Archive by Imtiaz DLRC Dubailand Dubai

The Archive by Imtiaz is a new apartment building by Imtiaz Developments in Dubai Land Residence Complex (DLRC), the Dubailand district off Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road that the DLD records as Wadi Al Safa 5. It rises 17 storeys: a basement, the ground floor, three podium levels, 13 residential floors and a roof. Every home is sold fully furnished, and the building is organised around one idea, a two-storey library of about 10,000 books that takes the place of a normal lobby.

Studios of about 360 sq ft start from AED 666,000 (about Rs 1.71 crore). One-bedrooms start from AED 979,000, two-bedrooms from AED 1.55 M and three-bedrooms from AED 1.9 M. Buyers choose between a 50/50 plan and a 60/40 plan that pushes 40% past handover, and handover is on record for Q3 2028.

At a glance

Price and unit pricing

The source listing prints no price. Every other page we checked, including propsearch, Property Finder and several project portals, carries the same launch list: AED 666,000 for a studio, AED 979,000 for a one-bedroom, AED 1.55 M for a two-bedroom and AED 1.9 M for a three-bedroom. Propsearch labels these as the prices at the sales launch, so treat them as the floor rather than what is on offer today.

Sizes disagree slightly: most pages give the studio as 360 sq ft, one gives 384, and the one-bedroom comes in a compact layout from 546 sq ft and an executive one from 605. The rate falls from about AED 1,850 per sq ft on the studio to about AED 1,445 on the three-bedroom. The size in your SPA settles it.

How the price compares with DLRC

A 2026 investor guide to the district puts DLRC apartments at roughly AED 800 to 1,200 per sq ft. The Archive's studio, at about AED 1,850, is well above that band, and even the three-bedroom sits about 20% over its top. Part of the gap is that the district figure covers older, unfurnished stock.

The fairer test is Imtiaz's own Cove by Imtiaz in the same district, also furnished, where a 383 sq ft studio is listed from AED 630,000, about AED 1,645 per sq ft. On that basis The Archive costs about 12% more per foot for a slightly smaller studio. The extra buys the library theme and a later handover, Q3 2028 against Cove's Q1 2027.

Payment plan and total cost

Imtiaz offers two plans. Both open the same way: 20% on booking, plus the 4% DLD transfer fee and an admin fee. After that, the 50/50 plan takes another 30% during construction and the remaining 50% on completion. The 60/40 plan takes another 40% during construction and spreads the last 40% over three years after handover, at about 3.3% of the price each quarter.

Worked example: the AED 666,000 studio

On top of that sit the developer's admin fee, which no source prices, and the DLD's AED 40 Oqood registration charge. If you use a broker, add 2% commission plus VAT on the fee, about AED 13,320 before VAT on this studio. The total is the same under both plans; only the timing changes. Under 50/50 you need AED 333,000 at completion; under 60/40, about AED 22,200 a quarter for three years, which a tenant can partly cover.

No service-charge estimate is published for the building. A 2026 guide to Dubai service charges puts DLRC at about AED 8 to 14 per sq ft a year, which is AED 2,880 to 5,040 on a 360 sq ft studio. A mid-size building that has to run a staffed library, cabanas and a rooftop salon may land above that range, so get Imtiaz's estimate in writing before you book.

Location and connectivity

DLRC sits between Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road (E311) and Dubai-Al Ain Road (E66), next to Dubai Silicon Oasis and Dubai Academic City. The developer places The Archive along the E311 frontage. Global Village and IMG Worlds of Adventure are about 10 minutes by car and Dubai Outlet Mall a few minutes along Al Ain Road. Downtown Dubai is about 25 minutes off-peak, and the marketing puts Dubai International Airport about 20 minutes out; other DLRC pages say 25.

There is no Dubai Metro station in DLRC today, so this is a car district. Its tenants work in Silicon Oasis's free zone, at the Academic City universities and along Al Ain Road, and DLRC rents for one- and two-bedrooms sit around AED 45,000 to 90,000 a year.

