the tabs above to drill into the market detail, rental economics, schools catchment, lifestyle amenities, off-plan pipeline or active listings.
Affordability quick-look
Pre-filled with International City Phase 1 median. Drag the sliders — DLD-typical 4.5% APR over 25 years.
Monthly payment
AED 2K
Loan AED 330K · 25 yrs @ 4.5%
Indicative only — real rates vary by bank, residency status and credit profile. UAE typically requires 20–25% down for residents, 35–50% for non-residents.
PROPERTY CATALOGUE
Homes in International City Phase 1
International City Phase 1 is led by apartments, with 52 named developments and home types available to research.
Home types
4
Registered and marketed
Typical size
646 sqft
Community median
Named homes
52
Projects and home types
Floor plans
0 licensed
Rights-cleared only
Apartments
Studio, 1 B/R, 2 B/R, 3 B/R, 4 B/R, 8 B/R
463–936 sqft
Villas
3 B/R, 5 B/R
Not published
Hotel apartments
Studio, 1 B/R, 2 B/R
458–883 sqft
Includes International City Phase 1, INTERNATIONAL CITY EMARATI, Lawnz Residence by Danube and 49 more.
Explore all homesMarket temperature & historical discussion for International City Phase 1
Archived discussion themes: Praised for affordable rental options available for budget-conscious students. Criticised for parking enforcement appears predatory with excessive fines for minor violations.
Historical discussion
Bottom 30%
historical discussion rank among covered Dubai areas
Dated 2021–2026 archive from r/dubai, r/UAE and r/expats · 141 on-topic mentions · latest item Jul 21, 2026 · last scored 2026-07-21
Discussion trend
Getting worse
-0.25 per year
Mostly discussed by
residents
50% of mentions
Sentiment over time
Axis zoomed to the observed range (-0.5 to +0.5); sentiment scores still use the full −1 to +1 scale.
Sentiment from Q1 2024 to Q3 2026 moved from -0.27 to -0.30. Based on 129 mentions across 9 quarters.
What people praise
- +Affordable rental options available for budget-conscious students×4
- +Affordable apartments under 1 million AED available×3
- +Competitive rental yields compared to other budget segments×2
- +International clusters offer diverse dining options from different countries×2
- +Affordable rental prices compared to other Dubai areas×2
What people criticise
- −Parking enforcement appears predatory with excessive fines for minor violations×31
- −Real estate agencies offering monthly rentals have poor reviews×5
- −Sharjah is a better residential alternative than Dubai International City×3
- −Severe overcrowding with illegal bedspace arrangements and poor hygiene conditions×2
- −Studio apartments in this budget range are concentrated here×2
Who's talking
Communities with similar vibes
Based on cosine similarity of what people praise and criticise about each area.
Based on 141 Reddit posts and comments (2021–2026) from r/dubai, r/UAE, r/expats and r/digitalnomad, scored by Claude Haiku. Latest collected item: Jul 21, 2026. Last scored 2026-07-21. Read the full methodology.
Market Context
Dubai's property market has grown 60% since the 2020 pandemic low. International City Phase 1 is growing faster than the citywide average, indicating strong local demand.
Nearby schools17 schools
View on DubaiSchools.aiGEMS Modern Academy
Repton School
GEMS Our Own English High School
Kings School Nad Al Sheba L.L.C
Newlands School
Sharjah American International Private school
Available Curriculums
School data from DubaiSchools.ai • KHDA ratings • Updated May 2026
Local amenities
Mapped amenities within a 2.5km straight-line radius • 66 total outlets near International City Phase 1
Exceptional amenity density · based on mapped POI density, not routed walking conditions
Lifestyle Scores
Data source: OpenStreetMap via Overpass API • 2.5km straight-line radius • Source snapshot: January 2026
Transport & Lifestyle
Moderate mapped greenery · #53 of 75 mapped Dubai communities The 6 figure counts OpenStreetMap park-tagged features within 1.8km of the community centre. It does not mean 6 distinct named parks or confirm walking access.
Travel times from International City Phase 1
Real drive times based on Dubai road network • Peak hours (8-10am, 5-8pm) shown
Active listings in International City Phase 1
Sale and rental listings pulled from PropertyFinder. Filter by purpose, bedrooms, or price — sort live.
No active listings indexed yet
PropertyFinder syncs are weekly. Try again soon, or browse PropertyFinder directly.
Market history
Prices fell 1.0% while sales fell 15% last quarter.
Median sale price per sqft and registered sales, by completed quarter. Volume often moves before price.
Latest median PSF
AED 716
Q2 2026
3m price change
-1.0%
vs prior completed quarter
Quarter sales
307
Q2 2026
3m sales change
-15.2%
vs prior completed quarter
Completed quarters are used instead of raw 1-month changes because DLD registrations typically lag 4–8 weeks and thin monthly samples can overstate changes in the mix of homes sold.
The headline median blends ready resale with off-plan (developer) sales — about 17% of recorded sales here are off-plan. A ready-only split is added on the next DLD data refresh.
6-month forecast
From 2026Q2 · 8 quarters of data
AED 716/sqft → AED 755/sqft
Range AED 695 – 815· +3.8 pp vs Dubai forecast (+1.6%)
Drivers
Base trend
OLS slope of last 8 quarters' median psf, projected 6mo
Supply pressure
17% off-plan share — low incoming supply
OLS trend + supply pressure + dated discussion momentum. Not a substitute for property-level appraisal. Methodology →
Value a unit in this community
Bedroom-specific psf, building-tier adjusted, with the actual comparables we used. Free — methodology shown.
