Dubai Location Scout
Dubai Location Scout: see what surrounds a location and what is coming
Drop a pin anywhere in Dubai, or search an area or a station, and the Scout lists what is around it: the nearest metro and how busy it is, bus and tram stops, schools, the residents of the community, and the new homes due to complete nearby year by year. Every line is a dated fact from an official source. Nothing is scored or ranked.
- Four tools on one map: scout a location, see the catchment growth around it, find the parts of the city that meet your conditions, and compare two or three locations side by side.
- The register shows about 360,000 units due to complete from the rest of 2026 to the end of 2030, read 18 Oct 2026. The Scout places them within 1 km and 2 km of any pin.
- 53 metro stations and 11 tram stops from RTA, named by place rather than by sponsor, with ridership for Sep 2025 to Aug 2026.
- Schools within 2 km by KHDA rating, and about 4.6 million residents across 224 communities, estimated for the end of 2025.
The tools
Dubai Location Scout tools Beta
Dubai Location Scout covers 1,144 blocks of about 0.75 km² each, every part of the city with homes, a bus stop or a station. Pick a tool from the row above the map. Click anywhere on the map to drop a pin, or type an area or a station into the search box. The panel beside the map lists every figure with its source and date, and you can email the results to yourself.
Guide
How to use each tool
Scout a location
Click a point on the map or search an area or a metro or tram station. The pin drops with rings at 1 km and 2 km, and the panel lists what surrounds it: the nearest metro station and the straight-line distance to it, that station’s ridership over 12 months, the nearest tram stop where one is within 3 km, the bus stops within 500 m, the new units due within 1 km and 2 km by year, the units completed in 2021 to 2025, the schools within 2 km by KHDA rating and curriculum, and the estimated residents of the community.
The figures describe the block of about 0.75 km² that holds the pin, measured from its centre, so two pins a few hundred metres apart in the same block read the same.
Catchment growth
Catchment growth answers a developer’s or retailer’s question: how many new homes will be finished near this point, and when. Pick a year from 2026 to 2030 and the panel gives the units scheduled to complete within 2 km by the end of that year, and how many of them are within 1 km. The chart shows each year side by side, or as a running total.
Units whose scheduled date has already passed, in projects still active on the register, are shown separately, because they cannot be tied to a future year. The lights within 2 km of the pin stay bright on the map and the rest dim.
Site finder
Set the conditions a location must meet: how close the metro must be, how many new units must be due within 2 km by a chosen year, how many schools must be within 2 km (or only those KHDA rates Good or better), and the band of residents per km² in the community. Every block that meets all of them lights up in gold, and the panel lists the matching areas from A to Z with the number of their blocks that match.
Select a gold light, or an area in the list, to open that block in Scout a location. Loosen a condition if nothing matches.
Compare locations
Place two or three locations, A, B and C, by choosing a letter and then clicking the map or searching. The panel sets the same facts side by side with paired bars: metro and tram distance, bus stops, station ridership, new units due within 2 km by year, units completed, schools and residents. It suits a shortlist of sites for a shop, an office or a development plot.
Every tool keeps its place in the address bar, so a pin or a comparison can be bookmarked or sent to a colleague.
Layers
What the Location Scout shows
For a business choosing where to open
A shop, clinic, café or office depends on who can reach it and who lives nearby. Start with the metro distance, the station’s ridership and the bus stops within 500 m, then read the estimated residents and the residents per km² for the community. The new units due nearby show how many more households are on the way, and when. Compare two or three candidate sites before you commit to a lease.
For a developer choosing where to build
Catchment growth shows the supply already registered around a plot, by the year it is scheduled to complete, with the units finished in 2021 to 2025 for scale. A plot with a heavy pipeline due in the same year as your own handover will compete for the same buyers and tenants. The Site finder narrows the city to blocks with the transport and schools your scheme needs.
For an investor reading where demand is heading
The handover pipeline marks the locations of future significance: where thousands of homes are due to complete over the next few years, and how close they sit to a metro station and to schools. Read it with the Dubai development map, which shows how far each area is built out, and the Dubai handover pipeline, which lists the completion dates month by month.
On the map
The gold lights are groups of at least 2 registered projects, built and being built, drawn from the same data as the development map, with no single project marked. White dots are metro stations and dark dots tram stops, joined by the metro lines. The dashed rings mark 1 km and 2 km around your pin.
