Sharjah is the third biggest city in the United Arab Emirates and the capital of the emirate of the same name. It is not as popular as Dubai among expats. This is due to a large extent to the more traditional and conservative morals of the city’s residents. However, some foreigners choose this city to live and work. Most of them are expats with families. The city has everything that a family needs, while the real estate prices in Sharjah are considerably lower than in Dubai or Abu Dhabi. Read on to find out more about the best places to live in Sharjah with family.
Photo: Hassan Pasha (Unsplash)
The city features many places of interest for tourists: the King Faisal Mosque, which is one of the biggest in the Middle East with a capacity of 16,670 worshippers, the old Al Mareija area, the beaches of the Khalid Lagoon and the Al Jazeera theme park on an island. Sharjah also boasts the world's third highest fountain in the gulf after the Jeddah Fountain in Saudi Arabia and the Geneva Water Fountain in Switzerland. Another feature that Sharjah is famous for is its museums. You can visit the Sharjah Heritage Museum, the Museum of Art as well as archaeological and scientific museums. Finally, Sharjah has large bazaars and a fish market.
The emirate and the city of Sharjah are famous for the strictest Islamic laws in the whole UAE. For instance, trading in alcohol is illegal, so you will have to go to the neighbouring emirates to buy it (e.g., Dubai). On the bright side, Sharjah is a very family-friendly area as there are lots of schools, nurseries, tranquil recreational areas, and other amenities for children. At the same time, housing prices in Sharjah are significantly lower than in Dubai, enabling you to rent or buy bigger properties. All this makes the emirate appealing to family expats, even if the adults work in the nearby Dubai.
Sharjah offers flats or houses both for rent or for sale. Recently, in 2022, the Sharjah Executive Council (SEC) declared the emirate a freehold zone. This means that now anyone can buy properties within the Emirate of Sharjah, regardless of citizenship, purposes, and time restrictions. Foreign investors considering buying real estate in Sharjah can choose from a wide range of options: flats, townhouses, villas, duplexes, and even plots of land. It all depends on your initial budget, preferences, and lifestyle.
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Al Nahda, Sharjah
Al Nahda is one of the most popular residential areas for families in Sharjah. It is an extension of the Al Nahda district in Dubai, offering the best features from both emirates. The educational facilities in the area include the Al Nahda nursery, Sheffield Private School, and Pristine Private School. Al Nahda also has a park of the same name with a large area for children, many restaurants, cafes, and supermarkets.
Al Nahda offers a great selection of properties for rent, from studios to three-bedroom or four bedroom flats. The average annual rent of flats in Al Nahda is AED 27,000 (USD 7,300). One-bedroom flats cost AED 21,000 (USD 5,700) a year, while three-bedroom options cost approximately AED 43,000 (USD 11,700) a year.
You can buy one-bedroom flats in Al Nahda for AED 445,000 (USD 121,000), a two-bedroom flat will cost you AED 600,000 (USD 163,000), flats with three bedrooms cost AED 890,000 (USD 242,000), while four-bedroom options are on sale for about AED 1.2 million (USD 316,000).
As there are various residential complexes in Muwaileh, you can choose from cheap flats for rent or for sale to villas and townhouses in the wealthier area of the neighbourhood.
The rent of a one-bedroom flat starts at AED 20,000 (USD 5,400) a year. A two-bedroom flat costs from AED 30,000 (USD 8,200) a year, while flats with three bedrooms start at AED 42,000 (USD 11,400).
If you want to rent a villa with up to five bedrooms, be ready to pay between AED 115,000 and AED 200,000 (from USD 31,300 to USD 54,400) a year. It costs from AED 110,000 to AED 130,000 (USD 30,000 to USD 35,400) year to rent a townhouse.
You can buy a studio in Muwaileh for AED 400,000 (USD 10,900), a one-bedroom flat for a minimum of AED 619,000 (USD 168,500), a two-bedroom flat for AED 640,000 (USD 17,400), and a three-bedroom option for AED 1.3 million (USD 367,500). Villas will cost you from AED 1.6 million (USD 435,600) and townhouses from AED 1.3 million (USD 354,000).
Al Majaz
Al Majaz is a lively area near the Buhaira Corniche embankment, which is the most popular area in Sharjah for buying real estate. Al Majaz offers primarily properties on the coast, such as low-rise or medium-rise houses, villas and townhouses. The district is also home to a popular concert venue, the Al Majaz Amphitheatre. Al Qasba, an area with many outdoor attractions, is just a 10-minute walk from Al Majaz. There you can ride the Eye of the Emirates Ferris Wheel.
You can rent a property in this part of Sharjah at the following prices: a one-bedroom flat costs on average AED 24,000 (USD 6,500) a year, a two-bedroom flat costs AED 34,000 (USD 9,300), while a three-bedroom flat costs about AED 50,000 (USD 13,600) a year.
You can buy a two-bedroom flat for AED 400,000 (USD 108,000), while three-bedroom options start at AED 700,000 (USD 190,000). You can buy a three-bedroom villa in Al Majaz for AED 1.3 million (USD 354,000) and a two-bedroom townhouse for AED 1.2 million (USD 327,000). These are the lowest prices on the market in this area, while you can expect the price of the most expensive properties to be three or four times as high.
Al Taawun
Al Taawun is a bustling area of high-rise buildings stretching along the Al Mamzar beach and the Khalid Lagoon which you can view from the flats facing the embankment. As Al Taawun is close to the Stadium metro station, it is easy to move around the city on public transport. You can spend the evenings strolling along the Al Mamzar beach or in the Al Majaz Park located nearby. There are lots of gyms and fitness centres for sports enthusiasts in Al Taawun.
The area is popular both with tenants and real estate investors. You can rent one-bedroom flats in Al Taawun at AED 25,000 (USD 6,800) a year. The average annual rent is AED 34,000 AED (USD 9,200) for two-bedroom flats, AED 46,000 (USD 12,500) for three-bedroom flats, and AED 73,000 (USD 19,900) for four-bedroom options.
The lowest price of a two-bedroom flat on sale in Al Taawun is AED 400,000 (USD 108,000) and AED 500,000 AED (USD 136,000) for three-bedroom flats.
Al Khan
Al Khan is a neighbourhood next to Al Majaz. It is famous for its beaches by the Al Khan Bay. Moreover, the area hosts Sharjah's main attractions: the Sharjah Expo Centre and Sharjah Aquarium.
