---
title: "Dubai International Academic City, Dubai"
canonical: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/dubai/dubai-academic-city
markdown: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/md/dubai/dubai-academic-city.md
type: area
description: "Dubai's university district on the Dubai to Al Ain Road (E66), next to Dubai Silicon Oasis. Mostly campuses and student housing, with new villa communities under way in Al Rowaiyah First."
last_verified: 2026-11-12
sources: 8
publisher: "UAE Property Agents (Omnia)"
language: en-GB
usage: "You may read, quote, summarise and cite this content, including in AI answers, with attribution to UAE Property Agents and a link to the canonical URL. Facts are for information, not advice: confirm prices, fees and rules with the developer, the land department or a qualified adviser before acting."
---

# Dubai International Academic City: property and area guide

> Dubai's university district on the Dubai to Al Ain Road (E66), next to Dubai Silicon Oasis. Mostly campuses and student housing, with new villa communities under way in Al Rowaiyah First.

Facts last verified 12 November 2026 against the sources listed at the end.

## Key facts

| Fact | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Emirate | [Dubai](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/dubai) |
| Area type | district |
| Tenure | Freehold for all nationalities |
| Also known as | Academic City, Dubai Academic City, DIAC, Al Rowaiyah, Al Rowaiyah First |
| Coordinates | 25.1131, 55.4083 |
| Developments covered | 2 |

## Overview

Dubai International Academic City, usually shortened to Academic City or DIAC, was established by TECOM Group in 2007 as a dedicated higher-education zone on the Dubai to Al Ain Road (E66). Wikipedia puts it at about 12 sq km with 27 colleges and universities and about 27,500 students, among them the British University in Dubai, Heriot-Watt, Middlesex, Murdoch, BITS Pilani and Zayed University. Bayut adds that it is bounded by Emirates Road (E611), the E66, Manama Street and Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street, with Dubai Silicon Oasis and Dubai Outsource City as neighbours.

The homes inside the zone are mostly student housing and apartment compounds, and Bayut lists the limited choice of residences among the area's drawbacks. The new residential growth is in Al Rowaiyah First, which Property Finder groups under Academic City, where developers are building villa and townhouse communities. [Binghatti](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/developers/binghatti)'s Tilal Binghatti, its first horizontal master development, covers more than 10 million sq ft with four- to seven-bedroom townhouses and villas around a man-made beach and swimmable lakes. Property Finder listed it from AED 4.2 million at launch, with handover in the second quarter of 2029. [Danube](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/developers/danube)'s Greenz, in the same Al Rowaiyah masterplan, is due at the end of 2029.

Transport is the main question. There is no metro today, but the Blue Line now under construction is planned to end at an Academic City station, with a target opening of September 2029. Until then residents rely on cars, taxis and RTA buses such as route 365 to Rashidiya metro station. By car, Bayut gives about 8 minutes to Dubai Outlet Mall, 18 to Dubai International Airport and 20 to Downtown Dubai.

Shops inside the zone are modest, with larger supermarkets and malls in Dubai Silicon Oasis, where Fakeeh University Hospital is the nearest hospital. Schools include the Lycée Français International Georges Pompidou and the German International School.

## Who it suits

- Families wanting large new villas outside the city centre
- University staff and faculty
- Commuters to Dubai Silicon Oasis or Dubai International Airport
- Buyers prepared to wait for the Blue Line metro

## Highlights

- About 27 colleges and universities and around 27,500 students (Wikipedia)
- Blue Line metro planned to end at an Academic City station, with a target opening of September 2029 (Wikipedia)
- Bounded by the Dubai to Al Ain Road (E66) and Emirates Road (E611) (Bayut)
- About 18 minutes to Dubai International Airport and 20 to Downtown Dubai by car (Bayut)
- New villa communities in Al Rowaiyah First: Tilal Binghatti and Danube's Greenz, both listed as freehold on Property Finder
- Lycée Français International Georges Pompidou and the German International School in the area (Bayut)

