City of Arabia: the area, the buildings and what homes sell for

What is City of Arabia

City of Arabia is a large mixed-use project in Dubailand, on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road (E311), from the Ilyas and Mustafa Galadari Group (IMG), and only some parts of it are built.

Wikipedia says the Ilyas and Mustafa Galadari Group (IMG) owns and develops the City of Arabia site. Wikipedia also says SM Syed Khalil leads the project. He is also an executive director of IMG.

Arabian Business says Ilyas AW Galadari is chairman of City of Arabia. It says his brother, Mustafa AW Galadari, is vice chairman and managing director. Arabian Business also says the Galadari family business history starts in the 1940s.

The plan was a retail, residential, commercial and entertainment destination. Wikipedia says the developer worked in close liaison with the Dubai Tourism Development Company. That company was part of Dubai Holding.

Wikipedia describes the site as the gateway to Dubailand. Arabian Business describes it as the heart of Dubailand, and as its main residential and retail centre.

Wikipedia says only some parts of the project are under construction or complete. Some large parts are on hold. The sections below give the status of each part.

Size

Arabian Business gives the size of the development as 20 million square feet. The National reported that the project director gave the land to develop as 1.85 million square metres.

20 million square feet is about 1.86 square kilometres. The two figures agree. We calculated this conversion ourselves.

The architects for the masterplan, P&T Group, give a different measure. Their project sheet gives a gross floor area (GFA) of 568,269 square metres. GFA measures floor space in buildings, not land. Thus this figure does not compare directly with the land figures.

The current boundary may be larger. Gulf News reported on 23 April 2025 that Azizi Developments "buys more land" for its Azizi Milan project. Gulf News also reported 40 million square feet of GFA for Azizi Milan. That is double the 20 million square feet for the original City of Arabia. We could not confirm the current official boundary of City of Arabia.

The main parts

Wikipedia lists four key elements. Khaleej Times listed four elements in about 2009. The two lists are almost the same. The theme park element has a different name in each list.

• Mall of Arabia: A planned shopping mall. Wikipedia says it is on hold. The National reported it as planned to be Dubai's biggest mall.
• IMG Worlds of Adventure: An indoor theme park. Wikipedia says it is on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road within City of Arabia. IMG Worlds gives its address as Wadi Al Safa 4, City of Arabia.
• Restless Planet: Khaleej Times described it in about 2009 as a US$300 million theme park, earth science museum and planetarium. Wikipedia says it was a Mesozoic-themed park, planned as of 2005. The current Wikipedia list does not include Restless Planet. It includes IMG Worlds of Adventure instead.
• Wadi Walk: A low-rise residential area. GlobalData says the plan was 1,600 units, from one to four bedrooms, plus duplex and triplex apartments. Khaleej Times said it had a Venice theme.
• Elite Towers: A cluster of 34 commercial and residential towers. Wikipedia says the status is "on hold". Wikipedia also says Wadi Tower in the cluster is complete.
• Azizi Milan: A new project by Azizi Developments. Gulf News reported its launch on 23 April 2025. Gulf News described the area as one that "used to be known as" City of Arabia.

Sub-areas

We could not confirm an official list of sub-communities for City of Arabia. We did not find a count of sub-areas in a government or developer source.

The names above (Mall of Arabia, IMG Worlds, Wadi Walk, Elite Towers and Azizi Milan) are the parts that news reports and the developers use.

The Dubai Data and Statistics Establishment uses its own community names. Its Population Bulletin for 2024 lists "646 Wadi Al Safa 4" as a community. IMG Worlds gives Wadi Al Safa 4 as its address. We could not confirm that all of City of Arabia is inside Wadi Al Safa 4.

Freehold status

Azizi Developments says Azizi Milan is freehold for all nationalities.

We could not confirm freehold status for all of City of Arabia from the Dubai Land Department (DLD) or another official source. Buyers should check the status of each plot with the DLD.

Ghaf Woods and other projects

Some broker pages place Majid Al Futtaim (MAF) projects, such as Ghaf Woods, inside City of Arabia. We found no MAF or IMG source that supports this. Every non-broker source we read names IMG as the developer of City of Arabia. In this guide, we treat Ghaf Woods as a separate project. We could not confirm where Ghaf Woods is relative to City of Arabia.

Sources: Wikipedia, City of Arabia, accessed 12 Oct 2026; Arabian Business, Rich List – The Galadari Family, n.d.; The National, Dinosaurs and more at Dubai's biggest mall, n.d. (c. 2007–08); P&T Group, City of Arabia, Dubai, n.d.; Khaleej Times, $5 billion City of Arabia Fast Taking Shape, c. 2009; Wikipedia, Elite Towers, accessed 12 Oct 2026; GlobalData, IMG – City of Arabia – Dubai, 2 May 2018; IMG Worlds of Adventure, About Us, n.d.; Dubai Data & Statistics Establishment, Population Bulletin Emirate of Dubai 2024; Gulf News, Dubai's Azizi buys more land in Dubai – launches Dh75b 'fashion-focused Milan', 23 Apr 2025; Azizi Developments, Azizi Milan City of Arabia, n.d.

Where you can live in City of Arabia: the residential projects

Homes in City of Arabia are in 3 residential areas: Other buildings, Arancia Yards By Beyond, Arancia Yards 2 By Beyond.

