Al Warsan is a district on the eastern side of Dubai, and most buyers meet it under other names: International City, Warsan Village, Dragon Mart or "Warsan 4" in a new launch brochure. Those names cover very different things. Some are freehold apartment clusters, one is a gated townhouse community, some plots carry only a 99-year right, and large parts of the district are industrial and service land that is not sold to individual foreign buyers at all. This guide sorts the district by what you can actually own, then by what to check before you pay. The official positions below were checked on the Dubai Legislation Portal, the Media Office, the Dubai Land Department and Nakheel on 28 October 2026.
What and where is Al Warsan?
Al Warsan is a numbered district, split into Al Warsan First, Second, Third and Fourth, in the same part of the city as Ras Al Khor, Nad Al Sheba, Mirdif and Dubai Silicon Oasis. Nakheel places International City "just off Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road", which is the corridor most residents use to reach the rest of the city and the northern emirates.
The numbered names matter more than they look. A title deed, a DLD transaction search and a plot lookup all use the official community name, not the marketing name. When a listing says "International City Phase 3" or "Warsan 4", the first job is to find which numbered Al Warsan community and which plot the building stands on, because ownership rules in this district are written plot by plot. Our area page International City & Al Warsan maps the communities.
Which parts of Al Warsan can you actually buy into?
For a typical buyer there are four routes into Al Warsan, and each carries a different title. The original International City clusters by Nakheel are the largest pool of resale apartments. Warsan Village, also by Nakheel, is a gated community of three-bedroom townhouses. Newer apartment buildings by other developers have gone up in Al Warsan First and Al Warsan Fourth, ready and off-plan. Finally, a small number of industrial plots allow a 99-year right rather than ownership.
The rest of the district is service and industrial land: wholesale markets, storage, municipal facilities and public works. Being "in Al Warsan" says nothing about whether a particular unit can be registered in a foreign buyer's name. The plot decides.
Can a foreigner own property in Al Warsan?
Yes, on the plots the government has designated, and only on the terms each designation gives. Regulation No. 3 of 2006, issued on 7 June 2006, lists in Article 3 the 23 areas where non-UAE nationals may own real property in Dubai. The last entry reads "Warsan 1 Plot No. (002)". The regulation names the plot, not a community or a building, so the right test for any unit is whether its plot falls within that designation or a later one.
The second instrument is narrower. Resolution No. 25 of 2021, issued on 12 July 2021, allows non-UAE nationals to acquire usufruct and lease rights "for up to ninety-nine (99) years" on Plot No. 306 and Plot No. 3019 of Al Warsan First. That is not freehold. A 99-year right gives long use and the ability to register it, but the land does not become yours. Our guide Freehold vs Leasehold in Dubai: What Buyers Need to Know explains how the two rights behave on resale, inheritance and mortgage.
UAE and GCC nationals face no such limit and can own throughout Dubai. For everyone else, ask for the title deed or the Oqood, read the property type and the plot number, and confirm the position on Dubai REST before you pay a deposit.
How do the main options in Al Warsan compare?
The table sets the options side by side using only what the developer or the government publishes. Prices, rents and yields are left out on purpose: the only reliable source for them is the registered transaction record for the specific building, which you should pull at the time you buy.
| Option | Developer | What is sold | Ownership to confirm |
|---|---|---|---|
| International City clusters | Nakheel | Apartments in low-rise buildings; over 22,000 residences across 10 country-themed clusters, units from 430 sq ft | Plot number on the title deed against the freehold designation |
| Warsan Village | Nakheel | Gated three-bedroom townhouses with Warsan Clubhouse and Souk Warsan | Title deed type and plot on Dubai REST |
| New buildings in Al Warsan First and Fourth | Various private developers | Ready and off-plan apartments | RERA project number, escrow account and title type |
| Plots 306 and 3019, Al Warsan First | Not applicable | Land and buildings under a long right | Usufruct or lease of up to 99 years, not freehold |
What are you buying in International City?
You are buying an apartment in one of 10 building clusters that Nakheel names after countries: England, the Emirates, Russia, Italy, Spain, France, Persia, Greece, Morocco and China. Nakheel describes more than 22,000 residences, with parks, mosques, recycling stations, a basketball court and the two Dragon Mart malls in the same development.
The buildings are older, low-rise and similar on paper, which is why the decision happens at building level. Management quality, parking pressure, lift reliability, cooling arrangements and the approved service charge vary from one court to the next. Our guide International City Dubai: Cluster, Building and Apartment Buyer Guide walks through the cluster and building checks in detail.
What does Warsan Village offer a family buyer?
Warsan Village is a gated Nakheel community built around a single home type, the three-bedroom townhouse. Nakheel lists two open terraces, a private backyard, a maid's room and private parking for two cars, with the Warsan Clubhouse providing pools, a gym, steam and sauna, and a kids' play area.
Next door, Souk Warsan is a mixed-use strip of 8 buildings, each with 2 retail floors and townhouses above. With one house type, comparison comes down to position, orientation, condition and alterations, all of which Warsan Village Dubai: One House Type, Many Positions covers.
What is being built in Al Warsan First and Al Warsan Fourth?