Each layer, its source and its date
| Layer | What it shows | Source | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro | Straight-line distance from the pin’s block to the nearest metro station, under its place name rather than a sponsor’s name. | RTA, via Dubai Data | 22 Sep 2025 |
| Station ridership | Journeys through that station’s gates over 12 months, with the change on the 12 months before. | RTA and Dubai Statistics Center, via Dubai Data | Sep 2025 to Aug 2026 |
| Tram | Straight-line distance to the nearest tram stop, shown only within 3 km. | RTA, via Dubai Data | 22 Sep 2025 |
| Bus stops | Bus stops within 500 m of the block’s centre. | RTA, via Dubai Data | 21 Sep 2025 |
| New units due | Units in registered projects within 1 km and 2 km, by the completion date on file, from the rest of 2026 to after 2030. | Dubai Land Department, Mashrooi project register | Read 18 Oct 2026 |
| Units completed | Units in projects finished with a completion date in 2021 to 2025, within 1 km and 2 km. | Dubai Land Department, Mashrooi project register | Read 18 Oct 2026 |
| Schools | Private schools within 2 km, by KHDA inspection rating and by curriculum. | KHDA, via Dubai Data | 11 Oct 2026 |
| Residents | Estimated population of the Dubai Municipality community holding the pin, and residents per km². | Dubai Statistics Center, via Dubai Data | End of 2025 |
Areas
Location facts by area
The table gives the main facts for the central block of each area with registered projects, under the name the area goes by on this site. Distances are measured from the centre of that block, so a corner of a large area can sit closer to a station or further from one. Drop a pin in the tool above for any other point. Where an area has its own page in the off-plan directory, its name links to the projects registered there.
11 of the 62 areas have a metro station within 1 km of their central block in a straight line.
The most new units due within 2 km of an area’s central block, from the rest of 2026 to the end of 2030, are around Jumeirah Village Circle (about 19,000), Majan (about 19,000) and Bukadra (about 17,000), on the register read 18 Oct 2026.
| Area | Nearest metro | Distance | Bus stops, 500 m | Schools, 2 km | Residents per km² | Units due, 2 km, to 2030 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al Furjan | Discovery Gardens | 1.7 km | 0 | 3 | 4,900 | about 3,800 |
| Al Sufouh | Al Khail | 810 m | 6 | 7 | 1,900 | about 5,900 |
| Al Yelayiss 1 | Jumeirah Golf Estates | 14 km | 3 | 0 | 470 | about 2,400 |
| Arabian Ranches | Mall of the Emirates | 10 km | 1 | 1 | 2,800 | about 3,900 |
| Arjan | Mall of the Emirates | 7.8 km | 6 | 4 | 7,700 | |
| Barsha Heights | Dubai Internet City | 860 m | 9 | 9 | 39,000 | |
| Bukadra | Creek | 4.7 km | 1 | 2 | 140 | about 17,000 |
| Business Bay | Business Bay | 1.9 km | 8 | 3 | 6,200 | about 17,000 |
| City Of Arabia | Umm Al Sheif | 13 km | 0 | 1 | 31 | |
| City Walk | Business Bay | 1.5 km | 6 | 7 | 3,000 | about 7,100 |
| DAMAC Hills | Jumeirah Golf Estates | 8.8 km | 2 | 2 | 3,700 | |
| DAMAC Hills 2 | Jumeirah Golf Estates | 23 km | 1 | 0 | 210 | |
| DAMAC Lagoons | Jumeirah Golf Estates | 7.2 km | 0 | 1 | 2,300 | |
| Downtown Dubai | Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall | 720 m | 0 | 1 | 13,000 | about 16,000 |
| Dubai Creek Harbour | Creek | 2.2 km | 0 | 1 | 2,900 | about 6,700 |
| Dubai Health Care City Phase 1 | Dubai Health Care | 800 m | 1 | 8 | 2,100 | about 4,400 |
| Dubai Hills Estate | Umm Al Sheif | 5.3 km | 1 | 4 | 760 | |
| Dubai Investment Park First | Dubai Investment Park | 2.3 km | 1 | 6 | 4,700 | |
| Dubai Investment Park Second | Jumeirah Golf Estates | 6.8 km | 0 | 0 | 5,100 | about 6,500 |
| Dubai Islands | Gold Souq | 3.1 km | 0 | 0 | 0 | about 8,500 |
| Dubai Land Residence Complex | Creek | 15 km | 0 | 1 | 2,400 | about 7,200 |
| Dubai Marina | Dubai Marina | 1 km | 2 | 0 | 9,200 | |
| Dubai Maritime City | Al Ghubaiba | 1.5 km | 0 | 1 | 570 | about 10,000 |
| Dubai Production City | Jumeirah Golf Estates | 3.7 km | 4 | 1 | 1,700 | about 16,000 |
| Dubai Science Park | Umm Al Sheif | 7.2 km | 0 | 3 | 2,300 | |