Map of the City of Arabia projects

Other buildings

11 residential buildings: 11 apartments. 4 completed, 7 off-plan. 1,540 sales in 12 months. Main developers: Azizi Developments, Mag Property Development, Sky One Real Estate.

Arancia Yards By Beyond

4 residential buildings: 4 apartments. 1 completed, 3 off-plan. 248 sales in 12 months.

Arancia Yards 2 By Beyond

4 residential buildings: 4 apartments. 0 completed, 3 off-plan. 209 sales in 12 months.

Source: Dubai Land Department sale records and our building list, 15 October 2026. A project is a group of buildings with one name; a building with no group is listed on its own. Per sq ft is the median of apartment sales in 12 months.

City of Arabia property prices and sales

Apartments in City of Arabia sold for a median of AED 1,701 per sq ft in the 12 months to 10 October 2026, across 2,990 apartment sales.

Where City of Arabia ranks in Dubai

Rank among 66 Dubai communities with 300 or more sales in 12 months. See what the sales records say.

City of Arabia apartment price per sq ft, by quarter

The median price of an apartment sold in City of Arabia was AED 1,714 per sq ft in 2026 Q3. The highest quarter in the last three years was 2026 Q3, at AED 1,714. A median moves when the mix of homes sold changes.

What the sale records show now

• Sales rose. City of Arabia had 2,549 sales in the last 6 months, against 340 in the same months a year before (+650%).
• New buildings keep launching. 7 buildings had their first sale in the last 12 months, with 830 sales between them.
• Most sales are off-plan. 99% of sales in 12 months were of homes not yet finished.
• Rental yield. Asking rents against sold prices give a gross yield of 9.0%.
• One developer leads the sales. 77% of sales in 12 months were in buildings with the Azizi name.

City of Arabia price per sq ft by district

The 10 City of Arabia buildings with the most sales in 12 months

Source: Dubai Land Department sale records and project register, as built into BUY DUBAI on 15 October 2026. Price per sq ft is a median of apartment sales. Yield is asking rent against sold price. Dates are registration dates.

Where is City of Arabia in Dubai

City of Arabia is in the Dubailand area, next to Global Village, on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road (E311), the road that was previously called Emirates Road.

DubaiFAQs says City of Arabia is next to the Global Village area. It says the site is along Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road (E311). The old name of this road was Emirates Road.

Wikipedia says IMG Worlds of Adventure is on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road within City of Arabia. A ticket seller for IMG Worlds says the park is next to Global Village.

Map position

We give three map points from three sources. They show the position of the main parts of City of Arabia.

• IMG Worlds of Adventure: The Emiratica directory gives the coordinates 25.0821, 55.31807.
• Elite Towers: Wikipedia gives the coordinates 25°05′08.58″N 55°19′34.63″E.
• Mall of Arabia site: Wikipedia gives the planned site as 25°4′45″N 55°19′3″E.

Mapcarta puts the City of Arabia map label about 1 kilometre north-east of IMG Worlds. Wikipedia's Elite Towers coordinates are also north-east of the IMG Worlds coordinates.

Official area name

IMG Worlds of Adventure gives its address as Wadi Al Safa 4, City of Arabia. The Dubai Data and Statistics Establishment lists "646 Wadi Al Safa 4" as its own community in the Population Bulletin for 2024.

Thus the official community name for at least part of City of Arabia is Wadi Al Safa 4. We could not confirm that every part of City of Arabia uses this name.

Neighbours

We could confirm only a small number of neighbours from news, government and developer sources.

• Global Village: DubaiFAQs and an IMG Worlds ticket seller say City of Arabia and IMG Worlds are next to Global Village.
• Dunecrest American School area: SchoolsCompared says the turn-off for Dunecrest American School is opposite IMG Worlds. It says the turn-off is on the Abu Dhabi-bound side of E311.
• Al Barari and Living Legends: Edarabia says Dunecrest American School is near the Al Barari and Living Legends developments, in Wadi Al Safa 3.
• Arabian Ranches: Mapcarta puts Arabian Ranches about 5 kilometres south-west of IMG Worlds. Wikipedia says Arabian Ranches is in Wadi Al Safa 6, along E311 and near Global Village. Wikipedia says Emaar launched it in 2004.

Other names often appear in descriptions of the area. These include The Villa, Majan, Dubai Land Residence Complex (DLRC), and Wadi Al Safa 5, 6 and 7. We could not confirm from a non-broker source that each of these places is next to City of Arabia.

Dubailand

Wikipedia says Dubailand was planned as an entertainment complex. It says Tatweer, a Dubai Holding company, owned the plan. Wikipedia also says "Dubailand" is now the name of an entertainment district. Some of the planned projects opened there.

Wikipedia says City of Arabia was planned at the gateway to Dubailand. The developer worked with the Dubai Tourism Development Company, also part of Dubai Holding.

Distance to other places

We found distance claims for IMG Worlds only. They are not measured from homes in City of Arabia.

• An unofficial IMG information site says IMG Worlds is about 25 kilometres from Dubai city centre.
• An IMG Worlds ticket seller says IMG Worlds is 30 kilometres from Dubai International Airport (DXB).
• The same ticket seller says IMG Worlds is 50 kilometres from Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC).

We could not confirm these distances from an official source such as the RTA.

