Raw District Downtown Jebel Ali Dubai

Raw District is a mixed-use project by Imtiaz Developments on Sheikh Zayed Road in Downtown Jebel Ali. Imtiaz describes a Dh2-billion development that puts serviced residences beside offices, co-working space, wellness, dining and cultural space, and says the project sold out on the day of its official launch. The homes are furnished studios and one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments of about 380 to 1,400 sq ft, in four interconnected buildings around a central courtyard, linked by sky bridges.

Launch prices ran from AED 649,000 (about Rs 1.67 crore) to AED 1,950,000 on a 20/30/50 plan, with handover on record for Q1 2029. The source listing now shows AED 1.2 million. Because the developer's release is gone, this page is mostly about what it means to buy Raw District today: from a first buyer, at their price, with half the plan still to pay.

At a glance

Price and unit pricing

We print AED 649,000 because it is the launch "from" price that the project pages agree on, and it is the only figure tied to a unit type. The source listing's AED 1.2 million names no unit. It could be a one- or two-bedroom, or a reseller's asking price for a studio; the sources checked do not say, so we do not guess.

The fact that matters more than either number is the sell-out. Imtiaz says Raw District sold out on the day of its official launch. So AED 649,000 is history: nobody can buy from Imtiaz at that figure today. You can buy a first buyer's contract at their price, and the DLD's transaction record shows where those deals close.

If the launch studio did cost AED 649,000 for about 380 sq ft, that is about AED 1,708 per sq ft furnished, close to Azizi Gabriel's unfurnished studios at about AED 1,710 in the same district. A resale premium on top of that erodes the value quickly, so work out the per-foot figure on any offer before you agree to it.

Imtiaz has since launched a separate second phase, Raw District II, due in Q2 2029, on a 50/50 plan or a 60/40 plan with payments running three years past handover. It is a different building with its own contract. If paying a developer's price matters more to you than being in the first phase, compare the two.

Payment plan and total cost

The launch plan was simple: 20% down, 30% during construction and 50% at handover. One broker page adds that post-handover options of up to three years were offered, without saying which units carried them. Ask the seller for the payment schedule attached to their SPA; that is the one you inherit.

Worked example: the AED 649,000 launch studio

That is what a first buyer's studio costs. Buying the same studio now works differently. You pay the seller back what they have already paid Imtiaz, plus any premium they ask, and the 4% DLD transfer fee is charged on the price you agree. Imtiaz charges a transfer (NOC) fee for moving the contract into your name, and developers usually require a minimum share of the price to have been paid before they allow a transfer; the sources checked give neither figure for Imtiaz, so ask. Then the remaining instalments, including the 50% at handover, are yours.

The 50% at handover is the number to plan around. On a launch-price studio it is AED 324,500; on the AED 1.2 million figure in the source listing it would be AED 600,000. Either you hold it in cash for early 2029 or arrange a UAE mortgage close to completion, where a non-resident should expect a lower loan share than a resident gets. There is no sales tax on the purchase of an ordinary residential unit.

Service charge. Not published. Imtiaz describes the homes as serviced residences inside a mixed-use scheme, which usually costs more to run than a plain block, and there may be operator fees on top. Ask for the budgeted service charge and any operating agreement before you sign.

Location and connectivity

Raw District fronts Sheikh Zayed Road in Downtown Jebel Ali, the district planned around the Jebel Ali Free Zone at the southern end of the city. Portals place it near the Jebel Ali Metro station on the Red Line, renamed National Paints in 2024, which has an entrance into the district. Dubai Marina is about 20 minutes away by Metro or car.

Ibn Battuta Mall is about ten minutes by road, and Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) and Expo City about 15 to 20 minutes. The tenant pool is the free zone's and Dubai South's staff, who want a short commute and a Metro stop at rents below the Marina's. District one-bedrooms let from about AED 54,000 a year and two-bedrooms from about AED 68,500.

