The Springs, The Meadows and The Lakes Area Guide 2026

Updated 13 August 2026 · By the Cresco local market team

These three Emaar communities inside Emirates Living are among the most established villa addresses in Dubai. The Springs holds around 4,856 townhouses, The Meadows over 1,800 detached villas and The Lakes 600 villas. All are complete, fully occupied and roughly twenty to twenty five years old. Annual price indices show them up 7 to 8%. A separate quarterly measure shows Springs and Meadows prices down 9% in a single quarter. Both are on this page, because a buyer reading only the annual number is being misled about current direction.

The three communities

All three sit inside Emirates Living, developed by Emaar and managed by Emaar Community Management, with the wider estate reported at 8,659 homes across 52.2 million square feet and 72 lakes. All are freehold, complete and occupied, with no new build supply coming.

We are not going to give you a launch year. The commonly cited sources contradict each other and one carries a corrupted date stamp. Developed by Emaar from the early 2000s is as precise as we can honestly be. The Meadows completion is reported as 2004.

The Springs

Around 4,856 homes across clusters numbered 1 to 15. Two, three and four bedroom semi detached and terraced townhouses, with some five bedroom detached villas. Typical built up areas run 1,650 to 1,900 sq ft for two bedrooms and 2,450 to 4,000 sq ft for three.

The Meadows

Over 1,800 detached villas across nine residential clusters, Meadows 1 to 9, plus the Souk and the Village. Three to six bedroom two storey detached homes with built up areas roughly 3,500 to 9,126 sq ft.

The Lakes

600 villas across six communities: Deema, Forat, Ghadeer, Hattan, Maeen and Zulal, plus The Lakes Club. Twelve floor plans. Originally built as a rental community and later converted to sale.

Prices

Land Department sourced index, July 2026. By bedroom at The Springs: two bed 2,097, three bed 2,244, four bed 2,452. At The Meadows: three bed 2,483, four bed 2,834, five bed 2,989, six bed 3,190.

Recorded transacted prices

2026 year to date, secondary sales, built up area basis, single source. Springs median asking is around AED 5.2 million across 328 listings; Meadows median asking around AED 14.2 million across 182 listings.

Rents and yield

The Springs yield is corroborated by two independent sources at 4.31% and 4.35%. The Meadows figure is confirmed twice at around 3.2 to 3.3%, among the lowest of any Dubai villa community. No yield is published for The Lakes at all.

Meadows rents are quoted very differently by different providers, from around AED 341,540 to AED 662,500 for a three bedroom. We are not going to pick one. Treat Meadows rent quotes with suspicion and get comparable evidence.

Liquidity

• The Springs: 400 sales in the twelve months to August 2026, down 14.5%
• The Meadows: 102 sales in twelve months, down 39.6%. That is genuinely thin. A seller should expect a long marketing period
• The Lakes: not published. We could not retrieve a twelve month count

What is here

• The Springs Souk with Carrefour, Reel Cinemas, Fitness First and a Dig It play zone. Spinneys also serves The Springs
• The Meadows Souk and Village
• The Lakes Club with pool, gym, aerobics studio, volleyball, squash and tennis, a convenience store, restaurant and day care
• Schools: Dubai British School Emirates Hills 1.2 km from The Springs and rated Outstanding, Dubai International Academy Emirates Hills 2.3 km and Outstanding, Emirates International School Meadows 0.7 km, Regent International School 1.0 km from The Lakes. Sixteen schools within 5 km of The Meadows at an average fee of AED 69,781

Getting around: Dubai Marina around 10 minutes, Palm Jumeirah 9 to 15 minutes, Dubai Mall 17 to 21 minutes. Dubai International is 35 to 42 minutes, which is a genuine weakness. Nearest metro is DMCC, around 8 minutes by car. Feeder bus F31.

The caveats, and they matter here

1. Prices may be turning. One research house recorded a 9% quarterly decline in villa prices at The Springs and The Meadows in August 2026, the steepest of the villa communities it tracks. That is a quarterly measure against the annual indices above. Both are real. Do not buy on the annual number alone.
2. The stock is twenty to twenty five years old. Original air conditioning, kitchens, bathrooms and pool plant are at or past end of life on unrenovated homes. The market is now sharply two tier, renovated against original, and the published price per square foot blends both.
3. We will not publish a renovation cost benchmark. Every figure we found came from a contractor’s own marketing site. Commission real quotes.
4. Extensions need Emaar approval. Emaar Community Management plus Dubai Municipality. Budget time and fees.
5. Service charges are not published by Emaar Community Management for any of the three. No credible figure exists.
6. The Meadows is expensive and low yielding. 3.2% gross, rents falling 4.15%, 102 sales a year. Buy it to live in.

Questions, answered

How much does a villa in The Springs cost?

Recorded 2026 transactions average around AED 5.92 million for a three bedroom and AED 9.55 million for a four bedroom. Median asking is around AED 5.2 million. The community index sits at AED 2,200 per square foot, up 7.84% over twelve months, though a second research house puts it at AED 1,759.

What yield do The Springs and The Meadows pay?

The Springs around 4.31%, corroborated by two independent sources. The Meadows around 3.2 to 3.3%, among the lowest of any Dubai villa community, with the rent index down 4.15% over twelve months. No yield is published for The Lakes.

Are prices in The Springs and The Meadows rising or falling?

It depends which measure you use. Annual indices show both up 7 to 8% over twelve months to July 2026. A separate research house recorded a 9% quarterly decline in villa prices in both communities in August 2026, the steepest of the villa communities it tracks. Both figures are real and they measure different periods.

How old are the homes?

Roughly twenty to twenty five years. Emaar developed Emirates Living from the early 2000s and The Meadows completion is reported as 2004. Unrenovated homes are at or past end of life on air conditioning, kitchens, bathrooms and pool plant.

How liquid are these communities?

The Springs recorded 400 sales in the twelve months to August 2026, down 14.5%. The Meadows recorded 102, down 39.6%, which is thin. No count is published for The Lakes.