Sources: DubaiFAQs, City of Arabia (COA), Dubailand, Dubai, n.d.; Wikipedia, IMG Worlds of Adventure, accessed 12 Oct 2026; IMG Worlds Tickets, IMG Worlds plan your visit, n.d.; Emiratica, IMG Worlds of Adventure, n.d.; Wikipedia, Elite Towers, accessed 12 Oct 2026; Wikipedia, Mall of Arabia (Dubai), accessed 12 Oct 2026; Mapcarta, IMG Worlds of Adventure Map, n.d.; IMG Worlds of Adventure, About Us, n.d.; Dubai Data & Statistics Establishment, Population Bulletin Emirate of Dubai 2024; SchoolsCompared, Dunecrest American School: Review, n.d.; Edarabia, Dunecrest American School, n.d.; Wikipedia, Arabian Ranches, accessed 12 Oct 2026; Wikipedia, Dubailand, accessed 12 Oct 2026; imgworldsadventure.com (unofficial), How to Reach IMG Worlds of Adventure, n.d.

City of Arabia roads, traffic, parking and transport

City of Arabia is a car-based area on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road (E311), with no confirmed metro station and seasonal RTA buses to nearby Global Village.

Main road

DubaiFAQs says City of Arabia is along Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road (E311). The old name of this road was Emirates Road. Wikipedia says IMG Worlds of Adventure is on this road.

We could not confirm the E311 exit numbers or junction names that serve City of Arabia. One known landmark is the Dunecrest American School turn-off. SchoolsCompared says this turn-off is opposite IMG Worlds, on the Abu Dhabi-bound side of E311.

Other main roads in the area

Wikipedia describes how the main roads in this part of Dubai connect. These facts come from Wikipedia road pages. They do not give the distance from City of Arabia to each road.

• E44 (Al Khail, Ras Al Khor and Al Aweer road): Wikipedia says E44 intersects E311, E611 and E77 on its Dubai to Al Madam segment.
• E77: Wikipedia says E77 meets E66, D63 (Al Qudra Road), E611, D54 and E311 along its route.
• E66 (Dubai–Al Ain Road): Wikipedia says E66 runs roughly perpendicular to E11 and E311.

We could not confirm which of these junctions is nearest to City of Arabia.

Drive times

We could not confirm measured peak-hour drive times from City of Arabia to Downtown Dubai, Dubai Marina, DXB or DWC.

The only time we found is for IMG Worlds. Emirates' Dubai experiences page shows 25 minutes by taxi to IMG Worlds of Adventure. We could not confirm the start point of this trip.

Distance claims also exist for IMG Worlds:

• An unofficial IMG information site says the park is about 25 kilometres from Dubai city centre.
• A ticket seller says the park is 30 kilometres from Dubai International Airport.
• The same ticket seller says the park is 50 kilometres from Al Maktoum International Airport.

Traffic

We could not confirm traffic data for the City of Arabia section of E311. Global Village and IMG Worlds are both next to the area. They can bring visitor traffic during their seasons. We could not confirm the size of this effect from an RTA source.

Parking

We could not confirm parking rules, paid parking zones or resident permits for City of Arabia.

Metro

There is no metro station in City of Arabia today. We could not confirm any planned station at or next to City of Arabia.

The original plan had rail links. Wikipedia says the plan had a monorail to link residents to a designated Dubai Metro station. P&T Group says the masterplan links the towers with a 10 kilometre canal network and an internal monorail. We could not confirm that work on the monorail started.

Two new metro lines are planned in Dubai:

• Blue Line: Wikipedia says the Blue Line was announced on 24 November 2023. It says the cost is AED 18 billion and that operations are expected by 2029. Wikipedia says the line is 30 kilometres long with 14 stations. Nine stations are elevated and five are underground.
• Blue Line stations: Gulf News lists Creek, Festival City, Creek Harbour, Ras Al Khor, International City, Silicon Oasis and Academic City. There is no City of Arabia station in this list.
• Gold Line: Gulf News lists Al Barsha South, JVT, JVC, Dubai Sports City and Hadeq Mohammed Bin Rashid. Wikipedia says no official station list existed as of April 2026. Wikipedia says press reports describe 18 stations via Al Barsha South, JVT, Production City and Jumeirah Golf Estates.

Sources disagree on the Gold Line route. Gulf News names JVC, Sports City and Hadeq Mohammed Bin Rashid. Wikipedia names Production City and Jumeirah Golf Estates. Neither source names a City of Arabia station.

Wikipedia says the Dubai rail network is 101 kilometres with 64 stations. It says the network will be 131 kilometres with 78 stations when the Blue Line opens.

Azizi Developments says a planned metro line is set to serve the area in the future. Sources disagree here. The Gulf News Blue Line list has no station that matches this claim. We could not confirm the Azizi statement from an RTA source.

One unofficial website, dubaimetrorails.com, shows a Blue Line route from Al Maktoum Airport to Dubai Marina. This conflicts with the RTA-based reports above. We do not use that website as a source for routes.

Buses

RTA runs bus routes to Global Village, which is next to City of Arabia. Khaleej Times reported that RTA ran four Global Village routes for the 2023–24 season. The fare was Dh10 per trip.

• Route 102: From Rashidiya, according to Khaleej Times.
• Route 103: From Al Ittihad, according to Khaleej Times (2023). Gulf News (2022) gave the start as Union bus station. Sources disagree on the name.
• Route 104: From Al Ghubaiba, according to Khaleej Times.
• Route 106: From Mall of the Emirates, according to Khaleej Times.