Raw District's mixed-use design is aimed at those tenants: an office or co-working desk in the same project as the flat. That is a real differentiator in a district otherwise made of residential blocks. It also faces competition: Azizi, Deyaar and Samana all have buildings rising nearby, including Samana Portside with a pool in every apartment, and Raw District II adds more of Imtiaz's own stock in 2029.

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Amenities and specifications

The homes are sold fully furnished, with integrated appliances, smart-home systems, layered lighting and what sources call modern urban interior finishes. Furnished delivery is Imtiaz's usual product for investors, and it means a unit can be let in the weeks after handover rather than after a fit-out.

The wider project is the selling point. Imtiaz lists serviced residences, offices, co-working space, wellness, dining, culture and community space in one scheme. For a landlord, that brings tenants who work on site; for an owner-occupier, it brings noise and footfall that a purely residential building would not have.

Launch reports in Gulf News, Khaleej Times and Arabian Business describe four linked buildings around a public courtyard. One investment analysis adds that the residential and commercial parts are registered as two projects on separate plots, the homes as DLD project 4500. What is not published: the size of each unit type, the total number of homes, the pool and gym arrangements, parking per unit, and how the serviced-residence side is run. Ask whether the units are registered as ordinary apartments or as serviced apartments, because that can change the service charge, whether you may let the unit yourself on a long lease, and how VAT applies to the price. Final as per the SPA.

About the developer

Imtiaz Developments began as a construction business in 1993 and still builds with its own in-house contractor, which is part of why its recent record is good. It reports more than 2,000 homes handed over, about four million sq ft of office space and two million sq ft of retail, a portfolio above AED 10 billion and more than 40 active projects. It has also announced an AED 3 billion portfolio in Meydan.

The delivery record is the strongest argument on this page. Pearl House II in Jumeirah Village Circle was handed over three months ahead of schedule and Pearl House I two months early. Westwood Grande I and II in JVC are complete, as is Beach Walk, the first finished residential building on Dubai Islands. Hyde Walk was its fifth handover of 2025, with ten more scheduled for 2026. We cover the finished Hyde Walk on our Hyde Walk page.

The risk is scale. More than 40 active projects is a large book for a private developer, and scale is where delivery records usually break. On the evidence so far, Imtiaz's has not.

For Indian buyers

Ownership. Downtown Jebel Ali is a freehold area, so an Indian citizen owns the unit outright with a title deed issued by the Dubai Land Department. Until completion the contract is recorded on Oqood, and a resale before handover is an Oqood transfer at the DLD with the developer's consent. There is no annual property tax in the UAE.

Remittance. Under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme each person can send USD 250,000 per financial year, and a couple USD 500,000. A launch-price studio at AED 649,000 is about USD 176,700, inside one allowance. Buying a contract now changes the timing: the seller wants their paid share and premium back in one payment, so the first remittance is larger than a launch buyer's 20%. On the AED 1.2 million figure, the price is about USD 326,800 and needs two remitters or two years. Tax collected at source applies above the threshold and is credited against your Indian tax.

Golden Visa. The threshold is AED 2 million of property. The launch range stopped at AED 1,950,000, so only a top unit bought at a premium would reach it alone; otherwise combine properties, which the DLD allows.

Rent and tax. District one-bedrooms let from about AED 54,000 a year and area guides put one-bedroom yields near 5.4% gross; a furnished unit usually lets for more, though no source measures by how much. The UAE does not tax rent. An Indian tax resident declares it as income from house property with the 30% standard deduction, and reports the asset in Schedule FA every year.

