Cluster 14

Jumeirah Islands

Fifty clusters of villas set on islets among water: the only community in Dubai where, for most houses, the water is not a view but the edge of the plot.

• water around the house
• quiet without moving to the suburbs
• long holds

What to check: This is a small, thin market: few houses, few buyers and a sale measured in months. The lakes are the community's main asset and its main running cost — establish who maintains them and at what price before you commit.