Key takeaways
- Emirates Golf Club Villas Phase 2 in 2026 is an off-plan villa programme on Dubai's first golf course. Stock is scarce, because the area has been built up for decades. For a resident expat, this is an address that new-build rarely offers.
- The entry budget sits in the ultra-premium segment, meaning several tens of millions of AED. Confirm the exact price for each villa type on the developer's price list on the day you reserve.
- Payment is staged until handover. At the deed, you must also pay the 4% transfer fee to the Dubai Land Department. Plan for this cash outlay from day one.
- Rent and capital gains are taxed at 0% in Dubai, according to the official u.ae portal. A property from AED 2M qualifies for the 10-year Golden Visa, a threshold this programme far exceeds.
Who is the typical Phase 2 buyer?
The typical buyer is a French-speaking executive who has lived in Dubai for about five years. Often a Belgian-French or Québécois couple, with two children at school near Al Sufouh. Today they rent a villa and pay annual rent that builds no wealth. Phase 2 offers a way out of that cycle, with a realistic budget of AED 15M to 30M. For an expat whose job and residency are already stable, moving from tenant to owner of an off-plan villa is a logical step.
This profile comes with three constraints. The horizon is 7 to 10 years, which leaves time to absorb the construction cycle. Part of the capital is financed by a local loan, hence the importance of the staged payment plan. And they need a liquid exit if the expatriation ends.
The goal is twofold: live there first, then rent or resell. In both cases, no local tax applies to rent or capital gains, as the official u.ae portal confirms. The investment far exceeds the AED 2M Golden Visa threshold. That also secures resident status for the whole family for ten years.
The tax regime of your home country remains the point to watch. If you keep your tax residency in France, Belgium or Canada, the UAE exemption does not automatically protect you. Everything depends on your actual tax residency and the applicable bilateral treaty, notably the France-UAE convention. Have this checked before you sign. We frame this kind of trade-off with our clients, as part of our advisory service, before any off-plan commitment.
Timeline and prices: what do you pay, and when?
Phase 2 delivery is projected from the date announced by the developer and the file lodged with RERA. That date is not guaranteed. A delay of a few quarters is still common on high-end villas. At launch, observed prices come to several million dirhams per villa. They rise with the typology (4, 5, then 6 bedrooms and more) and with plot size. Confirm these ranges on the official price list handed over at reservation.
| Typology | Price level observed at launch | Checkpoint |
|---|---|---|
| 4-bedroom villa | Entry level of the programme | Developer's official price list |
| 5-bedroom villa | Mid-range | Built-up area and plot |
| 6-bedroom villa and above | High-end | Golf view, orientation, finishes |
Buying at the developer's price
Buying directly from the developer removes any intermediary margin. At Level8, a partner of the developers, you pay the listed price with no extra agency fee. To compare with other programmes, see our projects and our partner developers.
Payments follow a classic off-plan pattern:
- Deposit at reservation, which locks the unit and the price.
- Instalments tied to construction progress, certified by RERA.
- Balance at handover, once the villa is delivered.
All funds go through a regulated escrow account. Releases depend on construction progress. This is the off-plan buyer's main protection in Dubai.
On top of the price come costs to build in from the start. The 4% transfer fee collected by the Dubai Land Department is the largest. Add contract registration fees and annual service charges, calculated per square foot.
4% of the property valueDLD transfer fee · Dubai Land DepartmentThese recurring charges come off gross rent. They make the difference between gross and net yield. To model your scenario before reserving, use our net yield calculator.
What yield and capital gain should you expect?
On a premium golf villa, gross rental yield is generally lower than on apartments, which target 5 to 8% gross in Dubai. What Phase 2 of Emirates Golf Club offers in exchange is capital appreciation. A buyer who thinks only in terms of rent therefore misses the logic of the asset.
The driver of capital gain is land scarcity. Plots around Emirates Hills and The Meadows are sold out. Every new villa facing the historic course is unique. That scarcity rests on HNW demand that remains solid, according to transaction data from the Dubai Land Department. No price increase is guaranteed. This is a structural factor, not a promise.