Both communities now carry private apartment projects, and they are where most new Al Warsan supply comes from. Olivz by Danube is a completed building in Al Warsan First. SAMANA Greenfield is an off-plan building of 310 apartments in Al Warsan 4, next to International City, with handover expected in Q2 2029 according to the developer.
Off-plan rules apply here exactly as anywhere else in Dubai. Confirm the RERA project registration, pay only into the project escrow account named in the sale and purchase agreement, check that the Oqood is registered after signing, and read the completion and delay clauses. Ask which plot the building sits on, because that answers the ownership question before you sign.
How will the Blue Line change access to Al Warsan?
It will give International City its first metro stations. The Media Office describes a 30 km line with 14 stations, valued at AED 20.5 billion, with operations due to start in September 2029. International City 1 will be an underground interchange where the two branches meet, and the route continues to International City 2 and 3.
The two branches run 21 km with 10 stations and 9 km with 4 stations. The Media Office describes International City as "home to Dragon Mart and large residential complexes visited by over 200,000 residents and visitors". Until 2029, access remains by road and bus, so test the commute at the hour you will travel. Station positions are covered in Dubai Metro Blue Line: Route, Stations and Property Impact.
Can you buy a shop, office or warehouse in Al Warsan?
Retail units exist, but the market is thin. The ground-floor shops in International City courts and the retail floors of Souk Warsan sit inside residential schemes, so service charges, permitted use and the building's own rules decide what a business can do there. Check the permitted use on the title deed and ask the Department of Economy and Tourism whether your activity can be licensed at that address before you buy.
For industrial property, Plots 306 and 3019 of Al Warsan First are the only places in the district where the 2021 resolution gives a non-UAE national a registrable right, and that right is usufruct or lease for up to 99 years. Outside designated plots, Law No. 7 of 2006 reserves ownership to UAE and GCC nationals, so other buyers can only lease.
What does it cost to buy here on top of the price?
The Dubai Land Department lists a sale registration fee of 4% of the sales value. The registrar fee is AED 2,100 when the price is below AED 500,000 and AED 4,200 when it is AED 500,000 or more. A mortgage adds a registration fee of 0.25% of the loan, and the title deed fee is AED 250. Add agency commission, the developer's NOC fee on a resale, and any service-charge arrears that must be cleared before transfer.
Which registrar band applies depends on the agreed price, so confirm it on the final figure. Our checklist How Much Does It Cost to Buy Property in Dubai in 2026? Full Fee Checklist lists every line.
What should you verify before paying a deposit?
Five checks settle most Al Warsan purchases, and all of them can be done before money moves.
• The official community name and plot number, read from the title deed or Oqood, not the listing.
• The type of right: freehold, or usufruct or lease for a fixed term, as recorded by the DLD.
• The seller's name, any mortgage and any restriction on the title, checked on Dubai REST.
• The RERA-approved service charge and any arrears, checked through Mollak before the NOC is requested.
• For off-plan, the RERA project number, the escrow account and the registered Oqood.
For the title checks step by step, see How to Verify a Dubai Title Deed Online in 2026: Buyer Checklist. If residency is part of the plan, the UAE golden visa route for real estate investors lists a minimum capital of AED 2 million on u.ae, which rules out most single units in this district unless combined with other holdings; Can Property Investment Qualify You for a UAE Golden Visa? sets out the conditions.
Frequently asked questions
Is Al Warsan the same as International City?
No. International City is a Nakheel development inside the wider Al Warsan district. Al Warsan also contains Warsan Village, newer private buildings, wholesale markets and industrial land, each with its own ownership position.
Is International City freehold for foreigners?
Regulation No. 3 of 2006 designates Warsan 1 Plot No. (002) for ownership by non-UAE nationals. Confirm that the specific unit's plot falls within a designation by reading the title deed and checking it on Dubai REST.
What does Warsan 4 mean in a listing?
It refers to Al Warsan Fourth, one of the four numbered communities in the district, next to International City. New off-plan buildings there are sold by private developers, so check the RERA registration and the plot for each project.
Is there a metro station in Al Warsan today?
Not yet. The Blue Line will add an interchange at International City 1 and stations at International City 2 and 3, with operations due to start in September 2029 according to the Media Office.
Can I buy industrial land in Al Warsan as a foreigner?
Only a 99-year usufruct or lease right on Plots 306 and 3019 of Al Warsan First under Resolution No. 25 of 2021. That right is registrable but it is not freehold ownership of the land.
Related guides
- International City Dubai: Cluster, Building and Apartment Buyer Guide
- Warsan Village Dubai: One House Type, Many Positions
- Dubai Metro Blue Line: Route, Stations and Property Impact
- Can Foreigners Buy Property in Dubai? Freehold Areas, Rules and Documents
- How Much Does It Cost to Buy Property in Dubai in 2026? Full Fee Checklist
Laguna Life Real Estate L.L.C is a DLD/RERA-registered brokerage. We start from your goal rather than from what is for sale, and we verify figures at the official source. If you are weighing an apartment in International City, a townhouse in Warsan Village or a new launch in Al Warsan 4, we will check the plot, the title type and the registered sales before you commit. WhatsApp +971 56 100 0928 or visit lagunalife.ae. Register your interest now.