Edarabia's bus guide for 2026 also lists routes 102, 103 (from Union), 104 and 106 for Global Village. It also lists Route 105, from Mall of the Emirates to Miracle Garden. Edarabia says these routes run during attraction seasons only.

An unofficial IMG information site says an F55 bus runs from 6am to 10pm every 30 minutes. We could not confirm this route from an RTA source.

We could not confirm a year-round RTA bus route with a stop inside City of Arabia.

Sources: DubaiFAQs, City of Arabia (COA), Dubailand, Dubai, n.d.; Wikipedia, IMG Worlds of Adventure, accessed 12 Oct 2026; SchoolsCompared, Dunecrest American School: Review, n.d.; Wikipedia, E 44 road (UAE), accessed 12 Oct 2026; Wikipedia, E 77 road (UAE), accessed 12 Oct 2026; Wikipedia, E 66 road (UAE), accessed 12 Oct 2026; Emirates, IMG Worlds of Adventure, n.d.; imgworldsadventure.com (unofficial), How to Reach IMG Worlds of Adventure, n.d.; IMG Worlds Tickets, IMG Worlds plan your visit, n.d.; Wikipedia, City of Arabia, accessed 12 Oct 2026; P&T Group, City of Arabia, Dubai, n.d.; Wikipedia, Gold Line (Dubai Metro), accessed 12 Oct 2026; Wikipedia, Dubai Metro, accessed 12 Oct 2026; Wikipedia, Blue Line (Dubai Metro), accessed 12 Oct 2026; Gulf News, Dubai Metro Blue Line and Gold Line: Routes and station locations, explained, 2026; Azizi Developments, Azizi Milan City of Arabia, n.d.; dubaimetrorails.com (unofficial), Dubai Metro Blue Line, n.d.; Khaleej Times, Reach Dubai's Global Village for Dh10 as RTA announces 4 bus routes, 2023; Gulf News, RTA resumes bus routes to the Global Village, 2022; Edarabia, RTA Bus Routes in Dubai, 2026

Living in City of Arabia

City of Arabia today has a large indoor theme park and a small number of completed homes, while its planned mall and most of its towers are on hold.

What is built

Our sources confirm a small number of completed parts.

• IMG Worlds of Adventure: An indoor theme park. Wikipedia says it is within City of Arabia, on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road.
• Wadi Tower: A residential tower behind Wadi Walk. DMS Projects gives its status as "Completed". Wikipedia gives its height as 120 metres, with 36 floors.

We could not confirm how many of the 1,600 planned Wadi Walk homes are complete and occupied.

What is on hold

• Mall of Arabia: Wikipedia says the mall is on hold.
• Elite Towers: Wikipedia says the 34-tower cluster is on hold. It lists G-Tower and Metro Tower as on hold.
• I&M Tower: Wikipedia says this 290-metre tower was not built as of November 2015.

Shops and restaurants

GlobalData says the plan for Wadi Walk put retail on the ground floors. The plan included cafes, restaurants and convenience stores. We could not confirm which of these shops are open today.

The National reported that Wadi Walk was planned as a 10 kilometre canal system. It said shops, offices and apartments would surround the canals. We could not confirm that any canal is built.

We could not confirm a supermarket or grocery store inside City of Arabia from a news, government or developer source.

Malls

Mall of Arabia was the planned main mall. Wikipedia says it is on hold. The National reported it as planned to be Dubai's biggest mall. The report described dinosaurs as part of the plan.

We could not confirm the nearest open mall to City of Arabia from a non-broker source.

Leisure and attractions

Two large attractions are in or next to the area:

• IMG Worlds of Adventure: Inside City of Arabia, according to Wikipedia and IMG Worlds.
• Global Village: Next to City of Arabia, according to DubaiFAQs. RTA runs seasonal buses to it, according to Khaleej Times and Edarabia.

Edarabia also lists an RTA route from Mall of the Emirates to Miracle Garden. Miracle Garden is a separate attraction. We could not confirm its distance from City of Arabia.

Clinics and hospitals

We could not confirm a clinic, pharmacy or hospital inside City of Arabia from a news, government or developer source.

Parks

We could not confirm a public park inside City of Arabia from Dubai Municipality or another official source.

Mosques

We could not confirm a mosque inside City of Arabia from an official source.

Planned services in Azizi Milan

Azizi Developments describes Azizi Milan as a very large masterplan. It says it will release the project in phases. It says the project will house tens of thousands of units and residents. We could not confirm the list of shops, clinics, parks or mosques planned for Azizi Milan from our sources.

What this means for residents

Our sources show that the original plan had many services. These included a mall, canal-side shops, hotels and a monorail. Most of these services are not open, or we could not confirm them. Residents should check the services near a specific building before they move.

Sources: Wikipedia, IMG Worlds of Adventure, accessed 12 Oct 2026; DMS Projects, I&M Galadari – Dubailand – City of Arabia – Wadi Tower, n.d.; Wikipedia, Elite Towers, accessed 12 Oct 2026; Wikipedia, City of Arabia, accessed 12 Oct 2026; GlobalData, IMG – City of Arabia – Dubai, 2 May 2018; The National, Dinosaurs and more at Dubai's biggest mall, n.d. (c. 2007–08); DubaiFAQs, City of Arabia (COA), Dubailand, Dubai, n.d.; Khaleej Times, Reach Dubai's Global Village for Dh10 as RTA announces 4 bus routes, 2023; Edarabia, RTA Bus Routes in Dubai, 2026; IMG Worlds of Adventure, About Us, n.d.; Azizi Developments, Azizi Milan City of Arabia, n.d.

