HAYAT by Dubai South Phase 1

Dubai South's own developer is building these townhouses itself

The masterplan for HAYAT 1, dated 2025 and drawn at 1:5000 scale, numbers plots from A001 to A122 at minimum. These are houses only, not a single apartment in sight. The first phase of HAYAT by Dubai South lines up 3, 4 and 5-bedroom townhouses alongside a handful of semi-detached villas, inside a gated community that sits right next to the Golf District. The project comes from Dubai South Properties, the real estate arm of the public entity that develops the entire area around Al Maktoum International Airport. That detail matters, because almost every neighbouring project is a four to ten-storey building put up by private developers. Handover is set for March 30, 2029, on a freehold basis.

Dubai South Properties: master developer and builder in one

Most Dubai South schemes are designed by third parties that buy land plots from the master developer. Here, the master developer is selling directly. Dubai South Properties has already handed over The Pulse, a mix of apartments and townhouses that actually appears on the location map in the brochure. So buyers are dealing with the same entity that controls the roads, the utility networks and the phasing of the entire district. That doesn't guarantee the timeline, but it does lower the risk of a poorly coordinated neighbourhood. The HAYAT masterplan spans 10 million square metres, which suggests several more phases will follow this one.

Eight floor plan variants across 122 plots

The masterplan legend lists eight housing types. There are 3, 4 and 5-bedroom townhouses, each available as an edge unit or a middle unit, plus two 5-bedroom semi-detached models called Type A and Type A1. Sizes are given in square feet and vary plot by plot across three columns: built-up area, plot size and garden. The largest plots run past 5,100 square feet, while the smallest sit around 3,250. Every house comes with a private garden and an open-plan living room, plus a flexible multi-purpose room according to the brochure. For an investor, the choice between an edge unit and a middle unit isn't trivial: corner plots come with more land and an extra facade.

A lagoon, a man-made beach and a shared greenhouse

The amenities list runs long, but three items stand out for a housing district set well inland. A lagoon lined with a man-made beach serves as the focal point, complete with an adults-only pool and a pool deck. A greenhouse is also planned, something rarely seen in Dubai South developments. On the sports side, residents get padel, tennis, basketball, volleyball, table tennis, a CrossFit zone and a yoga space, backed up by jogging tracks and shaded walkways. The brochure also mentions a small neighbourhood retail centre and a walkable shopping boulevard. Homes are advertised with smart home technology and covered parking.

Between Emirates Road and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road

The community has direct access to both of the emirate's major north-south routes. That puts it within a few minutes of Al Maktoum International, the Dubai South Free Zone and the Jebel Ali Free Zone, three job hubs tied to logistics and aviation. Expo City is roughly 15 minutes away by car. Downtown Dubai remains a 40-minute drive, a trip buyers need to factor in honestly. HAYAT isn't chasing professionals who work at DIFC; it's aimed at those whose daily lives revolve around the south, around the airport and the port.

A family target rather than a short-term rental play

Houses of 3 to 5 bedrooms with gardens, inside a compound secured by CCTV, are built first and foremost for expat families. Staff from airlines, logistics groups and the nearby free zones make up the core of this audience. This profile rents on annual leases and looks for space, which sets HAYAT apart from the studios and one-bedroom units that dominate the rest of Dubai South's offering. The 2029 handover lines up with the gradual ramp-up of Al Maktoum Airport. Dubai South Properties' bet is straightforward: once the jobs arrive, families want a house nearby rather than an apartment 40 minutes away.