Dubai Healthcare City Breaks Ground on AED 3 Billion Dubai Creek Gardens: More Than 1,400 Residences on Dubai Creek, 70% Open Space and Completion in 2030

11 September 2026

Dubai Healthcare City Authority (DHCA) announced on Thursday 10 September 2026 the groundbreaking of Dubai Creek Gardens, an AED 3 billion (about USD 817 million) residential development by Global Partners Ltd in Dubai Healthcare City (DHCC) Phase 2. According to the release published by the Government of Dubai Media Office, the community will have more than 1,400 residences with curated retail and dining on more than 127,000 square metres along Dubai Creek, 70% of the total area will be given to landscaped gardens, parks, sports facilities and open spaces, and completion is scheduled for 2030. The project will include the UAE’s first Westin and Renaissance branded residences, developed with Marriott International, and DHCA has become a founding shareholder of Global Partners Property Fund II, the fund that owns the development. Below are the verified figures, who does what in the project, how the schedule has changed since the first announcement in 2025, where the site sits on the transport map and what the groundbreaking means for buyers, investors and companies.

Dubai Creek Gardens in figures

What the groundbreaking adds to what was known

We first wrote about the project on 12 August 2026, when Global Partners reported that Fund II had raised more than USD 300 million for Dubai Creek Gardens. That announcement named the location, the neighbours and the Marriott brands but gave no size, value or date. The groundbreaking release fills in five points:

1. A headline value. AED 3 billion, which DHCA chief executive Issam Galadari called Global Partners’ investment in the project. The release does not say whether the figure is a construction budget, a total project cost or a gross development value, and it does not explain how the sum is financed. For reference, in August Fund II reported raising more than USD 300 million (about AED 1.1 billion) for the project.
2. Scale. More than 1,400 residences on more than 127,000 square metres, with retail and dining.
3. The open-space commitment. 70% of the area for gardens, parks, sports facilities and open spaces. By our arithmetic that is about 88,900 square metres, close to 9 hectares, leaving roughly 38,100 square metres for everything else.
4. A completion year. 2030.
5. A government shareholder. DHCA, the authority that governs DHCC, is a founding shareholder of Global Partners Property Fund II. The release presents this as part of DHCA’s work to attract foreign direct investment.

Who is who in the project

Two quotes from the release show how the partners describe the project. Bader Saeed Hareb, Executive Chairman of Global Partners Property Fund II: “Dedicating 70% to landscaped gardens is a deliberate departure from the density-first model that has defined much of the market and reflects how we believe the next generation of institutional-grade residential products in Dubai should be built.” Sandeep Walia, Chief Operating Officer for Middle East and Africa, Luxury, at Marriott International, said homeowners “can expect a lifestyle centered around holistic wellbeing within a walkable community that integrates daily living, work and leisure.”

From the 2025 plan to the 2026 groundbreaking

Since the first announcement in February 2025 the project has passed four public milestones. The Letter of Agreement announced that month described a mixed-use development in DHCC Phase 2 owned by Fund II, in Al Jaddaf overlooking Dubai Creek and next to the Swiss International Scientific School. The fund and the location are the same as those of Dubai Creek Gardens, although the name was not used at the time.

Two things moved between the plan and the groundbreaking. The groundbreaking was announced in the third quarter of 2026 rather than in the first quarter targeted in 2025, and completion is now given as 2030 rather than the fourth quarter of 2029. The area figures are not comparable: the 172,000 square metres of 2025 referred to gross floor area, while the 127,000 square metres of 2026 describe the area the development spans, and the 2026 release gives no gross floor area. For a buyer the practical conclusion is simple: the handover date that matters is the one written into the sale and purchase agreement for a specific unit, not the date in a press release.

Where the site is and how it connects

DHCC Phase 2 lies in Al Jaddaf, on Dubai Creek. DHCC is a free zone governed by DHCA, and in Phase 1 the authority is carrying out a separate AED 1.3 billion development programme announced in October 2025: in April 2026 it broke ground on PIXEL DHCC, a LEED Platinum office building of 13,000 square metres over nine floors, and IBN SINA+, a medical complex of 5,800 square metres over five floors.

Transport is the second reason the location draws attention. Two rail projects have announced stations in Al Jaddaf:

• Dubai Metro Blue Line. The first route of the Roads and Transport Authority’s 30-kilometre line with 14 stations starts at the Al Khor interchange station on the Green Line in Al Jaddaf and runs through Dubai Festival City, Dubai Creek Harbour and Ras Al Khor to International City. Operations are scheduled to start in September 2029, ahead of the 2030 completion date of Dubai Creek Gardens. Our review of the Blue Line, the Gold Line and Etihad Rail covers the districts each line reaches.
• Abu Dhabi to Dubai high-speed rail. The January 2025 announcement listed six stations, including one at Jaddaf near Dubai Creek, with trains running at up to 350 km per hour and a journey of 30 minutes between the two emirates. The project is covered in our article on the UAE’s first high-speed rail line.

Global Partners also lists the RTA water taxi among the transport links of its branded residences. The walking distance from the plot to either station has not been published, and it is the figure worth asking for before paying a premium for connectivity.

