Oud Metha: A Dubai residential area with everything around

Oud Metha is considered a treasure chest of some of Dubai's most well-known schools.- Photo by Saman Haziq/Khaleej Times

Home to a number of leisure destinations, hotels, hospitals and schools, Oud Metha community is ensconced between Al Karama neighbourhood and the western shore of the Dubai Creek. This makes it quite centrally located and gives its residents easy access onto the arterial roads such as Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road. Also it is bordered by the localities Umm Hurair 2 and Zaabeel.
A primarily low-rise community that boasts of open spaces, Oud Metha is considered a treasure chest of some of Dubai's most well-known schools such as the top-rated Indian High School (IHS) that was established in 1961 and the first expatriate educational institution of Dubai. Other well-known schools in the area include Dubai GEMS Private School and Al Rashed Al Saleh Private School.
"Name any facility and you will have it around," said Hina Abrar, who has been staying in the area for 15 years. "My children's schools are nearby so I just walk them to school. We have so many social clubs around so I take them for swimming classes at the Iranian Club, also a stone's throw from our house. There is no dearth of restaurants and during weekends, we have lot of options to choose from. The roads have a number of pedestrian crossings, so it's easy to move around in this area on foot. We have mosques, hospitals, shops, restaurants and entertainment centres around. The connectivity with metro, buses, main roads is all so convenient."
Although a small residential locality, this triangle-shaped suburb is dotted with restaurants, cafes, entertainment centres such as Chuck E Cheese and Al Nasr Leisureland, offices, social clubs and also a number of churches.
Fondly talking about the only mall that was in the vicinity, Lamcy Plaza, which was shut down after a fire, Abrar said: "Lamcy was the most popular departmental mall in the area, which was our one-stop shop that had everything from home furnishings to clothes, food items, cinema and a fantastic food court that we would often visit. So we hope it reopens soon."
Sohail Badar, who has been staying in Oud Metha from the last 16 years, said: "I rented a house in this locality as all three of my children were studying at IHS. But we have never thought to move from here even after our children passed out of schools because the place has developed so fast, giving us the best options in terms of entertainment and healthcare facilities as we have Rashid Hospital, American Hospital and Dubai Healthcare City - all in the vicinity. Except for some bottlenecks that happen mostly in the afternoon when schools get off and over the weekends, life is quite good here in Oud Metha."
Also giving a green solace to the Oud Metha residents is the famous Creek Park that borders the community.
Some of the well-known landmarks of the community are Sheikh Rashid Auditorium that is part of IHS; India Club Dubai which was set up in 1964 on a piece of land gifted by the late Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum; Pakistan Association Dubai; Al Nasr Leisureland that first opened in 1979 and offers a number of sports facilities (an ice rink, tennis courts, squash courts, swimming pool and bowling centre). Across the road from the social clubs is the Healthcare City and hotels such as Raffles and the Grand Hyatt.
The locality offers the best facilities that are easily accessible on foot and also is lauded for its reasonably affordable rent and great connectivity.
Must know
1-A treasure chest of schools
Oud Metha is house to some of the most popular schools in Dubai. Indian High School, the first expatriate educational institution of Dubai, was established in 1961. Other well-known schools in the area include Dubai GEMS Private School and Al Rashed Al Saleh Private School.
2-A place of famous landmarks
Some of the well-known landmarks of the community are Sheikh Rashid Auditorium that is part of IHS, India Club Dubai, Pakistan Association Dubai and Al Nasr Leisureland. Across the road from the social clubs is the Healthcare City and hotels such as Raffles and the Grand Hyatt.
3-Traffic connectivity
The neighbourhood has great connectivity to main roads, including Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road. Oud Metha Metro Station is located near Rashid Hospital and there are a number of bus stations around. However, due to the number of schools in the area there are traffic snarls during the peak school hours.
saman@khaleejtimes.com