| Dubai Silicon Oasis | Creek | 12 km | 0 | 6 | 6,800 | |
| Dubai South Residential District | Expo 2020 | 6.2 km | 0 | 1 | 220 | about 3,700 |
| Dubai Sports City | Jumeirah Golf Estates | 5.7 km | 2 | 3 | 4,300 | |
| Dubai Studio City | Jumeirah Golf Estates | 8.2 km | 0 | 3 | 2,300 | |
| Dubai Water Canal | Business Bay | 2.7 km | 0 | 11 | 4,900 | |
| International City Phase 1 | Al Rashidiya | 7.3 km | 4 | 1 | 16,000 | |
| International City Phase 3 | Al Rashidiya | 9.8 km | 0 | 4 | 6,800 | about 3,200 |
| Jaddaf Waterfront | Creek | 920 m | 0 | 3 | 3,800 | about 5,100 |
| Jebel Ali | Life Pharmacy | 1.3 km | 1 | 0 | ||
| Jumeirah Bay Island | Business Bay | 3.3 km | 0 | 0 | 110 | about 380 |
| Jumeirah Garden City | Emirates Towers | 760 m | 4 | 3 | 18,000 | about 6,200 |
| Jumeirah Lakes Towers | Jumeirah Lakes Towers | 1.6 km | 0 | 2 | 3,500 | |
| Jumeirah Village Circle | Dubai Internet City | 5.8 km | 5 | 1 | 8,100 | about 19,000 |
| Jumeirah Village Triangle | Jumeirah Golf Estates | 3.4 km | 0 | 2 | 6,000 | about 17,000 |
| La Mer | World Trade Centre | 3.1 km | 0 | 0 | 2,600 | about 74 |
| Liwan | Creek | 13 km | 0 | 1 | 1,500 | |
| Majan | Al Safa | 11 km | 0 | 0 | 570 | about 19,000 |
| Meydan One | Business Bay | 4.7 km | 0 | 3 | 3,300 | |
| Meydan Racecourse | Business Bay | 6.8 km | 0 | 2 | 400 | |
| Mirdif | Al Rashidiya | 5.1 km | 2 | 9 | 8,600 | |
| Motor City | Jumeirah Golf Estates | 7.9 km | 3 | 5 | 4,100 | |
| Mudon | Jumeirah Golf Estates | 10 km | 1 | 4 | 2,200 | |
| Palm Jabal Ali | Jebel Ali Industrial | 11 km | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Palm Jumeirah | Al Khail | 3.6 km | 0 | 0 | 1,100 | |
| Ras Al Khor Industrial First | Creek | 4.4 km | 4 | 0 | about 9,800 | |
| Rukan | Umm Al Sheif | 12 km | 0 | 4 | 2,200 | |
| Saih Shuaib 2 | Life Pharmacy | 11 km | 0 | 0 | 830 | about 1,900 |
| Sufouh Gardens | Dubai Internet City | 1.2 km | 0 | 9 | 960 | |
| The Greens | Dubai Internet City | 1.7 km | 2 | 5 | 0 | |
| The World | Al Safa | 11 km | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Town Square | Jumeirah Golf Estates | 13 km | 1 | 0 | 990 | about 2,800 |
| Trade Center First | Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall | 580 m | 2 | 2 | 12,000 | about 9,100 |
| Trade Center Second | Emirates Towers | 220 m | 5 | 1 | 12,000 | about 6,900 |
| Umm Suqeim | Mall of the Emirates | 1.1 km | 6 | 5 | 3,600 | |
| Wasl 1 | Al Jafiliya | 590 m | 2 | 6 | 5,300 | about 3,900 |
| Zaabeel First | World Trade Centre | 620 m | 3 | 1 | 980 | about 6,700 |
| Zaabeel Second | Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall | 3 km | 1 | 2 | 980 | about 3,700 |
Sources: RTA stations 22 Sep 2025 and bus stops 21 Sep 2025; KHDA School Search 11 Oct 2026; Dubai Statistics Center population estimates for the end of 2025; Dubai Land Department project register read 18 Oct 2026. Distances are straight lines. Unit sums are rounded to two significant figures, and a sum is left blank where any year in it rests on fewer than 2 projects.
Limits
How far to rely on each figure
Schools
KHDA’s School Search gives each school’s position to about 1 km, so a school near the edge of the 2 km circle could be inside it or just outside. Use the count as a guide to how well an area is served, and check the KHDA listing for a particular school’s rating, curriculum and fees. The ratings are KHDA’s latest inspection ratings in the same listing.
Distances and the tram
Every distance is a straight line from the centre of the block that holds the pin, rounded to the nearest 10 m. A walking or driving route will be longer, sometimes much longer where a highway or the creek lies between. The tram distance is shown only where the nearest tram stop is within 3 km.
New units due
The units are every unit type the Land Department register credits a project with, so a hotel or an office tower counts alongside apartments and villas. A completion date on file is a filing with the Land Department and can move. Sums are rounded to two significant figures, which is why the Scout says “about”, and a figure resting on fewer than 2 projects is left blank.
