Al Barari Edition - THE JOURNAL - Autumn 2012

Autumn 2012

Al Barari KEEP ON RUNNING

SPECIAL TOUR FOR OFFICIALS

A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT

FREE MEAL AT THE FARM

Al Barari is fitter than ever: the tennis courts

Dubai Municipality Officials enjoyed a tour of Al

Earthworks began during the summer for the bed

The Farm at Al Barari is offering a three course

were finished well before the weather became

Barari recently, including a trip to Greenworks and

and banks of the river planned to skirt the northern

meal to the 400th person to ‘like’ its Facebook

too hot to play; the gym and swimming pool

lunch at The Farm. The group, which included the

perimeter of Al Barari. Until now the strip was

page and the person who recommended

are due for completion next month, as is a

Head of the Department of Planning, was guided

being used as access for construction vehicles

them. At the time of press, the page had 348

running track that skirts Al Barari’s perimeter.

by Al Barari Chairman Mr Zaal Mohammed Zaal.

working on The Reserve.

likes. get clicking!

Al Barari in Numbers

2

The number of tennis courts at Al Barari. They have an all-weather hard surface and are set next to the new

Clubhouse, which is due to open next month.

11

million. Price in dirhams achieved by Luxhabitat

this month for a beautifully fitted and furnished Dahlia villa. Set on a secluded and relatively small corner plot, the house has beautiful views of the community from its upper floors.

33

The number of shell-andcore villas that have been constructed in The Reserve

– which forms Phase 2 of Al Barari.

80

The number of people that can be seated at The Farm.

It offers a choice of dining tables and sofas, both indoors and out – the latter starting to become more sought-after as the weather cools a little.

75

The number of plant species cultivated by

Keeping all of its Promises As the first resident to have moved in to Al Barari, Faruk Roked has watched it grow around him

by Anne Martin

It seems like forever in ‘Dubai years’ but it has been only three years since Faruk Roked and his family moved in to Al Barari. They were the first residents to do so, and the development was still very raw. “It was certainly quiet here when we first moved in,” says Faruk, who moved to the UAE from Britain in early 2000.

“But, after living in Umm Suqeim for almost five years, it was lovely to come home to somewhere so peaceful. Being the first family here, we had the whole management team to ourselves – we got lots of attention!”

It was shortly after the Lehman Brothers collapse and it was a worrying time, recalls

Faruk. “Given what we were seeing in some other parts of Dubai, we wondered if the developer would keep its promises; the biggest worry was that it wouldn’t be completed.

I would come on site every week or so to see how things were going and was amazed to see that they actually doubled or tripled the workforce in 2009, rather than slowing down.”

And the hard work certainly paid off, says Faruk. “There is nowhere else quite like this, where the green was planned first and then the houses arranged within it. This place looked so special on the plans and it has turned out to be even better in reality.

Al Barari is a delight all year round, he says – but in the six cooler months of the year the house and the whole neighbourhood really come into their own. “There are beautiful paths for walking, amazing bird life – I go running with a friend, who knows the names of all the different types. We don’t see as many people out and about as I would have expected,

though – which may be partly because there are relatively few villas in such a big space.”

The Farm restaurant has become a favourite place to relax. “It has made a big difference to the area and has really taken off with the residents, which adds to the sense of community – we seem to have met more people since it opened than in the previous three years.”

Part of Al Barari’s appeal for Faruk and his family is that it feels very stable and settled: “It definitely makes a difference that, for most people here, this is their family home, not a place that they are passing through.

“Our children are now teenagers and I’m happy to say that they still love it here,” he adds. “They could so easily have said it was boring, but they have everything they want in and around the house, as well as friends nearby. It is a very good place to raise a family – even if they do get a little spoilt with all of the things that make life in Dubai so easy.”

WWW.LUXHABITAT. AE

Greenworks in its nursery

at Al Barari. Having propagated almost all of the development’s plant stock, it now sells plants all over the region.