DLRC is also a construction site for the rest of this decade. Several developers are building in it at once: Imtiaz has Cove here, 4Direction has Haven Views, Leos has the Weybridge Gardens phases, and Object 1 has the multi-phase VERDAN1A. That means more shops by 2028, and more new flats competing for tenants when The Archive hands over.

Amenities and specifications

The theme is the building's reason to exist. The developer and the project pages describe a two-storey library of about 10,000 books wrapped around a spiral stair in place of a conventional lobby, a writer's room, a reading lounge and a rooftop reading salon. Outdoors the list adds a shallow water-feature lounge with floating cabanas, outdoor lounges, mini golf and a children's play area.

Every unit is fully furnished and equipped, which is Imtiaz's standard and the main reason its buildings let quickly. What is not published is the detail that decides value: the furniture schedule and brands, the appliance list, parking per unit and the service-charge budget. On a furnished unit the furniture is part of the price, so ask for the inventory as an annex to the SPA.

About the developer

Imtiaz Developments is a private Dubai developer with its own construction arm. Project pages give its founding year as 1993 and name Masih Imtiaz as chief executive. It reports more than 40 active projects and a pipeline above AED 10 billion, concentrated in JVC, Dubailand, Meydan and Dubai Islands.

Its delivery record is in JVC. Recent handovers include Westwood Grande I and II, Pearl House I and II and Hyde Walk. Imtiaz says Pearl House II was handed over three months early and reported five early handovers in one year. Those are the developer's own statements, but the buildings are there to visit.

The product is consistent: furnished studios and one-bedrooms sold to investors, often with part of the price payable after handover. The risk here is not whether Imtiaz can build a 17-storey block, but whether the premium for the theme survives at resale.

For Indian buyers

Ownership. DLRC is a freehold area, open to Indian buyers. The sale is registered on Oqood during construction and the DLD issues the title deed in your name at handover. Dubai charges no annual property tax, and there is no VAT on a residential sale.

LRS. Each person can remit USD 250,000 per financial year under the LRS, about AED 918,000. The studio with its DLD fee comes to about AED 692,640, roughly USD 188,600, so one person's allowance covers it, and a couple can fund a one-bedroom in the same year. TCS at 20% applies above Rs 10 lakh a year and is adjusted against your Indian tax.

Golden Visa. The threshold is AED 2 M of property. The three-bedroom at AED 1.9 M is AED 100,000 short, so a single unit here does not qualify on the launch list.

Rent, tax and exit. A studio at AED 666,000 let furnished at AED 32,000 to 45,000 a year earns about 4.8 to 6.8% gross before service charges. The UAE does not tax that rent, but a resident Indian declares it in India and lists the flat in Schedule FA. At resale you will sell to other yield investors at the district's rate, and the theme and furniture add little. See all Dubai projects we track or the projects list to compare.

Pros

• A developer with a run of early JVC handovers and its own construction arm
• Fully furnished, so the unit can be let the month it is handed over
• The 60/40 plan leaves 40% to pay over three years after handover, partly from rent
• A 666,000 studio plus fees fits inside one person's USD 250,000 LRS year
• A design theme — the 10,000-book library — that no other DLRC building offers
• Handover date consistent across every source checked: Q3 2028

Cons

• About AED 1,850 per sq ft on the studio, well above DLRC's AED 800 - 1,200 range
• About 12% more per sq ft than Imtiaz's own Cove studio in the same district
• No unit count, DLD project number or service-charge estimate published
• A library, cabanas and a rooftop salon in a mid-size building point to a higher service charge
• No Dubai Metro station in DLRC today
• The 3 BHK at AED 1.9 M sits AED 100,000 under the Golden Visa threshold

Who this is for

• Yield investors who want a furnished DLRC studio or 1 BHK from a developer with a delivery record
• Buyers who want to pay 40% after handover rather than at it
• Indian buyers funding from one person's LRS allowance
• Readers and home workers who will actually use a library building as residents

