Sidr Residences Expo City Dubai

Sidr Residences is Expo City Dubai's third apartment project: 455 homes in three towers of ground plus 16 floors, on the edge of the Expo Downtown district of the former Expo 2020 site. It mixes one to four-bedroom apartments with lofts and townhouses, from about 984 to 4,123 sq ft, and takes its name from the Sidr tree. The developer is the government-owned Expo City Dubai, and the main contractor is Engineering Contracting Company (ECC).

Expo City launched it in November 2024 and priced it from AED 1.88 M (about Rs 4.84 crore) for a one-bedroom, then released a second phase and a third tower. The plan is 70/30, with 30% paid over two years after handover, and the homes are due in Q4 2027. Tower 3, sold last, has its own page with its own price list.

At a glance

Price and unit pricing

We print AED 1.88 M because it is the developer's own figure: Expo City's launch release in November 2024 and its phase 2 release both price Sidr from AED 1.88 M, and Arabian Business reported phase 2 from USD 512,000, the same number in dollars. The prices by unit type come from broker pages that repeat the developer's list. The source listing carries no price.

Tower 3's start of AED 1,858,000 is about 1% lower, on a slightly smaller one-bedroom of 978 sq ft, so the three towers were priced almost level. About 48 Sidr units are already listed for resale on one portal; nobody we checked prints a resale premium, and the DLD transaction record for the project is the document that settles what units have actually sold for.

Against Expo City

A 2026 area guide puts Expo City apartments at about AED 2,021 per sq ft. Sidr's one and two-bedrooms, at about AED 1,810 to 1,910 per sq ft, sit about 5% to 10% below that. The district's Al Waha Residences, low-rise and due in December 2026, sold at about AED 2,685 per sq ft for a two-bedroom, and resale one-bedrooms at Mangrove Residences now ask about AED 2,010. Sidr is the cheapest way per foot into an Expo City apartment, with the longest wait.

Payment plan and total cost

The plan is 70/30: 10% on booking, instalments during construction that take you to 70% by completion, and 30% over two years after handover. Tower 3 prints the same plan in four steps, 10/50/10/30, with 10% falling on handover itself; ask which schedule your SPA follows.

Worked example: a AED 1,880,000 one-bedroom

The DLD fee is usually due with the booking, so the day-one cash is about AED 267,440 (10% plus 4% plus fees), about Rs 68.9 lakh. Buying through a broker adds 2% plus VAT, about AED 39,480; buying direct from Expo City does not.

Buying a resale. Units from the first phase are already on the resale market. You repay the seller what they have paid Expo City plus any premium, and take over the rest of the plan, including the 30% after handover. The 4% DLD fee is charged on the resale price. Ask Expo City for a statement of account on the unit and its transfer fee before paying the seller.

Service charge. Not published by the sources checked. Expo City keeps its public realm to a high standard, so budget for a district charge above the Dubai South average, and ask for the building and district rates per sq ft before you model a yield.

Location and connectivity

Sidr sits on the edge of the Expo Downtown district, the business and retail core of the former Expo 2020 site. Al Wasl Plaza, the pavilions, the parks and the Expo 2020 metro station on the Route 2020 branch of the Red Line are within the district. Al Maktoum International Airport (DWC) is about 10 minutes away, Jebel Ali 15 to 20 and Dubai Marina about 25 by road.

Expo City is planned as a walkable, low-car district, with Expo-era buildings reused as offices, schools and venues. Living here makes most sense if work is in the south of the city: Expo City itself, DWC and the logistics district, or Jebel Ali. Downtown and DIFC are a long run up Sheikh Zayed Road.

The district is still filling in. Mangrove Residences was due in Q1 2026, Sky Residences from Q4 2026 and Al Waha in December 2026, so by the time Sidr completes the first residents should be a year or two in. For a wider comparison, see all Dubai projects we track or the full projects list.

Amenities and specifications

Broker pages list landscaped gardens, jogging and cycling tracks, a gym, children's play areas, pools, smart-home systems, retail at ground level and secure parking. That is the standard set for a mid-rise Dubai scheme, and the bigger draw is the district around it: Expo City's parks, sports venues and plaza.

The homes are the point. One-bedrooms of about 984 to 998 sq ft and two-bedrooms of about 1,378 to 1,426 sq ft are large for their price; in many new Dubai projects a one-bedroom is 650 to 800 sq ft. The largest four-bedroom units run to about 4,123 sq ft, and the scheme also includes lofts and townhouses at the base of the towers.

How Sidr differs from its Expo City neighbours: Mangrove is the first, sold-out project in Expo Central, close to handover and now trading at a premium; Al Waha is 284 homes in four low-rise buildings at a higher rate per foot; Sidr is 455 homes in three taller towers, priced lowest per foot and due last. The sources checked do not publish the finish schedule, appliance brands or parking per unit. Final specification as per the SPA.

About the developer

Expo City Dubai is the government-owned company converting the Expo 2020 site into a district to live and work in. Its apartment launches began with Mangrove Residences in March 2023, followed by Sky Residences, both reported sold out, then Sidr in November 2024, with Expo Valley's 532 villas and townhouses on the district's edge and Al Waha alongside. It released Sidr in stages, citing demand: phase 2 was launched together with the appointment of ABR Al Mutawassit Contracting as Sky Residences' main contractor, and a third tower followed.

In October 2025 the Dubai Media Office announced Engineering Contracting Company (ECC) as Sidr's main contractor, with completion set for 2027. Expo City delivered the Expo itself on time and has the state behind it. Its weakness is that it is new at selling homes: Mangrove was due in Q1 2026, but as of September 2026 the sources we checked do not confirm a completed residential handover. Watch how Mangrove and Sky are delivered; that is the best guide to Sidr.