Schools in and near City of Arabia

We could not confirm a school inside City of Arabia, and the nearest school in our sources is Dunecrest American School, whose turn-off is opposite IMG Worlds on E311.

Schools inside City of Arabia

We could not confirm a school inside City of Arabia from the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) or another official source.

The original plans in our sources do not list a school. These plans include the Wikipedia list, the Khaleej Times list of about 2009 and the GlobalData report of 2018. We could not confirm whether Azizi Milan will include a school.

Dunecrest American School

Dunecrest American School is the nearest school that our sources link to City of Arabia.

• SchoolsCompared says the turn-off for the school is opposite IMG Worlds.
• SchoolsCompared says the turn-off is on E311, on the Abu Dhabi-bound side.
• Edarabia says the school is near the Al Barari and Living Legends developments.
• Edarabia says the school is in Wadi Al Safa 3.

The name of the school shows that it follows an American curriculum. We could not confirm its current KHDA rating from the KHDA. Parents should check the rating on the KHDA website before they apply.

Crossing E311

SchoolsCompared puts the Dunecrest turn-off on the opposite side of E311 from IMG Worlds. Thus a trip from City of Arabia to Dunecrest crosses E311. We could not confirm the drive time or the route for this trip.

Other schools

We could not confirm other KHDA-rated schools near City of Arabia from our sources. Arabian Ranches is about 5 kilometres south-west of IMG Worlds, according to Mapcarta. We could not confirm the schools in Arabian Ranches from our sources.

How to check

The KHDA publishes inspection ratings for private schools in Dubai. Parents can search the KHDA list by area. The official area name for at least part of City of Arabia is Wadi Al Safa 4, according to IMG Worlds and the Dubai Data and Statistics Establishment.

Sources: SchoolsCompared, Dunecrest American School: Review, n.d.; Edarabia, Dunecrest American School, n.d.; Wikipedia, City of Arabia, accessed 12 Oct 2026; Khaleej Times, $5 billion City of Arabia Fast Taking Shape, c. 2009; GlobalData, IMG – City of Arabia – Dubai, 2 May 2018; Mapcarta, IMG Worlds of Adventure Map, n.d.; IMG Worlds of Adventure, About Us, n.d.; Dubai Data & Statistics Establishment, Population Bulletin Emirate of Dubai 2024

Who lives in City of Arabia

We could not confirm the current population of City of Arabia, and the original plan was for about 32,800 to 35,000 residents.

The planned population

Sources disagree on the planned number of residents.

• Wikipedia says City of Arabia would have 8,200 residential components and 32,800 residents.
• Albawaba reported in about 2006 that completed City of Arabia would house around 35,000 people.

Wikipedia also says the project would have a catchment of 1.87 million people. A catchment is the number of people in the area that a centre serves. It is not the number of residents.

The current population

The Dubai Data and Statistics Establishment lists "646 Wadi Al Safa 4" as a community in its Population Bulletin for 2024. IMG Worlds of Adventure gives its address as Wadi Al Safa 4, City of Arabia.

We could not confirm the population figure for Wadi Al Safa 4 from our notes. We also could not confirm that Wadi Al Safa 4 and City of Arabia have the same boundary.

Homes that exist today

Our sources confirm few completed homes.

• Wadi Tower: DMS Projects says this residential tower is complete. Wikipedia gives it 36 floors.
• Wadi Walk: GlobalData says the plan was 1,600 low-rise units. We could not confirm how many are complete.

Most of the 34 Elite Towers are on hold, according to Wikipedia. Thus the number of residents today is likely much lower than the planned 32,800. We could not confirm the actual number.

Home types

GlobalData says Wadi Walk was planned with one to four bedroom apartments. It also planned duplex and triplex apartments. Wikipedia says Elite Towers would have 30 to 60 floors per tower. Wikipedia describes the towers as commercial and residential.

Our sources do not describe villas in City of Arabia. We could not confirm whether villas exist in the area.

Future residents

Azizi Developments says Azizi Milan will house tens of thousands of units and residents. It says it will release the project in phases. If the project is complete, the number of residents in the area can increase by a large amount. We could not confirm a target population or a completion date for Azizi Milan.

Who the residents are

We could not confirm data on the nationality, age or household size of City of Arabia residents. We could not confirm the share of owners and tenants.

Sources: Wikipedia, City of Arabia, accessed 12 Oct 2026; Albawaba, Mall of Arabia contracts to be awarded soon, n.d. (c. 2006); Dubai Data & Statistics Establishment, Population Bulletin Emirate of Dubai 2024; IMG Worlds of Adventure, About Us, n.d.; DMS Projects, I&M Galadari – Dubailand – City of Arabia – Wadi Tower, n.d.; Wikipedia, Elite Towers, accessed 12 Oct 2026; GlobalData, IMG – City of Arabia – Dubai, 2 May 2018; Azizi Developments, Azizi Milan City of Arabia, n.d.

City of Arabia service charges and running costs

We could not confirm service charge rates or the cooling provider for City of Arabia buildings from the RERA service charge index or another official source.

