Dubai Marina: the harbour, record-breaking towers and new waterfront homes
How an empty coast became a harbour of 200 towers, why its two main new towers are being built for a second time, Six Senses, Aeternitas, LIV, Pelagos, the entry price and what you do not see during a viewing.
Dubai Marina: a district of skyscrapers around an artificial marina on Dubai's coast. Yachts pass between the towers, a waterfront promenade runs along the marina, and JBR Beach lies between the district and the sea. Dubai Marina was built almost from scratch over 20 years, and new records are now being set here: the 122-storey Six Senses tower and Aeternitas, with a clock at its summit 450 m above ground. Our catalogue includes 68 developments in the district, 13 of which will be completed from 2026 onwards and are being built by 11 developers. We look at how an empty stretch of coast became Dubai Marina, how the main new developments differ, what it costs to buy in and what you will not see at a viewing.
What is happening in the area
The Marina has long been an established district: people live here, walk around and rent apartments for short stays. Most towers were completed in the 2000s and 2010s. There is almost no vacant waterfront land left, so new buildings are rising on the last plots and differentiate themselves through height, branding or a position right on the water.
For a buyer, this means three things. First, the address is already established. The promenade, beach, metro, tram, restaurants and marinas are in place, visible in person rather than only in a render. Second, buying in costs more than in growing districts. Third, new buildings here vary widely, from an AED 1.4m studio to a full-floor residence worth tens of millions. You cannot compare them simply because they are in 'the Marina'.
If you are buying in the UAE for the first time, start with “How to buy property in the UAE”: it explains the Dubai transaction from reservation to handover.
A harbour that did not exist: how the coast became the Marina
There was no water in the Marina until the late 1990s. It was a flat, sandy coast. In 1999, Emaar hired HOK, which designed a 578-hectare district around a man-made harbour with almost 8 km of promenades. False Creek in Vancouver was the model: an inlet surrounded by residential towers and waterfront walks.
Construction of the sea wall began in December 1998. The excavation for the future harbour stretched for 3.5 km, and 5.7 million m³ of earth was removed. The shores were reinforced with around 15,000 concrete blocks weighing up to 42 t each. The canal's shoreline stretched for 10 km. Construction of the district officially began on 17 October 2000, with a promise of 'a city for 100,000 people'.
Three towers came first: 41-storey Al Murjan, 34-storey Al Mass and 26-storey Fairooz, totalling 569 apartments. They were rushed to completion for the 2003 IMF meeting in Dubai. In August 2002, Jumeirah Beach Residence was launched along the beach: 40 towers over 1.7 km of coast and 6,917 apartments. The Walk, a street of around 170 shops, opened at the foot of these towers in August 2008, followed by Dubai Marina Mall with 140 shops that December.
The race for height and a flooded excavation
In the 2000s, the Marina became a proving ground for record-breaking towers. Select Group's The Torch opened in May 2011 and was then the world's tallest residential building. In 2012, Princess Tower surpassed it at 413.4 m and 101 storeys, holding the title until 2015. Nearby came 23 Marina, 392.4 m tall with 57 swimming pools in the building, and Elite Residence at 380.5 m. The 425 m Marina 101 tower stalled in the crisis and had to be completed with banks stepping in.
The district's best-known tower is the twisting Cayan Tower by SOM. Each floor is rotated 1.2° relative to the one below, so over its 306.4 m height the tower turns 90°. Its rise began with a setback: on 7 February 2007, harbour water breached the excavation wall and flooded it entirely. Construction stopped for a year and a half, and the tower opened on 10 June 2013.
Height had a downside too. The Torch caught fire twice, in 2015 and 2017. There were no casualties either time.
The crisis: two towers being built for a second time
The crisis stopped several major projects in the Marina. Two of them are now the district's main new buildings. Pentominium was planned to be around 516 m tall, with 122 storeys. Construction stopped and the site stood idle for years. In 2023, Select Group bought it at auction for $100m, after 46 bids. Six Senses Residences, designed by Woods Bagot, is now rising on the site.
The second is Emaar's Marina 106. It was frozen in 2009, construction resumed on 2 December 2013 and stopped again on 11 April 2017. London Gate and watchmaker Franck Muller then took over the tower, and from April 2024 it has been under construction as Aeternitas. Both stories matter to a buyer: these towers have a long history, and the new owners' timelines should be checked against construction progress, not advertising.
Tram, metro and observation wheel
The Marina metro station, now called Sobha Realty, opened on 30 April 2010. The tram began running through the district on 11 November 2014: 10.6 km of track and 11 stops. It draws power from the ground rather than overhead wires. It was the first tram of this type outside Europe.
Bluewaters Island opposite JBR beach opened in November 2018. On it, the 250 m Ain Dubai observation wheel opened on 21 October 2021. The wheel later closed and reopened on 26 December 2024. The Marina now has more than 200 towers and around 120,000 residents: the 2000 promise is nearly fulfilled.