For Indian buyers

Ownership. Expo City is freehold for foreign buyers. During construction your purchase is an Oqood record at the DLD; at handover the DLD issues the title deed in your name. There is no annual property tax and no VAT on a residential sale; the government cost is the 4% DLD transfer fee, AED 75,200 on a AED 1.88 M one-bedroom.

Remittance. Under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme each person can send USD 250,000 per financial year. The one-bedroom with fees is about AED 1.96 M, roughly USD 534,000, but the plan spreads it over about four years: the booking and fees in the first, construction instalments over the next two, and AED 564,000 in the two years after handover. That fits comfortably inside one person's allowance each year. The 20% TCS on remittances above Rs 10 lakh a year is adjusted against your income tax.

Golden Visa. The property route needs AED 2 million. The AED 1.88 M one-bedroom falls short; a two-bedroom from about AED 2.58 M clears it on the title deed value. Since the gap is only AED 120,000, check whether a larger one-bedroom on a higher floor is priced at AED 2 M or more.

Rent and tax. 2026 guides put Expo City apartment yields at 5% to 7% gross, about AED 94,000 to 131,600 a year on AED 1.88 M. The district has little rent history and the service charge is unknown, so plan on 5% gross and about 3.5% to 4% net. The UAE levies no tax on the rent; an Indian tax resident declares it in India, with the 30% standard deduction, and reports the flat as a foreign asset.

Pros

• State-owned developer; the district's roads, metro and parks already exist
• One-bedrooms of about 984 - 998 sq ft, large for AED 1.88 M
• About AED 1,810 - 1,910 per sq ft, below Expo City's average of about AED 2,021
• 30% of the price is paid over two years after handover
• Main contractor appointed and works under way

Cons

• Handover Q4 2027, and the developer has no confirmed residential handover yet
• A one-bedroom at AED 1.88 M is below the AED 2 M Golden Visa line
• No DLD project number and no service charge published
• Three towers sold in stages: expect resale competition from later releases
• Far from Downtown, DIFC and the beaches

Who this is for

• End-users who will work at Expo City, DWC or Jebel Ali
• Buyers who want a large one-bedroom from a state-backed developer
• Couples funding under USD 500,000 through the LRS, helped by the post-handover 30%
• Long-hold investors betting on the south of Dubai

Who should look elsewhere

• Buyers who need keys before 2028
• Golden Visa buyers on a one-bedroom budget
• Yield buyers who need proven rent data
• Anyone commuting daily to Downtown or the Marina

Our verdict

Sidr Residences is Expo City's mid-priced apartment offer: large one-bedrooms of nearly 1,000 sq ft from AED 1.88 M, about AED 1,900 per sq ft, which is below both the district average and Al Waha's rate. The seller is the state's Expo company, the contractor is appointed and the metro is already running, so the risks are time and liquidity rather than whether the building gets finished. Q4 2027 is about a year away, and Expo City has yet to show a finished residential handover. Because the towers were sold in stages, there will be a lot of Sidr stock on the resale market at once around completion. The 30% after handover is the plan's best feature for a buyer funding from India.

A sensible off-plan buy for someone whose work or family points south, who can wait until 2028 and who values a big one-bedroom from a state-backed seller. Take a two-bedroom if the Golden Visa matters. Before booking, confirm which tower the unit is in, the SPA date, the DLD project number and the service charge.

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 starting price of Sidr Residences?

Expo City prices Sidr from AED 1.88 M (about Rs 4.84 crore) for a one-bedroom of about 984 sq ft. Two-bedrooms start near AED 2.58 M, three-bedrooms near AED 3.25 M and four-bedrooms near AED 8.5 M on broker pages.

What is the payment plan?

70/30: 10% on booking, instalments up to 70% by completion and 30% over two years after handover. On AED 1.88 M that is AED 188,000, AED 1,128,000 and AED 564,000, plus the 4% DLD fee of AED 75,200.

When is handover?

Q4 2027. ECC was appointed main contractor in October 2025 with completion set for 2027. Check the date in your SPA for your tower.

How many towers and homes are there?

Three towers of ground plus 16 floors and 455 homes in all, sold in stages: phase 1 in November 2024, phase 2, then Tower 3, which has its own page.

Does a Sidr apartment qualify for the Golden Visa?

A one-bedroom at AED 1.88 M does not; the property route needs AED 2 M. A two-bedroom from about AED 2.58 M does, on the title deed value.

What is the service charge?

Not published by the sources checked. Ask Expo City for the budgeted rate per sq ft and how the district charge is split from the building charge.

What rent can I expect?

2026 guides put Expo City apartment yields at 5% to 7% gross, about AED 94,000 to 131,600 a year on AED 1.88 M. Plan on the low end until the district has more leases.

Can an Indian buyer own a unit here?

Yes. Expo City is freehold for foreign buyers. The money leaves India under the LRS, up to USD 250,000 per person per financial year, and the DLD issues the title deed after handover.

Compare with other Dubai projects

Also in Expo City: Sidr Residences Tower 3 (from AED 1,858,000, handover 2027), Mangrove Residences (from AED 1,950,000, off-plan), Terra Woods (from AED 1.6 M, handover 2030) and Emaar Terra Gardens (from AED 1.55 M, handover 2029). See every Downtown Dubai project with prices and handover dates.

More by Expo City Dubai: Al Waha Residences (from AED 3.49 M, handover 2026), Expo Valley Villas (from AED 3,699,000, off-plan) and Maha Villas (from AED 13 M, handover 2026).

A similar budget elsewhere in Dubai: City Walk Northline (from AED 1.87 M, handover 2027), Design Quarter (from AED 1.87 M, handover 2027) and DG1 (from AED 1.9 M, handover 2027).

Read next: 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.