Service charges

Owners in Dubai pay service charges for the common areas of their building or community. The Real Estate Regulatory Agency (RERA), part of the Dubai Land Department (DLD), approves these charges and publishes them in its service charge index.

We could not confirm the RERA rates for any building in City of Arabia. This includes Wadi Tower and the Wadi Walk buildings. Owners and buyers should check the RERA index for the exact building name.

Master community charges

City of Arabia has more than one developer. IMG owns and develops the original site, according to Wikipedia. Azizi Developments is building Azizi Milan, according to Gulf News. We could not confirm whether a master community charge applies, or which company sets it.

Cooling

We could not confirm whether City of Arabia buildings use district cooling. We could not confirm the name of a cooling provider. Buyers should ask the building owner or manager how cooling is billed.

Electricity and water

We could not confirm details of electricity and water supply for City of Arabia from our sources.

Projects on hold

Several parts of City of Arabia are on hold, according to Wikipedia. These include Mall of Arabia and most of Elite Towers. We could not confirm how the status of these projects affects charges for owners in completed buildings.

New projects

Azizi Milan is a new project that Azizi says it will release in phases. We could not confirm the service charge plan for Azizi Milan. New projects in Dubai often have no RERA-approved charge until the building is handed over. We could not confirm the handover date for any Azizi Milan phase.

Sources: Wikipedia, City of Arabia, accessed 12 Oct 2026; Gulf News, Dubai's Azizi buys more land in Dubai – launches Dh75b 'fashion-focused Milan', 23 Apr 2025; Azizi Developments, Azizi Milan City of Arabia, n.d.; Wikipedia, Elite Towers, accessed 12 Oct 2026; DMS Projects, I&M Galadari – Dubailand – City of Arabia – Wadi Tower, n.d.

New projects and what is coming to City of Arabia

The largest new project is Azizi Milan, which Azizi Developments launched in April 2025 on land in the area that "used to be known as" City of Arabia, while the original mall and most towers remain on hold.

Azizi Milan

Gulf News reported on 23 April 2025 that Azizi Developments bought more land and launched Azizi Milan. Gulf News described the location as the area that "used to be known as" City of Arabia. It said the site is near Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road.

• Value: The Gulf News headline gives Dh75 billion. The web address of the same article uses "dh60b". We could not confirm which figure is the current one.
• Size: Gulf News reported 40 million square feet of GFA.
• Theme: The Gulf News headline describes the project as "fashion-focused".
• Phases: Azizi says it will release the masterplan in phases.
• Scale: Azizi says the project will house tens of thousands of units and residents.
• Ownership: Azizi says Azizi Milan is freehold for all nationalities.
• Metro: Azizi says a planned metro line is set to serve the area. We could not confirm this from an RTA source.

Sources disagree on size. Azizi Milan's 40 million square feet of GFA is double the 20 million square feet that Arabian Business gives for the whole original City of Arabia. Gulf News says Azizi bought more land. Thus the area may now be larger than the original plan. Also, GFA and land size measure different things. We could not confirm the current boundary.

We could not confirm a completion date or a handover date for any phase of Azizi Milan.

Parts of the original plan that are on hold

• Mall of Arabia: Wikipedia says it is on hold.
• Elite Towers: Wikipedia says the 34-tower cluster is on hold. Construction started in 2008, according to Wikipedia.
• I&M Tower: Wikipedia says this planned 290-metre tower was not built as of November 2015.
• G-Tower and Metro Tower: Wikipedia lists both as on hold.

We could not confirm any plan from IMG to restart these projects.

Wadi Walk

GlobalData published a report on City of Arabia on 2 May 2018. It described Wadi Walk as 1,600 low-rise units with shops on the ground floors. We could not confirm the current construction status of all Wadi Walk buildings.

Ghaf Woods

Some broker pages place Majid Al Futtaim's Ghaf Woods inside City of Arabia. We found no Majid Al Futtaim or IMG source that supports this. We could not confirm where Ghaf Woods is relative to City of Arabia.

Metro plans

Wikipedia says the Blue Line will open by 2029. Gulf News lists its stations, and none is in City of Arabia. The Gold Line route is not final. Wikipedia says there was no official station list as of April 2026. Neither Gulf News nor Wikipedia names a Gold Line station in City of Arabia.

We could not confirm any rail station for City of Arabia in RTA plans.

Sources: Gulf News, Dubai's Azizi buys more land in Dubai – launches Dh75b 'fashion-focused Milan', 23 Apr 2025; Azizi Developments, Azizi Milan City of Arabia, n.d.; Arabian Business, Rich List – The Galadari Family, n.d.; Wikipedia, City of Arabia, accessed 12 Oct 2026; Wikipedia, Elite Towers, accessed 12 Oct 2026; GlobalData, IMG – City of Arabia – Dubai, 2 May 2018; Wikipedia, Dubai Metro, accessed 12 Oct 2026; Gulf News, Dubai Metro Blue Line and Gold Line: Routes and station locations, explained, 2026; Wikipedia, Gold Line (Dubai Metro), accessed 12 Oct 2026

City of Arabia history

City of Arabia started in the mid-2000s as a Galadari family plan for a mall, theme park, canal homes and 34 towers at the gateway to Dubailand, and only some parts were built.

