Emaar Terra Gardens Expo City Dubai

Emaar Terra Gardens is the second phase of Expo Living, the community Emaar Properties is building with Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) beside Expo City Dubai. It has 560 homes: one, two and three-bedroom apartments in two mid-rise buildings, and a small number of three-bedroom townhouses, set around landscaped courtyards and parks.

Emaar and DWTC launched it in November 2025, a year after the first phase, Terra Heights. Prices start from AED 1.55 M (about Rs 3.99 crore) for a one-bedroom of about 742 sq ft, on a 10/70/20 plan, and handover is due in October 2029. The developer is Emaar with DWTC, not Expo City Dubai's own company, and this page sets out how Terra Gardens differs from its two Terra siblings.

At a glance

Price and unit pricing

The source listing's AED 1.55 M matches the launch announcement, which gave sizes from 742 sq ft and prices from AED 1,550,000, so it is the figure we print. The two-bedroom, three-bedroom and townhouse starts come from portal pages quoting the launch price list. None of the sources checked gives their sizes, so the rate per sq ft can only be worked out for the one-bedroom. Emaar's price list on the day, and the SPA, settle every figure.

Against Terra Heights and Terra Woods

Each Terra phase has opened a little higher than the last. Terra Heights, the first phase, launched one-bedrooms at AED 1.4 M and two-bedrooms at AED 2.07 M, about 11% and 15% below Terra Gardens. Terra Woods, the next release, prices a one-bedroom of the same 742 sq ft at AED 1.6 M, about 3% above, while its two-bedroom from AED 2.3 M is a little below Terra Gardens' AED 2.38 M. What Terra Gardens adds over Terra Heights is family sizes; against Terra Woods it is the smaller project, 560 homes against 824, and hands over about a quarter earlier.

Payment plan and total cost

The plan is 10/70/20: 10% on booking, 70% during construction and 20% at handover. The published schedule sets the construction share in 10% steps roughly every five months: December 2025, May 2026, October 2026 and on to completion.

Worked example: a AED 1,550,000 one-bedroom

Buying late. Two instalment dates, December 2025 and May 2026, have passed, and a third falls in October 2026. If Emaar still has stock, a new buyer is usually asked to pay the overdue instalments at booking, so the first payment could be 30% or more of the price plus the DLD fee, not 10%. If you buy a resale instead, you repay the seller what they have paid plus their premium. Ask for the exact figure before you commit.

Service charge. Not published. Padel and volleyball courts, parks and jogging tracks will be paid for through it. Ask Emaar for the budget estimate, and expect it to be revised in the first year after handover.

Location and connectivity

Expo Living covers 451,295 sq m beside Expo City Dubai, in the Dubai South part of the city. Emaar puts it about a 15-minute walk from Expo City and the Dubai Exhibition Centre, which is being expanded in an AED 10 billion project to 180,000 sq m by 2031. Dubai Expo Mall is inside Expo Living, and Terra Gardens shares the community with Terra Heights.

The Dubai Metro Red Line runs to the Expo 2020 station in Expo City. Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC), which Dubai plans to grow into its main airport, is a short drive south. Dubai Marina and JLT are typically about 25 to 30 minutes by car; Downtown and DXB are further.

Expo City Dubai's own development company sells separate projects inside Expo City, such as Maha Villas and Al Waha Residences; they are a different developer. For the wider area, see our guide to property for sale in Dubai South, all Dubai projects we track and the full projects list.

Amenities and specifications

Terra Gardens is planned around landscaped courtyards and green parks linked by shaded walkways. The quoted amenities lean towards sport: fitness zones, padel and volleyball courts, jogging tracks and outdoor leisure areas. Two mid-rise buildings hold the apartments, with the townhouses alongside, which gives the project a lower, quieter feel than the four towers of Terra Heights.

The launch material gives sizes from about 742 sq ft for a one-bedroom. The sources checked do not give the two-bedroom, three-bedroom or townhouse sizes, the number of floors, appliance brands or parking per unit. Ask for the floor plans before booking; on a family-sized unit, the size decides whether the price is fair. Final specification as per the SPA.

About the developer

Terra Gardens is developed by Expo Living, the joint venture of Emaar Properties and Dubai World Trade Centre announced in November 2024. The master plan has five residential communities, 3,555 homes in all, with Dubai Expo Mall. Terra Heights launched first; Terra Gardens was the second, in November 2025.

Emaar built Downtown Dubai, the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Marina and Dubai Hills Estate. Its development arm says it has delivered more than 84,000 homes since 2002 and has more than 51,000 under development; in the first half of 2026 it booked AED 26.6 billion of property sales, with a revenue backlog of AED 164.9 billion. DWTC is the government-owned operator of the Dubai World Trade Centre and the Dubai Exhibition Centre. See every Emaar project in Dubai.

For Indian buyers

Ownership. Expo Living is freehold for foreign buyers. Until handover your purchase is an Oqood record at the DLD; at handover the DLD issues the title deed in your name. The UAE has no annual property tax and no VAT on a residential sale; the government cost is the 4% DLD transfer fee, AED 62,000 on the entry one-bedroom.

Remittance. Each person can send USD 250,000 per financial year under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme. The one-bedroom with fees is about AED 1.62 M, roughly USD 440,000: above one person's allowance, inside a couple's USD 500,000. Instalments every five months fit naturally across financial years, but a late buyer paying overdue instalments at booking needs more in the first year. TCS of 20% applies above Rs 10 lakh a year and is adjusted against your income tax.

