Living in Al Twar

History

Al Twar is an established residential district in Deira, on the eastern side of Dubai. It sits between Dubai International Airport to the south and Al Qusais to the north, with Hor Al Anz to the west and Muhaisnah to the east (Bayut, Wikipedia). The sources we checked give no founding date and name no master developer. Most homes are standalone villas on their own plots, and every sale recorded in the past year was registered as land (Property Finder, DLD data).

Dubai Statistics Center divides the district into five communities, Al Twar First to Fifth, covering about 10.8 sq km, with about 51,100 residents in 2022 (via Wikipedia). Property portals often describe only Al Twar 1, 2 and 3, but Al Twar 4 appears often in recent Land Department records. The Dubai Metro Green Line opened on 9 September 2011 with stations on Al Nahda Road serving Al Qusais and Al Twar. Dubai Police General Headquarters is in Al Twar 1.

What it’s like to live here

Most homes are villas with three to seven bedrooms. Bayut gives villa sizes of about 5,000 to 16,000 sq ft, with features such as built-in wardrobes, en-suite bathrooms, gardens, covered parking for one or two cars and, in some homes, a private pool. Recent recorded sales were plots of 4,640 to 22,810 sq ft (Property Finder, August to October 2026). There are also blocks of flats, such as the Nasser Lootah Building blocks in Al Twar 1. In the past 12 months the Land Department registered 480 flat rent contracts and 177 villa rent contracts here (Property Finder).

Property Finder describes peaceful streets and mature landscaping. Each community has a park, and Al Twar Park has shaded seating, walkways and play areas (Bayut). Everyday shopping is local: there is a Union Coop hypermarket, an Emirates Co-operative Society supermarket and Al Twar Centre, a small mall with a tailor, an optician and a restaurant. Al Qusais Pond Park, with a 2 km jogging track, is nearby.

Who it suits

Families, mostly. Property Finder matches the area to families (72%) and retirees (70%), but only 9% to working professionals. Indian renters are the largest group at 57%, followed by Emirati (14%), Pakistani (10%) and Egyptian (3%) renters. It suits households who want a large villa with its own garden, a short drive from the airport and Deira.

Buying is a different matter. Al Twar is not freehold, so only UAE and GCC nationals can buy here. Even for them it is a thin market: Property Finder recorded 50 sales in the 12 months to October 2026, all registered as land, at a median of AED 2.76 million. Property Finder shows no rental yield for the area.

Getting around

Three Green Line Metro stations are close by: Al Qusais, Al Nahda and Al Qiyadah (Bayut). Al Qusais station is about 0.8 km from the middle of Al Twar in a straight line, but about 1.7 km from the middle of Al Twar 3. Bayut puts Al Nahda station about 7 minutes away by car. Bayut also lists bus routes 64, C18, 31, 32C and 33 passing near Al Twar.

Dubai International Airport borders the area to the south, about a 6-minute drive (Bayut). Bayut puts Deira and City Centre Deira about 13 minutes away and Al Mamzar Beach about 20 minutes. Burj Khalifa is about 13 km away in a straight line. Villas have covered parking, and visitors park on the street.

Schools, healthcare and shopping

Property Finder counts 58 schools within 5 km, with an average fee of AED 19,536 a year (KHDA 2026 data). Among the closest are Star International School (British, rated Good, AED 22,000 to 71,000 a year), Al Salam Community School (British, Good, AED 24,000 to 41,000), The Indian Academy (Indian, Good, AED 12,000 to 24,000) and Cambridge International School (British, Good, AED 24,000 to 37,000). Dubai National School Al Twar (American, Good, AED 20,000 to 39,000) is about 2.5 km away. The University of Modern Sciences is in Al Twar, and British Orchard Nursery has a branch here (Bayut).

For healthcare, Bayut points to Thumbay Hospital in Al Qusais and to local clinics. Al Qusais Health Centre is about 1.3 km from the middle of Al Twar (OpenStreetMap). For bigger shopping trips, City Centre Deira is about 13 minutes away (Bayut), and City Centre Mirdif and Dubai Festival City Mall are each about 5 to 6 km away in a straight line.

Things to check before you rent or buy

• Check who can buy. Al Twar is not a freehold area, so only UAE and GCC nationals and companies they fully own can buy here. Foreign residents can rent. Confirm a plot’s status and the title deed with the Dubai Land Department before you pay anything.
• Know what is being sold. Every sale recorded in the past 12 months was registered as land, so check the plot size, the built-up area and that any extensions or extra rooms are approved.
• Read prices with care. With about 50 sales a year, a few large deals move the average: five sales in April 2026 averaged AED 14.19 million, against a median of AED 2.76 million for the year (Property Finder).
• Compare sub-communities. Property Finder’s villa listings over the past 12 months averaged AED 148,136 a year in Al Twar 1, AED 208,750 in Al Twar 3, AED 218,471 in Al Twar 4 and AED 222,222 in Al Twar 2. These are asking rents.
• Compare new leases with renewals. New villa leases averaged AED 197,316 in the past 12 months, but renewals AED 145,930 (Property Finder, DLD data).
• Listen for aircraft. Dubai International Airport borders the district to the south, so visit at the times you would be at home.