12,500

Average price in dirhams per

square foot being achieved by Dahliatype villas. Compared with Dhs5,000 per sq ft for a Garden Home on Palm Jumeirah, this clearly reflects the higher quality of Al Barari’s buildings and its environment.

650,000,000

Annual rental for a beautifully decorated and furnished Camellia villa in a very quiet and green corner of Al Barari.

TO READ MARKET UPDATES FROM OTHER NEIGHBOURHOODS

www.thejournal.ae/neighbourhood

15

16

THE JOURNAL

Autumn 2012

www.luxhabitat.ae

Al Barari

Expert View PAUL CHRISTODOULOU Luxury Sales Specialist, Luxhabitat E: pc@luxhabitat.ae | T: +971 50 955 9498

A Place to Call Home

This five-bedroom villa in Camellia has a south-facing garden complete with a private infinity pool. Dhs650,000 per year. See p18 for more information. Property Ref. 996

One of several beautifully designed open spaces in Al Barari, the Contemporary Garden was completed earlier this year

Whether it is for work or to spend time with friends who live here, I count myself very fortunate to be in Al Barari almost every day. It has its own particular pace and style, unlike anywhere else in Dubai, and is such a beautiful environment: nowhere else in this hot and dusty part of the world are you surrounded by so much wildlife, greenery and the scent of flowers, herbs and trees.

Clearly, the word is getting out because it is becoming harder and harder to find houses here – whether to buy or rent. As well as newcomers to Dubai, we have buyers wanting to move here from elsewhere in the city – and the rental market is surprisingly robust too.

We have let a Bromellia villa overlooking the Woodland Garden on a two-year contract at Dhs450,000 per year and a Dahlia with a full lake view for Dhs540,000. The neighbourhood is much more established now, dominated by owner-occupiers – almost all of whom are full-time residents, not secondhome owners. In fact, nothing new has come onto the market since before the summer.

Having been through all of the ups and downs of the past few years, prices have really stabilised over the summer. That’s a good thing because, in a small community like this, it helps to establish value. That, in turn, makes it easier for both buyers and sellers to understand the market and the value-for-price relationship. It’s interesting to compare the average value of a Dahlia villa, at Dhs12,700 per sq ft, with that of a Garden Home on Palm Jumeirah, at Dhs5,000: the differential is very much to do with the quality of both the environment and the fabric of the houses.

Now, too, we are seeing clear patterns in terms of potential buyers’ preferences for certain villa types. The Dahlia villas are very sought-after, especially by families, for whom the floor plan is ideal: there are five bedrooms, all arranged next to each other on the first

“Nowhere else in this hot and dusty part of the world are you surrounded by so much wildlife, greenery and the scent of flowers, herbs and trees”

CLEVER UPGRADE Most homeowners look for ways to upgrade and personalise the properties they buy – whether internally or in the garden. In Al Barari, where the outdoor

floor. However, Bromellia is the most popular type, due to the internal layout: the doubleheight entrance hall with columns provides a real wow factor. There are not as many Acacia villas as the other types so, as the market stabilises, these prices will rise the most – simply due to supply and demand.

The size of plots still doesn’t create a big price differential, but I am sure that will soon come. Orientation and view are already important factors – if not in the price then certainly in the appeal to buyers.

Phase Two, known as The Reserve, has progressed well over the summer: Leaf 7 and Leaf 8 are effectively finished and will soon be followed by Leaf 9 and Leaf 6. These are shelland-core villas and offer a great opportunity for buyers to add their own value. The ongoing building work is an issue for some people – not so much for any disruption, as the developer is doing a good job of keeping that to a minimum – but because there’s still some skepticism in this market about whether projects will be finished. Fortunately, with Al Barari, that’s much less of an issue than with some other areas, as the developer has already demonstrated.

