Dubai market evidence

Al Satwa vs Nad Al Shiba First: Which Costs More?

A side-by-side comparison of Al Satwa and Nad Al Shiba First property prices from the historical DLD transaction record, broken down by property type.

The numbers for Al Satwa and Nad Al Shiba First

MetricAl SatwaNad Al Shiba First
Median AED/sqm23,278 AED/sqm23,503 AED/sqm
Median priceAED 1.4MAED 3.2M
Sampled transactions2,8045,123
P25–P75 range19,912 AED/sqm – 25,972 AED/sqm16,802 AED/sqm – 35,414 AED/sqm
Apartment share91%56%

What the price gap means

Nad Al Shiba First runs 1% above Al Satwa on median AED/sqm (23,278 AED/sqm in Al Satwa against 23,503 AED/sqm in Nad Al Shiba First). That gap is widest for Villa / Townhouse, where Nad Al Shiba First runs 44% above Al Satwa. The headline number is driven by that unit type rather than a uniform premium across the board.

Citywide medians mix property types unevenly, so a headline gap can reflect what is being sold rather than a like-for-like premium. The per-type table above compares only the property types with enough sampled sales in both areas.

Beyond price, Al Satwa has no listed metro, mall, or landmark anchor in this dataset, while Nad Al Shiba First is anchored by Business Bay Metro Station metro, Dubai Mall, Downtown Dubai.

This is sales transaction evidence only and ends 2026-08-13. It covers sales, not rentals, and is market reference, not valuation or investment advice.

Price by property type

Property typeAl Satwa txAl Satwa AED/sqmNad Al Shiba First txNad Al Shiba First AED/sqmGap
Apartment — Studio34825,845 AED/sqm34738,620 AED/sqm-33%
Apartment — 1 Bed41722,335 AED/sqm36218,459 AED/sqm+21%
Apartment — 2 Bed10921,099 AED/sqm22817,886 AED/sqm+18%
Villa / Townhouse3413,252 AED/sqm35723,775 AED/sqm-44%
Land plot4815,525 AED/sqm44121,645 AED/sqm-28%

Frequently asked questions