Six Senses Residences: 122 storeys and the Longevity level
Six Senses Residences Dubai Marina is being built by Select Group, the company behind The Torch and Marina Gate in the Marina. It is the first standalone residential building under the Six Senses brand, known for its resorts and spas. The tower rises to 122 storeys and has just 251 residences: two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments, half-floor penthouses, and two- and three-level Sky Mansions. Completion is due in Q3 2028. The tower is rising on the site of the stalled Pentominium, discussed in the chapter on the crisis.
The building's main feature is four resident levels totalling around 5,690 m². Level 5 is Balance, with an infinity pool, three types of sauna and a salt room. Level 6 is Longevity, with a longevity clinic, cryotherapy chamber and hyperbaric chamber. Level 109 is Horizon, with a 25 m lap pool and gardens overlooking the Marina and Palm Jumeirah.
Available apartments start at AED 10,259,700 for a 308 m² four-bedroom apartment, or AED 33,287 per m². Payment is 20% on booking, a further 20% in two instalments during construction and 60% on handover. The money goes into escrow at Emirates NBD. The service charge is AED 409 per m² per year, the highest among the district's new buildings.
Aeternitas: a clock 450 metres above ground
Franck Muller Aeternitas is being built by London Gate with Swiss watchmaker Franck Muller. These are the brand's first residences in Dubai and its first real estate project. The 105-storey, 450 m tower is named after the Aeternitas Mega watch, which has 36 complications and 1,483 components. A large clock will sit at the top, and the concept is that of a clock tower. This is the former Emaar Marina 106, a project halted twice. We covered its history above.
At the top, floors 102 to 105, starting at 400 m above ground, house three Sky Mansions and the 797 m² Aeternitas penthouse. Mansion residents have their own chef and concierge. Below are one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments and Franck Muller villas. Inside are a padel court, spa, cigar lounge, zen garden and music room.
The payment plan is 30/70: 30% during construction, starting with booking, and 70% on handover. Escrow is held at Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank. Available apartments start at AED 9,700,000 for a 253 m² four-bedroom apartment. Completion is listed for Q4 2026, while the tower is 49% complete. Ask the developer for an updated date in writing before you buy.
LIV Waterside and LIV Marina: homes right on the water
LIV Waterside are being built by LIV Developers. This is a gated waterfront community with 175 m of shoreline: rather than looking across a road at the water, the development is right on the waterfront and opens onto Marina Promenade. It includes a 26-storey tower and a low-rise waterfront section: one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments, duplexes, townhouses, penthouses, and four- and five-bedroom villas.
A feature no longer found elsewhere in the area: The Mansion. Its own entrance, private pool, three floors, 7 m ceilings and 4 m-high entrance doors. The spa has a Himalayan salt cave. A 76 m² one-bedroom apartment starts at AED 2,900,000, or AED 38,023 per m². The building is nearly complete, at 95%, with handover due in Q3 2026. Apartments must currently be bought outright, with no instalment plan.
LIV Marina by the same developer stands in the area's five-star section, near Grosvenor House, Ritz-Carlton and InterContinental, on one of the last vacant waterfront plots. The building has 39 floors and 248 apartments, and is already complete. Its amenity floor has an infinity pool overlooking Marina waters, plus a trampoline park for children. Apartments start from AED 4,599,548, payable in full on purchase.
Pelagos by IGO: a balcony larger than a studio
Pelagos by IGO is being developed by Invest Group Overseas, a company operating since 2004. The tower sits on the waterfront, with two podium levels above the ground floor and 33 residential levels, containing 288 apartments. It offers studios and one- and two-bedroom apartments, with no three-bedroom units. Handover is due in Q3 2026.
The main feature here is the balconies. The A2 two-bedroom apartment has a 39 m² balcony, larger than an entire Type B studio. Windows face the promenade and yacht berths. There are drawbacks too: no spa, cinema or children's club, and the area is busy and tourist-oriented.
Pelagos has the lowest price per square metre among the area's new developments: AED 23,101 per m². Available apartments now start at AED 3,200,000 for a 139 m² two-bedroom apartment. There are two payment plans: one requires 40% at handover, the other allows 30% to be paid after handover. Funds are paid into escrow at First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Next door: Dubai Harbour
Dubai Harbour lies between the Marina and Palm Jumeirah. It is a new seafront district with Dubai's largest yacht marina and a cruise terminal. Buyers often consider it alongside the Marina, and some Dubai Harbour developments are even marketed under the Marina name. We treat them separately.
DAMAC Bay 2 by Cavalli is located there: two towers, an infinity pool on level 43 and duplexes with private pools on floors 44 to 48. Handover is due in Q1 2028, with three-bedroom apartments from AED 8,235,000. Nearby, Sobha is developing Seahaven: three crescent-shaped towers facing the sea, ranging from 45 to 65 storeys. One-bedroom apartments start from AED 4,532,032, with handover due in Q3 2027.
