Dubai market evidence

World Islands vs Zaabeel First: Which Costs More?

A side-by-side comparison of World Islands and Zaabeel First property prices from the historical DLD transaction record, broken down by property type.

The numbers for World Islands and Zaabeel First

MetricWorld IslandsZaabeel First
Median AED/sqm35,471 AED/sqm29,828 AED/sqm
Median priceAED 1.7MAED 3.3M
Sampled transactions1,1742,302
P25–P75 range28,617 AED/sqm – 40,134 AED/sqm27,473 AED/sqm – 32,246 AED/sqm
Apartment share86%100%

What the price gap means

World Islands runs 19% above Zaabeel First on median AED/sqm (35,471 AED/sqm in World Islands against 29,828 AED/sqm in Zaabeel First). There is not enough sampled data on both sides to break the gap down by property type.

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, World Islands is anchored by Business Bay Metro Station metro, Dubai Mall, Burj Al Arab, while Zaabeel First is anchored by Al Jafiliya Metro Station metro, Dubai Mall, Burj Khalifa.

This is sales transaction evidence only and ends 2026-07-27. It covers sales, not rentals, and is market reference, not valuation or investment advice.

Frequently asked questions