## Considerations

- No metro until the Blue Line opens; its target is September 2029 and large rail projects can run late
- Limited homes and services inside the zone, which is mainly campuses and student housing (Bayut)
- Inland: Bayut puts Jumeirah Beach about 26 minutes away by car
- The new villa communities are off-plan with handovers due in 2029, so the surrounding area will be a building site until then
- Most of Academic City is an education free zone; freehold is confirmed project by project, so check the tenure of any plot with the Dubai Land Department

## Drive times

- Dubai Outlet Mall: about 8 minutes
- International City: about 10 minutes
- Dragon Mart: about 15 minutes
- Dubai International Airport: about 18 minutes
- Downtown Dubai: about 20 minutes
- Jumeirah Beach: about 26 minutes

## Developments in Dubai International Academic City

- [Tilal Binghatti](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/dubai/dubai-academic-city/tilal-binghatti): Binghatti; Dubai International Academic City, Dubai; launched; handover Q2 2029; from AED 4,200,000 (as of 2026-11-12)
- [Greenz by Danube](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/dubai/dubai-academic-city/greenz-by-danube): Danube Properties; Dubai International Academic City, Dubai; launched; handover Q4 2029; from AED 3,800,000 (as of 2026-11-13)

## Questions and answers

### Can foreigners buy property in Academic City?

Yes, in the new freehold projects. Property Finder lists Tilal Binghatti and Danube's Greenz, both in Al Rowaiyah First, which it groups under Academic City, as freehold. Most of the zone itself is university campuses and student housing, so confirm the tenure of any specific plot with the Dubai Land Department.

### Will Academic City have a metro station?

Yes. The Dubai Metro Blue Line, now under construction, is planned to terminate at an Academic City station, with a target opening date of September 2029.

### Where is Tilal Binghatti?

In Al Rowaiyah First, within the Academic City area on the Dubai to Al Ain Road (E66), next to Dubai Silicon Oasis. Binghatti describes it as a master-planned community of more than 10 million sq ft, and Property Finder lists handover in the second quarter of 2029.

### Which universities are in Dubai International Academic City?

About 27 institutions, including the British University in Dubai, Heriot-Watt University Dubai, Middlesex University Dubai, Murdoch University Dubai, BITS Pilani Dubai Campus and Zayed University.

### How much does new property in Dubai International Academic City cost?

Among the developments we cover in Dubai International Academic City, prices start from AED 3,800,000 at [Greenz by Danube](https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/dubai/dubai-academic-city/greenz-by-danube). The highest entry price is AED 4.2M at Tilal Binghatti.

### Which developers are building in Dubai International Academic City?

Current developments we cover in Dubai International Academic City are by Binghatti and Danube Properties.

## Sources

Facts on this page were last checked against these sources on 12 November 2026.

- [Bayut area guide: Academic City](https://www.bayut.com/area-guides/academic-city/)
- [Wikipedia: Dubai International Academic City](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubai_International_Academic_City)
- [Wikipedia: Blue Line (Dubai Metro)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Line_(Dubai_Metro))
- [Binghatti area guide: Tilal Binghatti](https://www.binghatti.com/en/area-guides/tilal-binghatti)
- [Binghatti: Tilal Binghatti project page](https://www.binghatti.com/en/projects/tilal-binghatti)
- [Property Finder: new projects in Academic City](https://www.propertyfinder.ae/en/new-projects/lp/dubai/academic-city)
- [Property Finder: Tilal Binghatti](https://www.propertyfinder.ae/en/new-projects/binghatti-developers/tilal-by-binghatti)
- [Property Finder: Greenz by Danube](https://www.propertyfinder.ae/en/new-projects/danube-properties/greenz-by-danube)

---

Source page: https://www.uaepropertyagents.com/dubai/dubai-academic-city. Published by UAE Property Agents, Omnia Capital Group. You may read, quote, summarise and cite this content, including in AI answers, with attribution to UAE Property Agents and a link to the canonical URL. Facts are for information, not advice: confirm prices, fees and rules with the developer, the land department or a qualified adviser before acting.