UAE’s greenest community: Farm your own food, live with the gazelles in this Expo City neighbourhood

Fancy waking up to the sights and sounds of a lake and a wadi, with gazelles roaming around your neighbourhood? This will soon be a reality as the UAE’s greenest community takes shape.

An Expo City Dubai development will be the first in the UAE to feature 60 per cent green areas within a community, a top official has said. Expo Valley — one of two new residential developments at the Expo 2020 Dubai legacy site — will offer a “truly harmonious living experience that integrates nature, space and convenience”.

The first phase of Expo Valley’s Shamsa Townhouses sold out, with the second announced last month.

“From the comfort of their homes, residents will enjoy unobstructed views of lush greenery, including a lake and a wadi, where they can observe wildlife and see gazelles grazing in the neighbourhood. Plus, they will be able enjoy the outdoors, with walking trails and cycle paths to explore their surroundings,” Ahmed Al Khatib, chief development and delivery officer, Expo City Dubai, told Khaleej Times in an interview.

A villa and townhouse community, Expo Valley is developed and designed with a unique topography known as ‘folded earth’ that “creates a natural buffer against noise and dust, lowers the temperature and offers more privacy for residents”.

“This generates a unique microclimate, providing a more comfortable environment and offering opportunities for urban farming and farm-to-table dining,” said Al Khatib.

Mangrove Residences within Expo Central — the other residential development — has a more urban setting. Despite this, it features “stunning landscaped courtyards and semi-private community gardens”.

Mangrove Residences is the first of three clusters of buildings that make up Expo Central, with the other two — Sidr Residences and Sky Residences — “coming soon”.

Construction status, costs

Construction on the residential projects has started, with the first units scheduled to be handed over in January 2026, Al Khatib said.

Shamsa Townhouses come in two variants of three- and four-bed units, with a basement parking for two vehicles. Prices for phase 1 started at Dh3.4 million.

Apartments at Mangrove Residences start at Dh1.2 million and range from one-bed apartments to three-bed townhouses and four-bed loft apartments.

Car-free living

Expo Central is pedestrian-friendly, with its districts car-free to improve safety and air quality. Micro-mobility solutions, including e-bikes and e-scooters, are encouraged, said Al Khatib.

The three residential plots are located within 250 metres of the iconic Al Wasl and within a five-minute walk of all Expo City’s attractions and amenities. It offers easy access to the Dubai Metro, which means “residents can reach Dubai Marina within 20 minutes”.

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