A peep into the luxury world of the International City

Just open the pages of any property paper or magazine in Dubai and you will see numerous advertisements for International City, but what's it all about?

Basically it's a self-contained community, covering an area of 800 hectares which is equal to eight million square metres or 1,976 acres.

This is a massive and unique project in the true tradition of Nakheel who are the developers.

It is located in Al Warsan, which is 12 km from Dubai International Airport, and borders the Dubai/Hatta Road, Emirates Road and the Academic Road.

International City consists of several districts as follows. The Residential District of International City is one of its kind in that the buildings will be based on the architecture and themes of several countries.

There are the large neighbourhoods of Russia, Italy, Spain, England, and France; the medium neighbourhoods of Morocco, Persia, Greece and China; and the lakeside neighbourhoods of Indonesia and Thailand.

Each country is split into between one and five clusters, Italy being the smallest with only one cluster and China the largest with five clusters.

Each cluster comprises numerous buildings of between three to five floors. Each building is composed of studios, and one-bedroom apartments with some buildings have retail space on the ground floor as well.

The original price per square foot from Nakheel was Dh225. Buildings have changed hands at up to Dh350 per square foot since then.

The most sought after areas being England and China, in which there was frantic activity at the beginning of the year.

Companies and private investors have bought the buildings and are now selling off the individual units to the public.

Studios which are 480 square feet are selling for Dh225,000 to Dh300,000 and the one-bedroom apartments which are 720 square feet are selling for Dh325,000 to Dh400,000.

Retail units are available from Dh700 per square foot. There are a total of 21,000 units which will be home to over 60,000 people. As the units are small, most of the residents are likely to be single professionals or couples.

However, the Lake District Thailand and Indonesia has two- and three-bedroom duplex apartments with enchanting views of the lake and would therefore appeal more to families.

The Residential District is designed in such a way that it is possible to walk to the outer limits of International City from within any cluster, in just four minutes.

There is a replica of the Forbidden City which is bordered by China and Persia. The whole of the Residential District, which is 300 hectares or three million square metres, will have beautifully landscaped gardens, fountains and recreational areas to provide a serene atmosphere to the region.

There will also be an abundance of retail outlets, amphitheatres and restaurants together with schools, post offices, and hospitals etc. providing residents with all the necessary amenities to make their lives enjoyable and comfortable.

Another district of International city is the Central Business District, otherwise known as CBD or just Central District.

As its name implies, it is located at the centre of International City's, Residential District. It is spread over 21 hectares and will be the nerve centre for International City's commercial activity.

It consists of 34 plots which have been sold to independent developers. They are allowed to build towers of 11 storeys in any design with mixed usage of residential and office units, incorporating retail outlets on the ground floor.

There is basement parking for up to 130 cars with each tower. The original price was Dh45 per sq ft but have recently been selling for as much as Dh100 per square foot.

An impressive 30-40 floor feature tower will also be built in the centre of the central district covering some 50,000 square metres housing corporate offices and will have a mall at its base.

Dubai Gate borders International City on three sides and will be a state of the art hub for companies wishing to exhibit their products to a truly international audience either on a permanent or temporary basis.

To accommodate both exhibitors and visitors, two quality hotels will be built on the site, each comprising 300 to 400 rooms.

Adjacent to China and running alongside the Dubai/Hatta road is the Dragon Mart which is spread across 50 hectares. This is a very large trade mall in which some 3,000 Chinese companies are able to display their products.

It is in the shape of a 1.4 km-long dragon. The main entrance is through the dragon's head. It has parking for 2,000 cars and houses showrooms, shopping areas and restaurants. This has now been completed and is open to the public.

The whole project is due for completion in early 2007 by which time Dubai is expecting around 10 million visitors a year.

I believe this will be a great place to live and do business, and with its close proximity to Dubailand it should be fun as well.

Prices per square foot are very low at the moment at around Dh500 per square foot so definitely worth considering as an investment or an affordable place to live.

The writer is managing director of Best Value Property Consultants.