In Dubai, no personal income tax is levied, neither on rent nor on real-estate capital gains.
This exemption changes the maths. The net yield you collect is the one in the table below, with no local tax layer to deduct. For a French tax resident, the filing still needs to be reviewed with your adviser, because the France-UAE convention applies.
Simulation for a resident expat
Take a villa at AED 20M, the midpoint of the persona's range. The assumptions below are estimates, to be tested on your own file. Service charges for a golf villa, which cover upkeep of the estate, are set at a prudent level.
| Scenario | Rent assumption | Charges and fees | Estimated net yield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long-term rental | 3.5% gross, i.e. AED 700,000/year | Service charges and management: ~0.7% | ~2.8% net |
| Resale at handover | No rent collected | 4% DLD fee at purchase | Gain = price gap − fees |
| 10-year hold | Cumulative rent + appreciation | Recurring charges | Depends on land price growth |
The reading is simple. As a rental, the villa remains a wealth asset with a modest current yield. On resale at handover, the gain comes solely from the gap between the off-plan price and the value at handover, minus the 4% DLD transfer fee. Over ten years, the decision rests mostly on how land scarcity evolves rather than on rent.
For comparison, a well-located apartment earns more in rent. Burj Khalifa Residences runs at around 4.5 to 5.5% gross, and 3.2 to 4% net. The golf villa is chosen for its scarcity and appreciation, not for its rent.
Test your own price, rent and charge assumptions with the net yield calculator. It is the most reliable way to know whether this trade-off fits your situation before you commit a single dirham.
How does it compare with JGE, Dubai Hills and Tilal Al Ghaf?
For a French-speaking expat targeting AED 15M to 30M, Phase 2 of Emirates Golf Club Villas offers the best balance between daily use and capital-gain potential. Each of the three rivals has a real strength. None combines a central location, scarce new-build and a historic golf address. At a comparable budget, taxation is identical: Dubai levies no personal income tax, neither on rent nor on capital gains. The choice therefore comes down to location and resale.
| Address | Main strength | Limit for this profile |
|---|---|---|
| Emirates Golf Club Villas | Central (Marina, Media City), new-build almost absent on this course | High entry ticket |
| Jumeirah Golf Estates | Lower entry ticket, two courses | Remote address |
| Dubai Hills Estate | Deep resale liquidity | Large stock, limited scarcity |
| Tilal Al Ghaf | Family lagoon concept | Far from schools and job hubs |
Jumeirah Golf Estates: cheaper, but farther out
Jumeirah Golf Estates appeals with a lower entry ticket and its two courses. The saving is real, especially on the first villa categories. You pay for it in location. The address is more remote, which weighs on ultra-premium resale. A buyer in this segment first looks for proximity to the Marina and Media City.
Dubai Hills Estate: liquidity, at the price of scarcity
We have to be honest about the strongest rival. Dubai Hills Estate offers deeper resale liquidity, thanks to a large stock of villas and apartments. That same stock limits scarcity. When supply is abundant, the exclusivity premium dilutes. For an investor who will resell within 3 to 5 years, that abundance works against capital gain.
Tilal Al Ghaf: a family concept, but off-centre
Tilal Al Ghaf bets on a family lagoon concept, very appealing for households with children. It remains farther from the schools and job hubs of new Dubai. For an expat working at the Marina or Media City, the daily commute becomes a hidden cost.
Why Phase 2 wins for this persona
Emirates Golf Club Villas combines a central location with a virtually non-existent new-build offer on this historic course. That double criterion supports both living comfort and resale value. To compare budgets across other villa micro-markets, our analysis of villas in Jumeirah gives useful price benchmarks. For a resident who lives on site and wants a rare address, Phase 2 remains the best pairing of use and capital gain on this shortlist. We frame exactly this kind of trade-off for our clients. Our services cover zone selection, the payment plan and coordination through to handover.
