Living in Al Rashidiya

History

Al Rashidiya is one of Dubai’s older residential districts. It sits on the Deira side of the city, just south-east of Dubai International Airport, with Mirdif to the east. Arabic Wikipedia says it is named after Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum. Its streets are laid out on a grid and numbered rather than named.

Bayut describes it as one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Dubai, and Al Eman Private School here was founded in 1973. Rashidiya station opened with the Dubai Metro on 9 September 2009 and was renamed Centrepoint in 2021 (Wikipedia). The area covers 4.41 sq km and had 38,408 residents in 2022, according to Dubai Statistics Center figures cited by Wikipedia.

What it’s like to live here

This is a neighbourhood of villas. Bayut says homes are mostly villas on plots of about 3,500 to more than 10,000 sq ft, typically with a separate dining room, staff quarters, a private garden and parking for at least two cars. Flats are rare. Property Finder recorded 643 villa lets and 394 apartment lets in the past 12 months, and 347 of the apartment lets were in one low-rise complex, Al Fareej Courtyard (checked October 2026).

Life is local and low-key, with small grocers, cafeterias and mosques along the numbered streets and the Rashidiya Grand Mosque in the north of the area. Al Rashidiya Park has benches and gazebos and is popular for barbecues (Bayut). There are smaller numbered parks, and Nad Shamma Park is on the southern edge. Al Rashidiya Library has a children’s section and a reading room. The drawback Bayut names is aircraft noise from the airport next door.

Who it suits

Families above all. Property Finder matches the area to retirees (98%) and families (96%), but only 25% to young professionals. Indian renters are the largest group at 34%, followed by Emiratis (19%) and Pakistanis (15%), and Bayut describes a mix of Emirati and expatriate families. It suits people who want a large villa with a garden and staff quarters, close to the airport and to the start of the Metro Red Line.

For most expatriates it is a place to rent, not buy. Al Rashidiya is not a freehold area, so only UAE and GCC nationals can buy here. All 48 sales Property Finder recorded in the past 12 months were land plots, while it recorded 1,037 rental contracts over the same period (checked October 2026).

Getting around

Centrepoint Metro station, on the area’s northern edge, is the eastern end of the Red Line. An RTA flyer cited by Wikipedia lists a park and ride car park there. Al Rashidiya Bus Station is next to the Metro, and Bayut says RTA feeder buses link the area with Mirdif, Muhaisnah and Dubai Silicon Oasis. The RTA’s Blue Line will add a branch from Centrepoint through Mirdif and Al Warqa to International City, due for completion in 2029.

The main roads are Airport Road (D89), Nad Al Hamar Road (D62) and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road (E311). Bayut puts the nearest highway about 5 minutes away, City Centre Mirdif about 10 minutes, Sheikh Zayed Road about 14 minutes and the beaches 20 to 30 minutes by car. Dubai International Airport is about 4 km away in a straight line.

Schools, healthcare and shopping

Property Finder counts 43 schools within 5 km, with average fees of AED 29,663 a year and British the most common curriculum (KHDA 2026 data). In Al Rashidiya itself, Bayut lists Al Eman Private School (UAE Ministry of Education curriculum, founded 1973), PACE Modern British School and Bright Learners Private School (American, Pre-KG to Grade 6), as well as nurseries and government schools. Check current KHDA ratings and fees before you apply. The Philippine School, still shown here on some maps, moved to Al Muhaisnah 2 in the 2016–17 school year (Wikipedia).

Bayut lists Axon Medica Polyclinic and Al Noor Polyclinic in the area and puts Mediclinic City Hospital about 11 minutes’ drive away. Bin Sougat Centre, next to Centrepoint station, has a Spinneys and a few restaurants, and Bayut also lists Lulu Hypermarket and several local supermarkets. City Centre Mirdif, with VOX Cinemas, is about 2 km away, and Dubai Festival City Mall is about 4 km away.

Things to check before you rent or buy

• Check ownership first. Al Rashidiya is not among the freehold areas in Dubai’s Regulation No. 3 of 2006 or in Bayut’s freehold list (updated October 2026). UAE and GCC nationals can buy; other foreign buyers cannot. Confirm any specific plot with the Dubai Land Department.
• Know what you are buying. Property Finder lists every sale in the past 12 months as land, with no built-up area, so ask for the title deed and plans and have any villa on the plot surveyed.
• Listen for planes. Bayut names aircraft noise as a drawback, so visit at different times of day.
• Check the condition. This is an older area, so look closely at air conditioning, plumbing, roofs and any extensions.
• Compare new and renewal rents. New villa leases in the past 12 months averaged AED 137,079, against AED 116,072 for renewals (Property Finder, October 2026).
• Expect little choice of flats. Most apartment lets are in one complex, Al Fareej Courtyard.
• Check where the Blue Line will run. Its branch from Centrepoint through Mirdif is due for completion in 2029 (RTA).