Terra Heights Expo City Dubai

Terra Heights is the first phase of Expo Living, a new community that Emaar Properties is building with Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) beside Expo City Dubai, in the Dubai South part of the city. It is four L-shaped towers of one and two-bedroom apartments set around green podium courtyards, about a 15-minute walk from Expo City and the Dubai Exhibition Centre.

Emaar launched it in November 2024 from AED 1.4 M (about Rs 3.61 crore) for a one-bedroom and AED 2.07 M for a two-bedroom, on a 10/70/20 plan. Handover is due in Q1 2029. It is the smallest-ticket and earliest-finishing of Expo Living's three Terra releases; this page sets out how it compares with Terra Gardens and Terra Woods.

At a glance

Price and unit pricing

The source listing's AED 1.4 M matches the launch price every other source gives, so it is the figure we print. The one-bedroom range is wide: one page quotes plans from about 484 sq ft, which would be unusually small for an Emaar one-bedroom, and up to 857 sq ft. The floor plan in your SPA settles the size, and the rate per sq ft on the table swings with it.

Emaar's own release sold at launch, and portals now list Terra Heights as a resale. The sources checked do not print a current resale range. Expect to pay the seller a premium above the launch price, and check what similar units have transferred for on the DLD's record before you agree a number.

Against the other two Terra phases

The later phases opened higher. Terra Gardens, launched a year later, starts its one-bedrooms at AED 1.55 M for 742 sq ft, and Terra Woods at AED 1.6 M for 742 sq ft. Terra Heights' two-bedroom at AED 2.07 M also undercuts Terra Gardens' AED 2.38 M and Terra Woods' AED 2.3 M. What the later phases add is three-bedrooms and a few townhouses; what Terra Heights offers is the lowest entry and the earliest keys.

Payment plan and total cost

The plan is 10/70/20: 10% on booking, 70% in instalments during construction and 20% at handover. The booking payment fell due in November 2024 for launch buyers, and the final 20% is scheduled for March 2029.

Worked example: a AED 1,400,000 one-bedroom at the launch price

Buying a resale. Nearly two years into the plan, a launch buyer has paid the booking and several construction instalments. You repay them what they have paid plus their premium and take over the rest of the 70% and the 20% at handover. The 4% DLD fee is charged on the full resale price, and Emaar charges its own transfer fee. Get Emaar's statement of account for the unit in writing before paying the seller.

Service charge. Not published. The podium carries two pools, a yoga deck, a gym, sports courts and mini-golf, which will be paid for through the service charge. Ask Emaar for the budget estimate; a new community's first-year figure is often revised once it is running.

Location and connectivity

Expo Living is a 451,295 sq m community beside Expo City Dubai, the former Expo 2020 site, 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 from 58,000 sq m to 180,000 sq m of space by 2031. Dubai Expo Mall is part of Expo Living itself.

The Dubai Metro Red Line ends at the Expo 2020 station in Expo City, and portals describe a station within walking distance of Expo Living. 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.

Inside Expo City itself, Expo City Dubai's own development company sells separate projects such as Maha Villas and Al Waha Residences; those are a different developer and a different community from Expo Living. For more, see all Dubai projects we track and the full projects list.

Amenities and specifications

Terra Heights is built around landscaped podium courtyards. The amenity list quoted across sources includes an adult pool and a children's pool, a yoga deck, a gym, sports courts, a mini-golf area, outdoor play areas, barbecue spots and multipurpose rooms. Apartments have open layouts, and many look into the green courtyards.

The unit mix is simple: one-bedrooms quoted at about 484 to 857 sq ft and two-bedrooms at about 1,093 to 1,216 sq ft, in four L-shaped towers. The sources checked do not publish the number of floors, the number of apartments, appliance brands or parking per unit. Ask for them with the floor plan. Final specification as per the SPA.

About the developer

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

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, and 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 56,000 on a AED 1.4 M one-bedroom.

Remittance. Each person can send USD 250,000 per financial year under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme. The one-bedroom with fees at the launch price is about AED 1.46 M, roughly USD 398,000: above one person's allowance, within a couple's USD 500,000. On a resale the upfront payment to the seller is larger, so plan the remittances before signing. 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. A one-bedroom falls short; a two-bedroom from AED 2.07 M clears it on price. For off-plan, confirm the paid-up requirement with the visa authority.

Rent and tax. There is no settled rental market yet at Expo Living. One broker page claims 8% to 10% returns on a one-bedroom; treat that as optimistic until tenants arrive in 2029. The UAE does not tax the rent; an Indian tax resident declares it in India with the 30% standard deduction and reports the flat as a foreign asset.