And it’s not only with the villas themselves that Al Barari is producing what it promised: all of the lifestyle and sporting amenities are coming to fruition, and more landscaping is under way – making this an even better place to settle for the long term.

areas were so well thought-through from the outset, and the subsequent landscaping so well executed by the developer, it’s not easy to add value. But the owner of a Dahlia villa has found a clever solution: reducing the garage from triple to double to add more area to the garden.

This opens the outdoor space visually as well as physically, and the villa now has the largest garden on any D-type on Luxhabitat’s books, at almost 11,500 sq ft. Property Ref. 992. www.luxhabitat.ae

This five-bedroom Camellia villa has a games room (photo top right), study, cinema and smart home technology. See p18 for more information and another interior photo. AED 15,200,000. Property Ref. 881

Autumn 2012

www.luxhabitat.ae

THE JOURNAL

GREENWORKS PLANTS SEEDS OF CHARITY

This spacious six-bedroom Dahlia villa has been upgraded to an even higher standard of finishing than is usual in Al Barari, including some changes in the floor plan. Although quite compact, the garden has been very well planned, with a sunken dining area and an overflow-edge pool with a large jacuzzi. Perfect for a family, it is offered for sale at AED12,500,000. Property Ref. 930

This six-bedroom Bromellia villa offers superb spaces for family life and entertaining. AED 13,500,000. Property ref.842

Al Barari’s Greenworks, one of the region’s largest plant nurseries, is proving its commitment to supporting the local community. Staff from Greenworks passed on their knowledge and passion for horticulture to the children of the charity, Safe Centre for Exceptional Abilities, by showing them how to plant and sow seeds. The centre helps children with Autism or Asperger’s Syndrome to integrate in their community, so this was the perfect outing for the children.

Kamelia Zaal, Creative Landscape Director at Al Barari, says of the special event, “Autism is among the most prevalent and serious diseases in the UAE, and we are proud to lend our support and put a smile on the faces of these children today.”

Studies show that one in 110 children is affected by autism globally and, with more than one in every 88 children born with autism in the UAE, Al Barari is committed to raising awareness for this important cause.

Kamelia adds, “An autistic child’s family faces a long and arduous challenge, and it is essential that we all hold ourselves responsible to help raise awareness and support families in the UAE affected by autism.”

17

18

THE JOURNAL

Autumn 2012

www.luxhabitat.ae

FEATURED PROPERTIES

Property Gallery

Scan the QR code with your smartphone to www.luxhabitat.ae

Set on an open plot, overlooking one of Al Barari’s botanical gardens, this Acacia villa offers more than 16,000 square feet of living space, including six bedroom suites, several open-plan reception rooms, a double-height foyer and great indoor-outdoor flow. With a lovely French-style family kitchen and parquet flooring in several rooms, added to Al Barari’s usual high-quality finishes and neutral palette, it offers a blank canvas with tremendous scope for new owners to create their own style. AED 17, 000,000. Property Ref. 954

Also pictured on p16, this Camellia villa of almost 15,000 sq.ft (1,393 sq.m) offers great internal spaces and comes fully

Got a big family – or a lot of friends? This eight-bedroom villa should suit you fine. The 16,448 sq ft (1,528 sq.m) space has a

decorated and furnished, so you won’t need to spend much above the AED 15,200,000 asking price. Property Ref. 795

private overflow pool and jacuzzi and lovely views over the community. AED 17,000,000. Property Ref. 753

CAMELLIA

DAHLIA

DAHLIA

Newly listed for rent, this beautifully appointed, five-bedroom Camellia villa

Surrounded by lush planting, with a beautifully upgraded and decorated interior, this

Very well-maintained, this villa offers six bedrooms, a pool and a basement ripe

offers 13,858 sq ft of living space. AED 650,000 per year. Property Ref. 996

six-bedroom villa is a wonderful family home. AED 12,500,000. Property Ref. 930

for conversion into a home cinema or gym. AED12,500,000. Property Ref. 992