Who should look elsewhere

• Buyers chasing the lowest price per sq ft in DLRC
• Anyone who needs rent or keys before late 2028
• Buyers who want a Golden Visa from a single unit here
• Commuters who need the Dubai Metro

Our verdict

The Archive is Imtiaz's usual product, a furnished investor flat in DLRC, dressed in a design idea that is genuinely unusual: a two-storey library of about 10,000 books where the lobby would be. The developer side is the strength, because Imtiaz builds in-house and has handed over several JVC buildings early. The price is the weakness. At about AED 1,850 per sq ft the studio costs well above DLRC's AED 800 to 1,200 range, and about 12% more per foot than Imtiaz's own Cove studio in the same district. That premium buys the theme and the furniture, neither of which a later buyer will pay much for. The 60/40 plan softens it by pushing 40% past handover, where rent can help.

Buy a studio or 1 BHK here if you want a furnished DLRC unit from a developer with a delivery record and you value the post-handover plan. Before booking, price Cove and a ready DLRC resale on the same per-sq-ft basis, because the gap is large. Ask for the service-charge estimate and the DLD project number in writing; neither is published yet.

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 The Archive by Imtiaz?

Studios start from AED 666,000 (about Rs 1.71 crore) at about 360 sq ft. One-bedrooms start from AED 979,000, two-bedrooms from AED 1.55 M and three-bedrooms from AED 1.9 M. These are launch figures; the developer's price list on the day of booking decides the unit you get.

What is the payment plan?

Two plans, each opening with 20% plus the 4% DLD fee and an admin fee. The 50/50 plan takes 30% more during construction and 50% on completion. The 60/40 plan takes 40% more during construction and 40% over three years after handover at about 3.3% a quarter.

When is the handover?

Q3 2028 on every page we checked. It is a new launch, so no construction progress figure is published yet.

Is the project registered with the DLD?

It is sold off-plan, so payments must go to a DLD escrow account named in your SPA and the sale is registered on Oqood. The project number was not published by the sources we checked; ask Imtiaz for it and check it on the Dubai REST app before you pay.

Are the apartments furnished?

Yes. Every unit is sold fully furnished and equipped, which is Imtiaz's standard product. Ask for the furniture inventory as an annex to the SPA.

What service charge should I expect?

Not published. DLRC buildings typically run about AED 8 to 14 per sq ft a year, which is AED 2,880 to 5,040 on a 360 sq ft studio. A furnished building with a library and rooftop amenities may sit above that range, so get the estimate in writing.

What rental yield can a studio earn?

DLRC is quoted at 7 to 9.5% gross, but on stock bought at AED 800 to 1,200 per sq ft. A studio bought at AED 666,000 and let furnished at about AED 32,000 to 45,000 a year returns about 4.8 to 6.8% gross before service charges.

Does it qualify for the Golden Visa?

Only at AED 2 M or more of property. The largest published price, the 3 BHK at AED 1.9 M, is AED 100,000 short, so one unit alone does not qualify.

Can an Indian resident buy here?

Yes. DLRC is freehold for foreign buyers and the title deed is issued in your name at handover. Under the LRS each person can remit USD 250,000 a financial year; the studio at about AED 692,640 with the DLD fee is about USD 188,600.

Compare with other Dubai projects

Also in DLRC, Dubailand: VERDAN1A (from AED 0.91 M, handover 2027). See every Dubailand Residence Complex project with prices and handover dates.

More by Imtiaz: Inara Residence (from AED 673,000, handover 2028), Raw District (from AED 649,000, handover 2029) and Cove by Imtiaz (from AED 630,000, handover 2027).

A similar budget elsewhere in Dubai: Floarea Skies (from AED 666,000, handover 2027), Samana Resorts (from AED 669,000, handover 2028) and Floarea Grande (from AED 670,000, handover 2026).

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.