Academic City — the only villa project in the portfolio

Danube has one project in Dubai International Academic City and it is unlike anything else in the portfolio. Almost everything this developer is building elsewhere is a residential tower; here it is a gated development of villas and townhouses laid out at ground level. That makes this district the only place to look if you want a Danube home with a private door and outdoor space rather than a balcony. It should be compared against other villa communities at a similar price and handover date, not against the developer's apartment towers.

Academic City sits in the southern part of Dubai and is built around the universities that give it its name. Historically it has been a rental market driven by students and university staff rather than by owner-occupiers, and the surrounding amenity reflects that. Land is cheaper here than in the established villa communities, which is much of the reason a villa at this price point exists at all, but the retail and school provision that villa buyers usually expect is still arriving. Visit on a weekday during term time before deciding.