Pros

• The cheapest way into Expo Living: one-bedrooms from AED 1.4 M
• Earliest handover of the three Terra phases (Q1 2029)
• Emaar as developer, with a government-owned partner in DWTC
• Walking distance to Expo City, the Dubai Exhibition Centre and a metro station
• A full resort-style podium: two pools, yoga deck, gym, mini-golf

Cons

• One and two-bedrooms only: no family-sized three-bedroom or townhouse
• The smallest one-bedroom plan quoted, about 484 sq ft, is very compact
• Unit count and storey count are not published
• Emaar's own stock went at launch; buyers now pay a resale premium
• Dubai South's rental market is young, and two later Terra phases add supply

Who this is for

• First-time Dubai buyers who want an Emaar apartment under AED 1.5 M
• Investors betting on Al Maktoum Airport and the Dubai Exhibition Centre expansion
• People who will work at Expo City, Dubai South or DWC
• Couples funding under USD 500,000 through the LRS

Who should look elsewhere

• Families who need three bedrooms: look at Terra Gardens or Terra Woods
• Golden Visa buyers on a one-bedroom budget
• Anyone who needs to live in Downtown or Dubai Marina for work
• Buyers who will not check a seller's paid-up amount with Emaar

Our verdict

Terra Heights is the entry ticket to Expo Living: Emaar's first phase with DWTC, one and two-bedrooms only, from AED 1.4 M and with the earliest handover of the three Terra releases. At about AED 1,630 to 1,900 per sq ft on the larger plans it was priced below its two later siblings, which is why it sold at launch. The trade-offs are that the smallest one-bedroom plans are tight, there is nothing larger than two bedrooms, and anyone buying now pays a resale premium on a building still under construction. The investment case rests on Dubai South: the Dubai Exhibition Centre expansion and Al Maktoum Airport. If those arrive as planned, a one-bedroom here should let well; if they slip, it is a long way from today's job centres.

A sensible first Dubai purchase for a buyer with AED 1.4 M to 1.6 M who can wait until 2029 and believes in the south of the city. Buy a resale only after checking the seller's statement of account with Emaar and the DLD's recent transactions. If you need three bedrooms, go to Terra Gardens or Terra Woods; if you need a Golden Visa, buy a two-bedroom.

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 Terra Heights?

It launched from AED 1.4 M (about Rs 3.61 crore) for a one-bedroom and AED 2.07 M for a two-bedroom. Emaar's release sold at launch, so today's price is a resale ask; check the DLD transaction record for the towers.

Who is the developer?

Expo Living, a joint venture between Emaar Properties and Dubai World Trade Centre announced in November 2024. It is not Expo City Dubai's own development company, which builds projects such as Maha Villas and Al Waha inside Expo City.

What is the payment plan?

10% on booking, 70% during construction and 20% at handover. On AED 1,400,000 that is AED 140,000, AED 980,000 and AED 280,000, plus AED 56,000 of DLD transfer fee.

When is handover?

Q1 2029, with March 2029 on the payment schedule. The SPA date binds.

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

It was the first phase, it has only one and two-bedrooms in four L-shaped towers, and it hands over first. Terra Gardens (560 homes) and Terra Woods (824 homes) added three-bedrooms and a few townhouses at higher prices, with later handovers.

Does it qualify for the UAE Golden Visa?

A one-bedroom at AED 1.4 M does not. A two-bedroom from AED 2.07 M clears the AED 2 M threshold on price; for off-plan, confirm with the visa authority how much must be paid first.

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, and the DLD issues the title deed in your name after handover.

Compare with other Dubai projects

Also in Expo City: Emaar Terra Gardens (from AED 1.55 M, handover 2029), Terra Woods (from AED 1.6 M, handover 2030), Beachfront Gates (from AED 1 M, handover 2026) and Sidr Residences Tower 3 (from AED 1,858,000, handover 2027). See every Dubai South project with prices and handover dates.

More by Emaar with Dubai World Trade Centre: Emaar Dubai Creek Residences (from AED 1,408,000, ready), Parkside Views (from AED 1.45 M, handover 2027) and Expo Golf Villas 6 (from AED 1.47 M, ready).

A similar budget elsewhere in Dubai: Arista One (from AED 1.4 M, ready), Danube Breez (from AED 1,400,000, handover 2029) and Ellington House (from AED 1.4 M, ready).

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.