Golden Visa. The property route needs AED 2 million. The one-bedroom falls short; the two-bedroom from AED 2.38 M and every larger unit clear it on price. Confirm the off-plan paid-up rule with the visa authority.

Rent and tax. Expo Living has no tenants yet, so there is no local rent record to quote; treat any yield promise with care until 2030. The UAE does not tax the rent; an Indian tax resident declares it in India with the 30% standard deduction and reports the property as a foreign asset.

Pros

• Three-bedrooms and townhouses, which Terra Heights does not offer
• Low-rise feel: two mid-rise buildings rather than towers, around courtyards and parks
• Emaar as developer, with a government-owned partner in DWTC
• Sports-led amenities: padel and volleyball courts and jogging tracks
• The two-bedroom from AED 2.38 M clears the AED 2 M Golden Visa threshold

Cons

• One-bedrooms about 11% dearer than Terra Heights' launch price
• Handover October 2029, seven months after Terra Heights
• Only the one-bedroom size is published; the rest is not in the sources checked
• Instalment dates that have passed are due at once for a late buyer
• Dubai South's rental market is young, and Terra Woods adds 824 more homes

Who this is for

• Families who want an Emaar three-bedroom or townhouse under AED 5 M
• Buyers who prefer mid-rise buildings and courtyards to a tower
• Investors backing the Dubai Exhibition Centre and Al Maktoum Airport growth
• Golden Visa buyers at the two-bedroom level

Who should look elsewhere

• Buyers who want the cheapest Expo Living entry: Terra Heights is lower
• Anyone who needs keys before 2030
• Buyers who commute daily to Downtown or DIFC
• Investors who need rent from day one in an established market

Our verdict

Terra Gardens is the Expo Living phase for buyers who need more than two bedrooms. It keeps the courtyard-and-park format of the community but in two mid-rise buildings rather than towers, and adds three-bedrooms from AED 3.43 M and a few townhouses from AED 4.88 M. The one-bedroom, at about AED 2,090 per sq ft for 742 sq ft, is priced above Terra Heights' launch and just below Terra Woods, so it is not the value pick for a small unit. Its case is for families and Golden Visa buyers at the two-bedroom level and up. As with all of Expo Living, the return depends on Dubai South maturing by 2030.

Worth a look for a family or Golden Visa buyer who wants an Emaar two or three-bedroom in the south of Dubai and can wait to late 2029. Ask for the actual sizes of the larger units and the service-charge estimate before booking, and check which instalments you will owe at once. For a one-bedroom investment, compare with a resale in Terra Heights first.

Talk to Realty Hunting for the current price list, the developer's latest payment plan and a site-visit plan.

Run this project's numbers yourself. The calculator opens on the price and unit size above; change the currency, the rent or the mortgage and it recalculates the fees, the cash you need on day one and the net rent.

FAQs

What is the price of Emaar Terra Gardens?

From AED 1.55 M (about Rs 3.99 crore) for a 742 sq ft one-bedroom. Two-bedrooms start at AED 2.38 M, three-bedrooms at AED 3.43 M and three-bedroom townhouses at AED 4.88 M, on the launch price list.

Who is the developer - Emaar or Expo City Dubai?

Emaar Properties with Dubai World Trade Centre, through their Expo Living joint venture. Expo Living sits beside Expo City Dubai, but Expo City Dubai's own development company is a different developer.

What is the payment plan?

10% on booking, 70% during construction in 10% instalments (December 2025, May 2026, October 2026 and onward) and 20% at handover. On AED 1,550,000 that is AED 155,000, AED 1,085,000 and AED 310,000, plus AED 62,000 of DLD fee.

When is handover?

October 2029, or Q4 2029 on portal pages. The SPA date binds.

How is Terra Gardens different from Terra Heights and Terra Woods?

Terra Heights was the first phase, one and two-bedrooms only, from AED 1.4 M and handing over in Q1 2029. Terra Gardens adds three-bedrooms and a few townhouses in 560 homes. Terra Woods is the largest at 824 homes, with six townhouses and handover in Q1 2030.

Does it qualify for the UAE Golden Visa?

A one-bedroom at AED 1.55 M does not. A two-bedroom from AED 2.38 M and every larger unit clears the AED 2 M threshold on price; confirm the off-plan paid-up rule with the visa authority.

Can an Indian buyer own a unit here?

Yes. Expo Living is freehold for foreign buyers. Money leaves India under the LRS, up to USD 250,000 per person per financial year; the instalments every five months spread it across financial years.

Compare with other Dubai projects

Also in Expo City: Terra Woods (from AED 1.6 M, handover 2030), Terra Heights (from AED 1.4 M, handover 2029), Sidr Residences Tower 3 (from AED 1,858,000, handover 2027) and Sidr Residences (from AED 1.88 M, handover 2027). See every Dubai South project with prices and handover dates.

More by Emaar with Dubai World Trade Centre: Orania Townhouses (from AED 1,528,888, ready), Marina Shores (from AED 1,506,888, handover 2026) and Bayline Apartments (from AED 1.6 M, handover 2027).

A similar budget elsewhere in Dubai: Harbour Lights (from AED 1.58 M, handover 2027), Augusta Apartments (from AED 1.51 M, handover 2028) and Anwa Aria (from AED 1.5 M, handover 2026).

Read next: Emaar Projects in Dubai: Every Project, Price and Handover Date · Off-Plan Property in Dubai: How It Works · Dubai Property Payment Plans: 1% Monthly, Post-Handover and More · The Cost of Buying Property in Dubai. Every Dubai project we track is listed on the Dubai section.