Why 70% open space matters in Dubai’s planning context

The release ties the project to two government plans, and both put numbers on green space:

For a buyer, the open-space ratio is a commitment at the level of the whole community, and it has value only if it is fixed in the approved master plan and in the documents that set the service charge. The announcement does not say who will own and maintain the gardens and sports facilities, so this is a question for the sales documents.

What the groundbreaking means for buyers, investors and companies

1. Buyers of branded residences. The announcement gives the brand names, the scale and a completion year, but no prices, payment plan, unit mix or phasing. Ask which brand services come with a Westin or Renaissance home and how they are reflected in the service charge estimate, together with the price.
2. Residency through property. The UAE Golden Visa route for property investors starts at AED 2 million in property value. Prices in Dubai Creek Gardens have not been published, so whether a unit qualifies, and on what conditions an off-plan unit can be used, has to be checked for the specific purchase; the requirements are in our guide to the UAE Golden Visa.
3. Buying through a company. If the purchase is made through a company, first check that the project accepts corporate buyers. The company then needs an active licence, a corporate bank account for instalments and a clear ownership chain for registration. We set this up through company formation in the UAE and corporate bank account opening.
4. Contractors, consultants and suppliers. Works on more than 1,400 homes, retail and landscaping run to 2030, with Mirage leading development management and delivery. Pre-qualification with a developer or its main contractor typically requires a UAE trade licence with the right activities, staff with work visas and residency and a local bank account.
5. Retail, food and wellness operators. The release promises curated retail and dining inside the community, and DHCC presents Phase 2 as a destination where healthcare, wellness, living and lifestyle come together. Tenants, unit sizes and leasing terms have not been announced.

Checklist before reserving a unit in Dubai Creek Gardens

• Get the price, the payment plan and the handover date for your unit in writing; the announcement names only the completion year 2030, and the 2025 plan targeted Q4 2029.
• Ask which authority registers the sale and which escrow account receives the instalments, and pay only into that account.
• Check which building and phase the unit belongs to and whether it carries Westin or Renaissance branding.
• Request the service charge estimate and the list of brand services included in it.
• Ask how the 70% open space is recorded in the master plan and who will own and maintain the gardens and sports facilities.
• If the purchase should support a Golden Visa, confirm before paying a deposit that the unit value reaches AED 2 million and that the unit qualifies.
• Decide before booking whether to buy personally or through a company, since the choice affects registration, bank financing and a future sale.
• Ask for the walking distance to the Al Khor metro interchange and to the announced high-speed rail station instead of relying on the district name.

How Atlant Capital can help

Atlant Capital works with investors, families and companies who need a legal and banking base in the UAE. For buyers of projects such as Dubai Creek Gardens we register companies in free zones and on the mainland, open corporate and personal bank accounts for instalments and rental income, prepare Golden Visa applications for property investors and arrange residency and work visas for owners and staff. For contractors and suppliers entering a multi-year project we set up the licence with the right activities, the visas for the team and the bank account that developers ask for at pre-qualification.

Conclusion

The groundbreaking turns Dubai Creek Gardens from a fund story into a dated project: AED 3 billion, more than 1,400 residences, more than 127,000 square metres with 70% open space and completion in 2030, with DHCA now a shareholder in the fund that owns it. The next set of figures, prices, the payment plan, the split between Westin and Renaissance homes and the phasing, has not been published, and those are the numbers that will decide whether the project works for a specific buyer. The transport side is dated as well: the Blue Line route from the Al Khor interchange in Al Jaddaf is scheduled for September 2029 and a high-speed rail station at Jaddaf has been announced, while the distance from the plot to both remains to be confirmed.

FAQ

What is Dubai Creek Gardens?

Dubai Creek Gardens is an AED 3 billion residential community by Global Partners Ltd in Dubai Healthcare City Phase 2 in Al Jaddaf, on Dubai Creek. It will have more than 1,400 residences, retail and dining on more than 127,000 square metres, with 70% of the area given to gardens, parks, sports facilities and open spaces. The groundbreaking was announced on 10 September 2026.

When will Dubai Creek Gardens be completed?

Completion is scheduled for 2030, according to the groundbreaking announcement published by the Dubai Media Office on 10 September 2026. The earlier plan announced in February 2025 targeted completion in the fourth quarter of 2029. Handover dates for individual buildings or units have not been published, so a buyer should rely on the date in the sale and purchase agreement.

Who is behind Dubai Creek Gardens?

The developer is Global Partners Ltd, a DFSA-regulated investment manager, through Global Partners Property Fund II, which owns the development. Dubai Healthcare City Authority is a founding shareholder of the fund, Mirage Leisure and Development leads development management and delivery, Marriott International is the partner for the UAE’s first Westin and Renaissance branded residences, and OCTA Properties is the official sales and marketing partner.

Can buying in Dubai Creek Gardens lead to a UAE Golden Visa?

Only if the property meets the Golden Visa conditions for real estate investors, which start at AED 2 million in property value. Prices for Dubai Creek Gardens have not been published, so eligibility, including the conditions for off-plan units, has to be checked for the specific unit before paying a deposit. Atlant Capital prepares Golden Visa applications for property investors.