Living in Warsan

History

Warsan, or Al Warsan, is a district on Dubai’s south-eastern edge, between Ras Al Khor, Nad Al Sheba and Al Warqa. It is split into Warsan 1 to 4. Bayut describes it as historically industrial: Warsan 2 has the Al Aweer sewage treatment plant, DEWA offices and the Desert Palm polo club, and Warsan 3 has a pet market, the Dubai Plant Souq and a municipal plant nursery.

Much of Warsan 1 is taken up by Nakheel’s International City, a separate apartment community dating from 2004. Nakheel launched Warsan Village, a gated townhouse community on the edge of International City, in 2013 (Wikipedia). It has 942 townhouses, and Property Finder dates its completion to 2015. Warsan 4, also marketed as International City Phase 2, is where most of the new apartment buildings are going up (Bayut).

What it’s like to live here

For most residents, Warsan means Warsan Village. Its homes are three-bedroom townhouses over two floors, each with a maid’s room, two terraces, a private back garden and parking for two cars (Nakheel). Recorded sales list them at 2,013 sq ft built-up on plots of about 1,660 to 1,690 sq ft (Property Finder). The community is gated, with 24-hour security, a clubhouse with a gym, pool, steam room and sauna, play areas, and landscaped parks and walking paths. Souk Warsan is eight buildings with two floors of shops and townhouses above (Nakheel).

Beyond the village, Warsan is mostly industrial and commercial land, with apartment blocks in Warsan 4 and the Dragon Mart malls on Al Awir Road. Bayut calls Al Warsan Lake the area’s key feature and says Nakheel has made it a bird sanctuary. It is quiet and plain rather than lively: Bayut notes there are few community events because the population is still small.

Who it suits

Families who want a house and garden on a moderate budget, and who will drive. Property Finder says villas to rent here cost less than comparable homes in Al Warqa or Nad Al Sheba. It recorded 445 rental contracts in Warsan Village in the past year, against 46 sales.

Property Finder files Warsan Village under International City. Its separate Al Warsan page rates the rest of the area best for working professionals (67%) and for young professionals and students (50% each), with families at 17%. The largest renter groups there are Indian (28%), Pakistani (12%), Syrian (10%) and Egyptian (9%).

For investors, Property Finder puts Warsan Village’s gross yield at 5.77% (October 2026). Elsewhere in Al Warsan, the most recent recorded sales were mainly land plots and off-plan studios.

Getting around

There is no Metro station yet. Centrepoint on the Red Line is 11 to 14 minutes away by car (Bayut), and RTA buses link the area to it. From Warsan Village, the nearest stops Bayut lists are in International City’s Greece cluster, about a 15-minute walk. The Blue Line, due to open in September 2029, will run through neighbouring International City with three stations, and International City 1 will be the interchange between its two branches (Dubai Media Office).

Warsan sits by Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road (E311) and Al Awir Road (E44). Nakheel puts Dubai International Airport 18 minutes away and Downtown Dubai 22 minutes, and Bayut also gives 18 minutes to the airport. Dubai Festival City Mall and Mirdif City Centre are each about 15 minutes’ drive (Property Finder). Bayut advises having a car.

Schools, healthcare and shopping

There are few schools in Warsan itself. Bayut lists Chubby Cheeks Nursery in International City about 5 minutes from Warsan Village, and Kings’ School Nad Al Sheba (British curriculum) about 12 minutes away. It also lists schools in neighbouring Al Warqa, including GEMS Our Own English High School and Primus Private School, and Property Finder notes GEMS Al Khaleej International is about 10 minutes’ drive.

The nearest hospital is Fakeeh University Hospital in Dubai Silicon Oasis, about 10 minutes by car (Bayut). Bayut also lists Nadd Al Hamar Health Center about 13 minutes away and several clinics in International City.

For daily shopping, Bayut lists a LuLu Express within walking distance of Warsan Village, Friendly and Arabian supermarkets about 4 minutes’ drive, and Union Coop and The Pavilion about 6 minutes. Dragon Mart 1 and 2, with a Carrefour at Dragon Mart 2, are 11 to 12 minutes away, and City Centre Mirdif and Dubai Festival City Mall about 15 minutes.

Things to check before you rent or buy

• Check the ownership. Warsan 1 is named in Dubai’s freehold regulation (Regulation No. 3 of 2006), Bayut says Warsan 1 and 4 are freehold and the rest is limited to UAE and GCC nationals, and Property Finder lists Warsan Village as freehold. Confirm the title deed with the Dubai Land Department before you pay a deposit.
• Read price per sq ft with care. Property Finder’s Warsan Village average of AED 1,237 per sq ft appears to use the plot size. On the 2,013 sq ft built-up area, a AED 2 million sale is about AED 994 per sq ft.
• Compare like with like. Sales and leases are recorded by block, A to D, so check plot size, position and condition against homes in the same block.
• Visit at different times of day. Warsan 2 has the Al Aweer sewage treatment plant (Bayut), and Wikipedia’s International City article records past complaints of sewage odour in some clusters.
• Ask which Souk Warsan shops are actually open before counting on them.
• Ask for the latest service charge statement before you buy.
• Expect a slower sales market. Property Finder recorded 46 sales in Warsan Village in the past 12 months, 53.5% fewer than a year earlier.
• Plan around a car. The Blue Line is not due until 2029.