The developer family

Arabian Business says the Galadari family business history starts in the 1940s. It says the Ilyas and Mustafa Galadari Group is one of the family's main business foundations. Ilyas AW Galadari is chairman of City of Arabia. Mustafa AW Galadari is vice chairman and managing director.

Timeline

• 2004: P&T Group, the architects, give 2004 as the start year on their project sheet.
• 2004: Emaar launched Arabian Ranches, about 5 kilometres south-west of IMG Worlds, according to Wikipedia and Mapcarta.
• 2005: Wikipedia says Restless Planet, a Mesozoic-themed park, was a planned development as of 2005.
• About 2006: Albawaba reported that Mall of Arabia contracts would be awarded soon. It gave the project value as Dh22 billion. It said the completed project would house about 35,000 people.
• About 2007–08: The National reported on plans for Mall of Arabia as Dubai's biggest mall. The project director gave the land as 1.85 million square metres.
• 2008: Wikipedia says construction of Elite Towers started in 2008.
• About 2009: Khaleej Times reported that the "$5 billion City of Arabia" was "fast taking shape". It listed Mall of Arabia, Restless Planet, Wadi Walk and Elite Towers.
• 2010: P&T Group gives 2010 as the completion year on its project sheet. Our other sources show that many parts were not complete by then.
• November 2015: Wikipedia says the 290-metre I&M Tower was not built as of this date.
• 27 October 2016: Universal Studios Dubailand was officially scrapped, according to Wikipedia. This was a separate Dubailand project.
• 2 May 2018: GlobalData published a report on IMG's City of Arabia.
• 23 April 2025: Gulf News reported the launch of Azizi Milan in the area that "used to be known as" City of Arabia.

The original plan

Khaleej Times said Wadi Walk had a Venice theme. It said Restless Planet was modelled on Disneyland. Khaleej Times described Restless Planet as a US$300 million theme park, earth science museum and planetarium.

The National reported that Wadi Walk would be a 10 kilometre canal system. Shops, offices and apartments would surround it. The plan also had 34 towers and a number of hotels.

P&T Group says the masterplan linked the towers with the canal network and an internal monorail. Wikipedia says the monorail would link residents to a designated Dubai Metro station.

Value: sources disagree

Sources disagree on the project value.

• Albawaba reported Dh22 billion in about 2006.
• Khaleej Times reported about US$5 billion in about 2009.
• Wikipedia gives US$20 billion.

DubaiFAQs says the US$5 billion figure (AED 18.4 billion) is from 2009. DubaiFAQs says a US$20 billion figure appeared in 2013. It says it found no original source for the US$20 billion figure. We could not confirm the US$20 billion figure.

From Restless Planet to IMG Worlds

The Khaleej Times list of about 2009 includes Restless Planet. The current Wikipedia list includes IMG Worlds of Adventure in the same place. IMG Worlds is now open in City of Arabia, according to Wikipedia and IMG Worlds. We could not confirm whether IMG Worlds directly replaced Restless Planet. We could not confirm the opening date of IMG Worlds from our sources.

Delays

Wikipedia says only some parts of the project are being built. It lists Mall of Arabia and Elite Towers as on hold. We could not confirm the reasons for the delays from our sources.

Dubailand context

Wikipedia says Dubailand was planned as an entertainment complex owned by Tatweer, part of Dubai Holding. City of Arabia was planned at its gateway. Wikipedia says some Dubailand projects opened and others did not. Universal Studios Dubailand is one project that did not open. It was officially scrapped on 27 October 2016, according to Wikipedia.

Sources: Arabian Business, Rich List – The Galadari Family, n.d.; P&T Group, City of Arabia, Dubai, n.d.; Wikipedia, Arabian Ranches, accessed 12 Oct 2026; Mapcarta, IMG Worlds of Adventure Map, n.d.; Wikipedia, City of Arabia, accessed 12 Oct 2026; Albawaba, Mall of Arabia contracts to be awarded soon, n.d. (c. 2006); The National, Dinosaurs and more at Dubai's biggest mall, n.d. (c. 2007–08); Wikipedia, Elite Towers, accessed 12 Oct 2026; Khaleej Times, $5 billion City of Arabia Fast Taking Shape, c. 2009; Wikipedia, Universal Studios Dubailand, accessed 12 Oct 2026; GlobalData, IMG – City of Arabia – Dubai, 2 May 2018; Gulf News, Dubai's Azizi buys more land in Dubai – launches Dh75b 'fashion-focused Milan', 23 Apr 2025; DubaiFAQs, City of Arabia (COA), Dubailand, Dubai, n.d.; Wikipedia, IMG Worlds of Adventure, accessed 12 Oct 2026; IMG Worlds of Adventure, About Us, n.d.; Wikipedia, Dubailand, accessed 12 Oct 2026

City of Arabia vs Dubailand, Majan, Arjan, Town Square, Dubai Land Residence Complex

City of Arabia is one project inside the wider Dubailand area, and our sources give too little data on Majan, Arjan, Town Square and Dubai Land Residence Complex for a full comparison.

What our sources let us compare

Our research used news, government and developer sources only. These sources describe City of Arabia and Dubailand. They give almost no data on Majan, Arjan, Town Square or Dubai Land Residence Complex (DLRC). Thus we compare only the facts that we could confirm. Where we could not confirm a fact, we say so.