More new developments in the area
More new Marina developments from our catalogue. Prices and handover dates are updated on each development's page. Find other developments in the Emirates catalogue.
The price of entry
You can buy an apartment in a new Marina development for under AED 1.5 million, while a four-bedroom residence can cost more than AED 10 million. The median entry price for new developments is around AED 4.5 million. That is higher than Business Bay, where the median is around AED 2.8 million, as we covered in our article about Business Bay. For a comparison with other city districts, see our guide "How much does it cost to get into Dubai?".
A "from" price is always the lowest-priced available apartment in a development. At Vanguard, that is a 38 m² studio; at Six Senses, it is a 308 m² four-bedroom residence. A price-per-square-metre comparison is fairer. It shows that Pelagos and Marina Cove are less expensive than their neighbours, while LIV Waterside, Aeternitas and Rove Home have the highest price per square metre.
In addition to the purchase price, the buyer pays a 4% Dubai Land Department registration fee, then an annual service charge after handover. In new Marina developments, it ranges from AED 172 per m² per year at Vanguard to AED 334 at Residences Du Port and AED 409 at Six Senses. We explain how it works in our article about apartment ownership costs. We also explain how to read a payment plan in our article about developer instalment plans.
She wanted the Marina, but bought on the waterfront: an example from our practice
This case illustrates how pricing works in Dubai Marina. Our client, Anna, wanted an apartment for up to $500,000 that would generate at least $3,000 a month. She was looking in Dubai Marina or Downtown. But in established areas, yields are around 6% a year, so such an apartment would bring in no more than $2,500 a month.
We suggested a 70 m² one-bedroom apartment in a growing waterfront area and negotiated a price 10% lower with the developer. Prices in the project started at $500,000; the client bought for $450,000. The apartment is rented out short-term and brings in $3,800 a month.
The conclusion for the Marina is simple: an established, well-known address comes at a high price, and rental yields are lower here than in districts still growing. Buy in the Marina for the Marina itself: the water, promenade and life around it, rather than for the highest rental yield.
What you don’t see at a viewing
Who it suits and who it doesn't
| What matters to you | Which development | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Smaller budget | Vanguard, Marina Living | Studios from AED 1.39 million, completed buildings from AED 2.1 million |
| Low waterfront price per square metre | Pelagos by IGO | AED 23,101 per m², large balconies above the berths |
| Living right on the water | LIV Waterside, LIV Marina | The developments sit right by the harbour, and both are nearly complete or already finished. |
| A landmark development | Aeternitas | 105 storeys and a clock at the top |
| Wellness and services | Six Senses Residences | Longevity clinic, spa and a pool on the 109th floor |
| Sea and yachts nearby | DAMAC Bay 2 in Dubai Harbour | A neighbouring seafront district with the city's largest marina |
Who it is not for. Anyone looking for a quiet family district with villas, gardens and a school around the corner: the Marina is dense, noisy and tourist-oriented. Anyone buying for the highest yield: it is lower in established districts than in growing ones, as the example above shows. Read our guide to freehold ownership to understand how foreign ownership works in the Emirates.
Buying mistakes
Quick answers
Where is Dubai Marina?
On Dubai's coast, between Palm Jumeirah and Jumeirah Lake Towers. A man-made harbour runs through the district, sheltered from the sea by JBR Beach. Downtown and Burj Khalifa are around 20 minutes away by car.
How much does an apartment in a new Marina development cost?
The most affordable available apartment in a new development in the district is a studio at Vanguard by Franck Muller for AED 1,390,000. One-bedroom apartments at Marina Living start from AED 2,100,000, and at LIV Waterside from AED 2,900,000. The median for new developments in the district is around AED 4.5 million.
Which Marina developments are due for handover soon?
LIV Waterside, Pelagos by IGO, Aeternitas, Marina Shores and Residences Du Port are due for handover in 2026. Vanguard is due in 2027, Six Senses Residences in 2028, and Marina Cove in 2029.
Is it worth renting out an apartment in the Marina?
The Marina is one of Dubai's most sought-after districts for tourists, so apartments here rent readily. But they are expensive too. In our transaction, a client initially looked for an apartment in the Marina, then bought in a waterfront development in a growing district and achieves a return 27% higher than expected.
How do you pay for an apartment in an off-plan development?
Each development has its own payment plan. At Aeternitas, 70% of the price is paid at handover; at Six Senses, 60%; at Pelagos, part of the price can be paid after handover. By law, the funds go into the development's escrow account.
How does Dubai Marina differ from Dubai Harbour?
Dubai Harbour is a neighbouring seafront district between the Marina and Palm Jumeirah, with the city's largest yacht marina and a cruise terminal. The Marina surrounds a canal harbour, while Dubai Harbour faces the open sea.
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