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Dubai Islands: How Rixos, Bay Villas and New Waterfront Projects Are Reshaping Dubai Luxury Living

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Published
11/02/2026

Dubai Islands combines a hotel-led residential project, a villa neighbourhood and apartment towers in one waterfront district. Dubai Islands comprises five islands off the coast of Deira. According to Nakheel, the destination is planned with 20 kilometres of beaches. 

 

A district built in layers

Mint Real Estate treats Dubai Islands as a project-by-project market rather than one uniform investment case. With a large residential pipeline, buyers should compare the developer, construction status, service charges, unit position and future resale competition before choosing a project. Luxury is only one layer of that supply, and the top layer is where the district’s identity is being set.

Rixos: hotel services with residential layouts

The launch statement from Nakheel in July 2023 shows that the first luxury hotel-and-residential project was Rixos Hotel & Residences. It is centred on a 700-metre beach. According to Nakheel, the residential mix includes one- to three-bedroom apartments with shaded terraces, four-bedroom duplexes with private pools, beach houses with private gardens and terraces, and villas with marine views. Shared facilities include residents’ lounges, infinity pools and a spa.

Bay Villas: houses on the shoreline

Bay Villas, announced by Nakheel in February 2024 on Dubai Islands B, takes the opposite approach: a gated, landscaped neighbourhood of houses. Five-bedroom waterfront villas stand on 680 sqm plots along the promenade and four-bedroom garden villas on 600 sqm, while semi-detached homes and townhouses with three or four bedrooms fill out the plan. The design draws on Emirati architectural elements, with warm, desert-inspired colours and plenty of natural light. A central park, a linear park leading to the water, pool houses, retail and a mosque complete the community.

 

What draws premium buyers to the water

Three features recur across the project material:

  • Water access built into the masterplan, from the beaches to a promenade and a linear park.
  • Several ways of living in one district: serviced residences, duplexes, villas and townhouses.
  • Delivery by a master developer, with the Rixos brand on the hotel side and Nakheel responsible for the villa community.

Nakheel’s wider plan for the islands also reserves space for green areas, golf, hotels and cultural venues, and it is aligned with the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan. These elements are still planned, so they are best read as intentions until they open.

 

What is still unbuilt

Dubai Islands is still being built out. Nakheel’s wider plan includes open spaces, parks, golf, hospitality and cultural hubs, but many of these elements remain planned rather than operating today. For buyers, part of the investment case therefore depends on future delivery. Construction status, service charges and competing supply should be checked project by project. Mint Elite Real Estate’s Dubai Islands page lists the district’s projects one by one, which makes that comparison easier.

Dubai Islands may develop into a major waterfront district, but much of the destination is still being delivered. The decision should therefore be based on the specific building, construction status and competing supply, not on the masterplan alone.

Daniella Selivanova — Asset Manager, Mint Elite Real Estate

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