Our verdict for the resident expat
Our recommendation: reserve early in Phase 2. An early reservation locks the launch price. In return, you pay a limited deposit, then follow a schedule aligned with your savings. For a resident with a budget of AED 15M to 30M, the historic golf address is rare and the timeline holds up. Waiting until sales close mainly exposes you to pricier units, or a narrower choice of plots.
The figures settle the debate. Dubai levies no personal income tax, neither on rent nor on capital gains. The dirham is pegged to the dollar at a fixed rate of AED 3.6725 per USD, which limits currency risk for an expat paid in dollars.
AED 2M real-estate investment · 10-year visaGolden Visa eligibility threshold · Official u.ae portalA villa in this range far exceeds the AED 2M threshold. It therefore qualifies for the 10-year Golden Visa, an asset for your family if your employment contract changes.
The concrete steps
- Validate the typology. Choose the number of bedrooms and plot size based on your real use: main residence or rental.
- Check RERA registration and escrow. Confirm the project is registered and your payments sit in an escrow account. Also budget the 4% Dubai Land Department transfer fee.
- Coordinate bank financing. Align the payment schedule with your savings or a loan offer, before signing.
We frame this journey for our clients, from villa selection to handover, through our full advisory service.
An exit exists
If your expatriation ends, two options remain open. Resale on the secondary market lets you capture the capital gain, exempt from local tax. If you prefer speed, the firm buy-back within 48h offers confidential liquidity, with no agency commission or viewings. Buying off-plan at Emirates Golf Club therefore does not lock you in. Entry is controlled and exit remains predictable.
Go further
Three complementary reads in the Level8 journal:
- Burj Khalifa Residences: which floor to buy in 2026? — Burj Khalifa apartments trade between AED 2,900 and 4,800/sqft depending on the floor in 2026, for a gross yield of 4.5 to 5.5%, falling to 3.2-4% net once service charges (about AED 65-85/sqft/year) are deducted.
- Airbnb pricing in Dubai: ADR, seasons and floor price — A furnished studio in Dubai Marina is priced around AED 450-550/night in high season (Nov.-Apr.) and AED 250-320 in summer. The floor price is calculated from real costs: DTCM permit, Tourism Dirham, service charges and cleaning.
- Villa for sale in Jumeirah, Dubai: 2026 prices in Jumeirah 1, 2 and 3 — A villa in Jumeirah trades in 2026 between AED 1,200 and 2,400/sqft depending on the sub-area, against AED 3,000 to 5,500 on Palm Jumeirah. And only certain plots in Jumeirah 1, 2 and 3 are freehold.
FAQ
What fees should I budget on top of the price to buy an off-plan villa?
The main item is the 4% transfer fee collected by the Dubai Land Department, payable at the deed. Add contract registration fees and, once the villa is delivered, annual service charges calculated per square foot.
How does the payment plan work for an off-plan villa at Emirates Golf Club?
It follows a staged pattern: a deposit at reservation, instalments tied to construction progress certified by RERA, then the balance at handover. The exact schedule appears in the official price list provided by the developer.
How is my money protected during construction?
Payments go through a regulated escrow account. Releases depend on certified construction progress. This is the off-plan buyer's main safeguard in Dubai, alongside RERA oversight.
What rental yield should I expect from a premium golf villa?
The gross yield of an ultra-premium villa is generally lower than that of apartments, which target 5 to 8% gross in Dubai. The main performance driver is capital appreciation, supported by land scarcity. No price increase is guaranteed.
How does my home country's tax system apply if I buy in Dubai?
Dubai taxes neither rent nor capital gains. But this exemption does not automatically protect you if you keep your tax residency in France, Belgium or Canada. Everything depends on your actual tax residency and the applicable bilateral treaty, such as the France-UAE convention. Have this checked before signing.
What minimum investment qualifies for the 10-year Golden Visa?
A property from AED 2M qualifies for the 10-year Golden Visa, according to the official u.ae portal. A Phase 2 villa far exceeds this threshold, which also secures the family's resident status.
Sources
The figures and rules quoted in this article come from the following sources :