Price Trends
Median PSF change over time
3 months
-1.0%
6 months
+12.6%
1 year
+15.1%
2 years
+29.2%
Median price per square foot (PSF), quarter-on-quarter, ending 2026Q2. From DLD transactions; monthly granularity isn't published.
| Quarter | Median/sqft | Transactions | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026Q3 | AED 648 | 85 | -9.5% |
| 2026Q2 | AED 716 | 307 | -1.0% |
| 2026Q1 | AED 723 | 362 | +13.7% |
| 2025Q4 | AED 636 | 350 | +1.1% |
| 2025Q3 | AED 629 | 353 | +1.1% |
| 2025Q2 | AED 622 | 327 | +0.6% |
| 2025Q1 | AED 618 | 444 | +3.2% |
| 2024Q4 | AED 599 | 337 | +5.6% |
| 2024Q3 | AED 567 | 346 | +2.3% |
| 2024Q2 | AED 554 | 380 | +7.4% |
| 2024Q1 | AED 516 | 498 | +1.2% |
| 2023Q4 | AED 510 | 431 | +0.8% |
| 2023Q3 | AED 506 | 431 | +5.9% |
| 2023Q2 | AED 478 | 397 | +3.5% |
| 2023Q1 | AED 462 | 383 | +0.2% |
| 2022Q4 | AED 461 | 461 | +5.5% |
| 2022Q3 | AED 437 | 433 | +1.6% |
| 2022Q2 | AED 430 | 321 | -1.8% |
| 2022Q1 | AED 438 | 334 | -0.5% |
| 2021Q4 | AED 440 | 294 | +1.9% |
| 2021Q3 | AED 432 | 166 |
Property Mix
By Type
Room Distribution
Developers3 developers
Scores are editorial — DLD delivery record + RERA filings + industry reportsNakheel
- •Iconic waterfront locations
- •Strong government backing
- •Established communities
- •Some older stock needs renovation
- •Service charges vary
Meraas
- •Exceptional design quality
- •Lifestyle-focused amenities
- •Prime locations
- •Premium pricing
- •Limited inventory
Azizi Developments
- •Competitive pricing
- •High rental yields
- •Flexible payment plans
- •Mixed reviews on finishes
- •High density projects
Area health & valuations
Healthcare, education, government housing, air quality, and official land valuations.
Real Estate Agents in Dubai
DLD-licensed agents • 8,724 registered brokers from 792 agencies
View All AgentsTop Agencies by Team Size
Featured Agents
All agents verified through Dubai Land Department (DLD) licensing system
Short-term rental (Airbnb) yield
Estimated from 114 active Airbnb listing-months. Medians, not guarantees — actual returns depend on hosting effort, seasonality and DTCM permit costs.
Median nightly
AED 400
Occupancy
63%
Est. annual revenue
AED 82,104
Gross STR yield
18.7%
Source: AirROI Dubai Airbnb listing-month data (Kaggle jasonairroi/airbnb-short-term-rental-data-dubai) joined to DLD median sale prices · Refreshed 2026-08-04 · methodology
Coverage note: the underlying dataset omits several areas (including Dubai Marina, Palm Jumeirah and JBR), so STR yields aren't available for every community — absence here means no data, not no short-term-rental market.
Off-plan risk
24/100
Low Risk
Headline risk for International City Phase 1. Buyer Pro explains the five supply, developer, pricing, liquidity, and momentum drivers.
Explain International City Phase 1's off-plan risk score
See the five scored drivers covering supply concentration, developer delivery, price premium, exit liquidity, and momentum.
Composite of leverage trend, transaction velocity, asking-vs-realized wedge, market-temperature proxy, and off-plan share. Exact scores require at least 4 of 5 inputs; lower coverage is shown as a tier only. Higher = more vulnerable to a downturn. Not a buy/sell signal — context only.
Mapped greenery
Moderate mapped greeneryCounts OpenStreetMap-tagged green features (parks, gardens, woods, grass and pitches) within a 1.8km straight-line search radius of the community centroid. The tier is relative to other Dubai communities and does not claim walkability or shade. Satellite vegetation is the ESA WorldCover 2021 share at 10m resolution when available.
Flood exposure
Flooding reported (2024)April 2024: Low-lying areas flooded; standing water reported.
A conservative, news-derived read of communities reported flooded in the April 2024 event — indicative only, not an engineering, drainage or insurance assessment. Elevation is shown as context, not used to score risk (Dubai is flat; drainage drives flooding). Communities without a rating were simply not reported — that is not evidence of safety. Methodology
Time machine
historical median PSFPick a date and click "Look up" to see this community's median PSF and transaction counts on that day. Data starts from when our weekly DLD pipeline began persisting snapshots.
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Frequently asked questions about International City Phase 1
What is the average property price in International City Phase 1?
The median property price in International City Phase 1 is AED 440,000, with a median price per square foot of AED 671. Prices have changed +10.8% year-over-year as of July 2026.
What types of properties are available in International City Phase 1?
International City Phase 1 is primarily an apartment community with approximately 95% apartments and 4% villas. The most common property types include Flat (9,156), Shop (1,296), Office (154).
How is the real estate market performing in International City Phase 1?
International City Phase 1 has seen 7,440 property transactions over the past 5 years. The current year-over-year price change is +10.8%, with 1,339 transactions in the last 12 months. This data is sourced from the Dubai Land Department (DLD).
Numbers above are derived from Dubai Land Department (DLD) transaction records and Ejari rental contracts as of July 2026.How we built this.