City of Arabia and Dubailand

• Relationship: Wikipedia says City of Arabia was planned at the gateway to Dubailand. Arabian Business calls it the heart of Dubailand.
• Owner of the plan: Wikipedia says Tatweer, part of Dubai Holding, owned the Dubailand plan. IMG owns and develops City of Arabia, according to Wikipedia.
• Link between them: Wikipedia says IMG worked in close liaison with the Dubai Tourism Development Company, part of Dubai Holding.
• Status: Wikipedia says "Dubailand" is now the name of an entertainment district where some planned projects opened. City of Arabia also has some parts open and some on hold.
• Lost projects: Universal Studios Dubailand was officially scrapped on 27 October 2016, according to Wikipedia. In City of Arabia, Mall of Arabia and Elite Towers are on hold, according to Wikipedia.

City of Arabia and Majan

We could not confirm the master developer, size, freehold status or services of Majan from our sources. We could not confirm that Majan is next to City of Arabia.

City of Arabia and Arjan

We could not confirm the master developer, size, freehold status or services of Arjan from our sources. We could not confirm the distance between Arjan and City of Arabia.

City of Arabia and Town Square

We could not confirm the master developer, size, freehold status or services of Town Square from our sources. We could not confirm the distance between Town Square and City of Arabia.

City of Arabia and Dubai Land Residence Complex

We could not confirm the master developer, size, freehold status or services of DLRC from our sources. We could not confirm that DLRC is next to City of Arabia.

Points that apply to City of Arabia

Buyers who compare these areas can check the points below for City of Arabia. We give the source for each point.

• Developer: IMG for the original site (Wikipedia). Azizi Developments for Azizi Milan (Gulf News).
• Freehold: Azizi says Azizi Milan is freehold for all nationalities. We could not confirm freehold for all of City of Arabia from the DLD.
• Metro: No station in City of Arabia in the Gulf News Blue Line or Gold Line lists.
• Buses: Seasonal RTA routes to Global Village, which is next to City of Arabia (Khaleej Times, Edarabia).
• Main attraction: IMG Worlds of Adventure, inside City of Arabia (Wikipedia, IMG Worlds).
• Mall: Mall of Arabia is on hold (Wikipedia).
• Schools: No confirmed school inside the area. Dunecrest American School turn-off is opposite IMG Worlds (SchoolsCompared).
• Completed homes: Wadi Tower is complete (DMS Projects, Wikipedia). Most of Elite Towers is on hold (Wikipedia).

Arabian Ranches

Arabian Ranches is not in the comparison list. It is the only established neighbour community that our sources confirm with a distance. Mapcarta puts it about 5 kilometres south-west of IMG Worlds. Wikipedia says Emaar launched it in 2004 in Wadi Al Safa 6, along E311.

Sources: Wikipedia, City of Arabia, accessed 12 Oct 2026; Arabian Business, Rich List – The Galadari Family, n.d.; Wikipedia, Dubailand, accessed 12 Oct 2026; Wikipedia, Universal Studios Dubailand, accessed 12 Oct 2026; Gulf News, Dubai's Azizi buys more land in Dubai – launches Dh75b 'fashion-focused Milan', 23 Apr 2025; Azizi Developments, Azizi Milan City of Arabia, n.d.; Gulf News, Dubai Metro Blue Line and Gold Line: Routes and station locations, explained, 2026; Khaleej Times, Reach Dubai's Global Village for Dh10 as RTA announces 4 bus routes, 2023; Edarabia, RTA Bus Routes in Dubai, 2026; IMG Worlds of Adventure, About Us, n.d.; SchoolsCompared, Dunecrest American School: Review, n.d.; DMS Projects, I&M Galadari – Dubailand – City of Arabia – Wadi Tower, n.d.; Wikipedia, Elite Towers, accessed 12 Oct 2026; Mapcarta, IMG Worlds of Adventure Map, n.d.; Wikipedia, Arabian Ranches, accessed 12 Oct 2026

Common questions about City of Arabia

The answers below use only the news, government and developer sources in this guide, and they say where we could not confirm a fact.

Sources: Wikipedia, City of Arabia, accessed 12 Oct 2026; Arabian Business, Rich List – The Galadari Family, n.d.; Gulf News, Dubai's Azizi buys more land in Dubai – launches Dh75b 'fashion-focused Milan', 23 Apr 2025; Azizi Developments, Azizi Milan City of Arabia, n.d.; DubaiFAQs, City of Arabia (COA), Dubailand, Dubai, n.d.; IMG Worlds of Adventure, About Us, n.d.; Emiratica, IMG Worlds of Adventure, n.d.; The National, Dinosaurs and more at Dubai's biggest mall, n.d. (c. 2007–08); Gulf News, Dubai Metro Blue Line and Gold Line: Routes and station locations, explained, 2026; Khaleej Times, Reach Dubai's Global Village for Dh10 as RTA announces 4 bus routes, 2023; Edarabia, RTA Bus Routes in Dubai, 2026; Wikipedia, Elite Towers, accessed 12 Oct 2026; GlobalData, IMG – City of Arabia – Dubai, 2 May 2018; Khaleej Times, $5 billion City of Arabia Fast Taking Shape, c. 2009; SchoolsCompared, Dunecrest American School: Review, n.d.; Albawaba, Mall of Arabia contracts to be awarded soon, n.d. (c. 2006); Dubai Data & Statistics Establishment, Population Bulletin Emirate of Dubai 2024