Residents and ridership
Population is the Dubai Statistics Center estimate for each Dubai Municipality community at the end of 2025. Residents per km² divide it by the community’s area. Ridership counts journeys through a station’s gates; it is not footfall past a shop.
Method
Sources and dates
Official open data
- Station locations: Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), via Dubai Data (data.dubai), Dubai Open Data Licence.
- Population estimates: Dubai Statistics Center, via Dubai Data, Dubai Open Data Licence.
- Ridership: RTA / Dubai Statistics Center, via Dubai Data.
- Schools: Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), via Dubai Data, Dubai Open Data Licence.
- Community boundaries: Dubai Municipality, via Dubai Data (data.dubai), Dubai Open Data Licence, dated 28 Sep 2026, used to place each block in its community and to work out community areas.
- New units due and completed: Dubai Land Department, Mashrooi project register, read 18 Oct 2026.
How the figures are put together
The city is divided into equal hexagonal blocks of about 0.75 km², the same grid as the Dubai development map. For each block the Scout measures from its centre: the nearest metro station and tram stop, the bus stops within 500 m and the schools within 2 km, and the units in registered projects within 1 km and 2 km. Where a sponsor’s name has replaced a station’s earlier place name, the Scout uses the place name; other stations keep the name RTA publishes.
Figures are counted and rounded by Mitchell's Commercial Real Estate. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors, served as OpenMapTiles by OpenFreeMap.
Questions
Dubai Location Scout questions
What is Dubai Location Scout?
Dubai Location Scout is a free map tool from Mitchell's Commercial Real Estate that shows what surrounds any point in Dubai and what is coming. Drop a pin and it lists the nearest metro station and its ridership, the nearest tram stop within 3 km, the bus stops within 500 m, the schools within 2 km, the estimated residents of the community and the new units due within 1 km and 2 km from the Dubai Land Department project register, read 18 Oct 2026. It also finds the parts of the city that meet conditions you set and compares two or three locations side by side.
Where do the figures in Dubai Location Scout come from?
Every figure comes from an official source published on Dubai Data (data.dubai) or from the Dubai Land Department. Metro and tram stations and bus stops are from the Roads and Transport Authority, stations dated 22 Sep 2025 and bus stops 21 Sep 2025. Station ridership is RTA and Dubai Statistics Center data for Sep 2025 to Aug 2026. Schools are from KHDA's School Search, dated 11 Oct 2026. Residents are Dubai Statistics Center estimates for the end of 2025. New units due are from DLD's Mashrooi project register, read 18 Oct 2026.
How are the new homes due near a location counted?
The Scout adds up the units on the Dubai Land Department project register in projects within 1 km and 2 km of the pin, grouped by the completion date on file: the rest of 2026, each year to 2030, after 2030, and a scheduled date that has passed. Cancelled projects are left out. The register was read 18 Oct 2026. Sums are rounded to two significant figures, and a figure resting on fewer than 2 projects is left blank so no single project can be picked out.
Why does the tram distance not show for some locations?
The Dubai Tram has 11 stops: Marina Towers, Jumeirah Beach Residence 2, Jumeirah Lakes Towers, Al Sufouh, Jumeirah Beach Residence 1, Dubai Marina, Mina Seyahi, Palm Jumeirah, Knowledge Village, Media City and Dubai Marina Mall. Beyond 3,000 m in a straight line, a tram stop is too far away to be a useful fact about a location, so the Scout shows a tram distance only where the nearest stop is within 3 km. The metro distance is always shown.
How exact are the school counts?
The school positions come from KHDA's School Search, dated 11 Oct 2026, which gives each school's location to about 1 km. The Scout counts the schools within 2 km of the pin and groups them by KHDA inspection rating and by curriculum. A school close to the 2 km edge could fall either side of it, so treat the count as a guide to how many schools serve the area.
Is station ridership the same as footfall?
No. Ridership is the number of journeys through a metro or tram station's gates, as published by RTA and Dubai Statistics Center. The Scout shows the total for Sep 2025 to Aug 2026 and the change on Sep 2024 to Aug 2025. It tells you how busy a station is. It does not count people walking past a shop front or entering a building.
Does the Site finder score or rank locations?
No. The Site finder applies the conditions you choose, such as a metro station within 1 km, a number of new units due within 2 km by a chosen year, a number of schools within 2 km and a band of residents per km², and lights up every 0.75 km² block of the city that meets all of them. Matching areas are listed A to Z with the number of their blocks that match. No location is given a score.
Next step
Talk to us about a location
The Scout shows what surrounds a location and what is coming. It does not show which units, shops or plots are available there or what they cost today. Tell us the locations you are weighing up and what you need from them, and we will come back with what is available and the terms we would look at first.
