Jebel Ali Racecourse masterplan: BIG's 5 sq km district and where it stands in 2026

The Jebel Ali Racecourse is one of the last large open sites inside built-up Dubai. In May 2025 the investment firm A.R.M. Holding announced that it would redevelop it with Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) into a new district covering five square kilometres. The architects describe the concept as "an archipelago of urban islands in a sea of green".

What the plan contains

A green spine links eight neighbourhoods whose density rises towards a central park of roughly 1.5 sq km. The equestrian heritage of the site is kept, with riding venues in the plan. Around them sit housing, schools, hotels, cultural buildings and mixed-use blocks laid out so that daily errands can be done on foot. The project is framed within the Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan.

Construction was scheduled to begin in 2026 in phases covering housing, education, hospitality and public infrastructure. As of September 2026 there is no official sales launch or price list. Anything marketed today as "pre-registration" is a queue, not a purchase backed by a registered escrow account.

How big is 5 sq km?

District	Approx. area, sq km
Dubai Hills Estate	11
Jumeirah Village Circle	8.7
Dubai Creek Harbour	7.4
Jebel Ali Racecourse	5
Business Bay	4.3
Tilal Al Ghaf	3

So it is about half the size of Dubai Hills but larger than Business Bay. With a large share of the land given to the park and public space, the number of homes will be smaller than the footprint suggests.

The case for buying early — and its conditions

In large Dubai master plans the first releases are usually priced to get sales moving, and prices rise as roads, schools and parks appear. That pattern held in Dubai Hills and Arabian Ranches. But it comes with conditions worth checking before committing:

• Who builds the homes. A.R.M. Holding is an investment company rather than a developer with a long delivery record in Dubai. Find out which developer is responsible for your specific building.
• Sequencing. Phase one is cheapest but lives on a building site longest. If the park and schools come in later phases, early rents will reflect that.
• Access. The site neighbours Jebel Ali and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road; where the nearest metro stations end up will matter more than any render. We looked at how stations move prices in our piece on the metro and apartment prices.
• Paperwork. Buy only once the project is registered with the Dubai Land Department and an escrow account is open.

Until then, the sensible approach is to watch for the first-phase announcement, compare its price per square foot with the surrounding resale market, and judge how quickly the amenities near your chosen building will actually be delivered.

What already exists next door, and what homes cost there today, is on the Jebel Ali area page.