Pros

• Imtiaz has delivered recent buildings early, with Pearl House II three months ahead of schedule
• Furnished units with appliances and smart-home systems, ready to let on handover
• A Metro station in the district and JAFZA as the main employer
• Offices and co-working inside the project give tenants a reason to live on site
• Raw District II, the second phase, offers a developer-priced way into the same scheme
• Selling out on launch day shows demand at the launch price

Cons

• Sold out: you buy from a first buyer, usually at a premium over the launch price
• The source listing's AED 1.2 M and the AED 649,000 launch figure cannot be reconciled from the sources checked
• 50% of the price falls at handover in Q1 2029
• Sizes by unit type, the unit count and the service charge are not published by Imtiaz
• Serviced-residence rules on letting and fees are not published
• Raw District II and other district launches deliver similar stock in 2029

Who this is for

• Investors who want a furnished unit near JAFZA and the Metro, let from handover
• Buyers who value Imtiaz's early-delivery record over a lower price elsewhere
• Indian buyers who can take over a contract and fund the 50% handover payment
• Landlords who want offices and co-working in the same project as the flat

Who should look elsewhere

• Buyers who want to pay the launch price: that release is gone
• Anyone who will not read an assignment agreement and an Oqood certificate
• Buyers who need rent before 2029
• Golden Visa seekers unless they buy a unit near the top of the range

Our verdict

Raw District is the rare case where the developer is the strongest part of the story. Imtiaz builds with its own contractor and has handed recent buildings over early, so the Q1 2029 date is more believable than most in this district. The difficulty is the price. Imtiaz says the first release sold out on launch day at prices from AED 649,000, and the source listing now shows AED 1.2 M without naming the unit, so the only honest statement is that nobody can buy at the launch figure today. A buyer is taking over a first buyer's contract, at a premium the seller sets, with 50% still to pay at handover. The furnished, serviced model suits letting, but its rules and fees are not yet published.

Worth buying only from a first buyer at a premium you have checked against DLD transactions, with the Oqood certificate, the Imtiaz transfer fee and the serviced-residence terms in hand. If you want to pay a developer's price rather than a reseller's, look at Raw District II or at other Downtown Jebel Ali launches. The developer risk here is low; the price risk is not.

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 Raw District?

At launch, units ran from AED 649,000, about Rs 1.67 crore, to AED 1,950,000, with homes of about 380 to 1,400 sq ft. The source listing now shows AED 1.2 M without naming the unit. Imtiaz says the project sold out on launch day, so today's price is whatever a first buyer asks; recent DLD transactions for the project are the check.

Can I still buy from Imtiaz?

Not in the first release, which Imtiaz says sold out on the day of its official launch. Imtiaz has since launched a separate second phase, Raw District II, due in Q2 2029, on a 50/50 or a 60/40 plan with three years after handover.

What is the payment plan?

The launch plan was 20% down, 30% during construction and 50% at handover. If you take over a contract, you pay the seller what they have paid plus any premium, then continue the remaining instalments.

When is the handover?

Q1 2029. Imtiaz's recent buildings have been handed over early, but no construction progress is published for Raw District yet.

Are the apartments furnished?

Yes. Sources describe fully furnished residences with integrated appliances, smart-home systems and layered lighting.

Can an Indian citizen buy here?

Yes. Downtown Jebel Ali is freehold and the title deed is issued in your name. A AED 649,000 launch unit is about USD 176,700, inside one person's USD 250,000 yearly LRS allowance; a resale premium may push it above that.

Does it qualify for the Golden Visa?

Only a unit worth AED 2 M or more counts on its own. The launch range topped out at AED 1,950,000, so most units need to be combined with another property.

Who is the developer?

Imtiaz Developments, a Dubai developer with its own construction arm, more than 2,000 homes handed over and a run of early handovers in JVC.

Compare with other Dubai projects

More by Imtiaz: The Archive (from AED 666,000, handover 2028), Cove by Imtiaz (from AED 630,000, handover 2027) and Inara Residence (from AED 673,000, handover 2028).

A similar budget elsewhere in Dubai: DAMAC Towers by Paramount (from AED 649,000, ready), Elitz 3 By Danube (from AED 649,000, handover 2026) and Diplomat Residences (from AED 649.89 K, ready).

Read next: Imtiaz Developments Projects in Dubai: Prices and Handover Record · Off-Plan Property in Dubai: How It Works · Dubai Property Payment Plans: 1% Monthly, Post-Handover and More · Property in Dubai Under AED 1 Million: What It Buys. Every Dubai project we track is listed on the Dubai section.