DAMAC Islands: a buyer's guide to both phases, plans and handover

DAMAC Islands is a 30 million sq ft townhouse and villa community in Dubailand, launched by DAMAC in November 2024 with six clusters themed on tropical islands. A second master community, DAMAC Islands 2, followed in November 2025 with eight more island themes. Both are off-plan, both sold fast at launch, and both now have an active resale market alongside any remaining developer stock. So the real questions are price per layout, handover timing and how much of the payment plan is left.

The two phases at a glance

Gulf News reported both sales figures from DAMAC, and the 2024 launch earned a Guinness World Records title for the highest single-day revenue from a real estate launch. Strong launch demand also means many units sit with investors, and some of them will resell before handover.

DAMAC Islands properties: Dubai launch figures for phase 1

DAMAC's November 2024 launch release set these starting prices for the first phase:

Gulf News put the launch four bedroom townhouse at 2,208 sq ft and the six bedroom villa at 4,440 sq ft. DAMAC's community page now shows a "from" figure of AED 2,750,000, so launch pricing has moved on.

What resale buyers actually pay is the benchmark I use when valuing DAMAC Islands properties. Dubai Land Department transfers, as summarised on Bayut, put the 12-month average at about AED 3.23 million, with four bedrooms around AED 2.77 million and five bedrooms around AED 3.86 million, from 388 sales. These are published figures with their dates; please confirm current availability with me before you budget. The currency converter on this page shows INR and GBP equivalents.

DAMAC Islands 2: what changed in the second phase

The second phase is a separate 20 million sq ft master community, also in Dubailand, revealed at the Coca-Cola Arena in November 2025. DAMAC's page now quotes it from AED 2,990,000. Bayut's launch guide lists four bedroom townhouses of about 2,185 sq ft from AED 2.7 million (about USD 735,000), a 20/55/25 plan and handover in 2030.

The amenity theme shifts from water parks to nature and wellness: a botanic garden, Sky Woods canopy walks, an eco lodge and a solar-powered park are on DAMAC's list. If you want quieter, greener surroundings, phase 2 may suit you. If you want the keys sooner, phase 1 is expected to finish over a year earlier.

Phase 1: clusters, layouts and location

DAMAC's guide names six clusters, Maldives, Bora Bora, Seychelles, Hawaii, Bali and Fiji, each with its own clubhouse. Layouts run from the DITH-M four bedroom townhouse and the DITH-E five bedroom (over 3,000 square feet) to villas such as the six bedroom DIV3 and the seven bedroom LV75E at over 17,000 sq ft.

Headline amenities include the Aqua Dome for indoor water play, a jungle river, a hot springs spa, a mini golf island, a wedding venue and gondola-style paddle boats. In a community this size, the plot matters more than the theme. Ask for the site plan and check what your unit faces, how far it is from the main hub, and whether it backs onto a road.

Location and drive times

Both phases sit in Dubailand with access to Emirates Road (E611) and Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road (E311), per Bayut. DAMAC's guide gives these times for phase 1:

It sits further out than DAMAC Hills or DAMAC Lagoons, so I see it as a long-hold family home rather than a commuter base.

How to buy property in DAMAC Islands, step by step

1. Choose your route: any remaining developer stock, or the resale of an existing off-plan contract.
2. Check the project on Dubai REST: registration, escrow account and completion percentage.
3. For a resale, get the seller's Oqood certificate and a statement of account from DAMAC showing what is paid and what is due.
4. Ask DAMAC for its transfer rules and NOC. It sets its own conditions for selling before handover, including any minimum amount paid, so get them in writing.
5. Agree the price. On an off-plan resale you typically repay what the seller has paid, plus or minus a premium, and take over the remaining instalments.
6. Sign the DLD smart contracts: Contract B with your broker and Contract F with the seller.
7. Pay the DLD fee (4% of the price) and register the transfer, in person or remotely.
8. Keep paying instalments into the project escrow account until handover.

If you want a second pair of eyes on a specific contract, book a short call and I will check the statement of account with you.

Villas for sale in DAMAC Islands, Dubai: what to check

If you are browsing villas for sale in DAMAC Islands, Dubai portals will show you hundreds; Bayut alone listed 297 here in October 2026. DAMAC Islands villas for sale at a premium need a reason: a water-facing plot, a corner unit or a larger share already paid. Before you offer, check:

• how much has been paid and what is still due, from DAMAC's statement of account;
• the premium over the original price, against recent DLD transfers for the same layout;
• the completion date on Dubai REST, not the one in the listing;
• whether DAMAC will allow the transfer now, and what it charges.

The 2026 picture: what it means here

The market cooled in 2026. ValuStrat recorded prices down 4% quarter on quarter in Q2, and Savills reported transactions down 38% year on year in Q3. In a cooler market some launch investors would rather sell than fund bigger instalments, which can mean better resale terms for you. Rents in nearby villa communities have softened too: DAMAC Lagoons villa rents fell 13.4% in the year to Q3 2026, per Savills. I also compare DAMAC Islands villas for sale against recent transfers, never against the asking prices beside them. Model any future rent conservatively, and compare this project with other new off-plan launches before you commit.

Buying from India: remittance and paperwork

India searches for this project more than the UAE does: about 1,300 searches a month for the name against 1,200 locally, per Ahrefs, and many people type DAMAC Island in the singular. DAMAC also brought Ranbir Kapoor and Alia Bhatt to the November 2025 reveal of the second phase.

What Indian residents should know:

1. Under the RBI's Liberalised Remittance Scheme, a resident individual can remit up to USD 250,000 per financial year (April to March), and remittances to buy property abroad can be pooled with eligible relatives.
2. A staged payment plan can spread your remittances across more than one financial year.
3. Ask your bank and chartered accountant about tax collected at source and reporting before you book.
4. Pay only into the project escrow account named in your SPA.

The full remittance steps are in my guide to buying property in Dubai from India.

Golden Visa and ownership

Foreign buyers can own here outright. Launch prices started above two million dirhams, so most DAMAC Island homes meet the Golden Visa property threshold on price. ICP accepts off-plan units of AED 2 million or more bought from an approved developer, but approval is ICP's decision, and the DLD requires you to apply in person in the UAE.

Is it right for you?

A good fit if you want a large, amenity-rich family home, can wait until 2028 to 2030 for the keys, and buy at a sensible premium. Less ideal if you need rental income soon or a short commute. For the wider DAMAC picture, see my DAMAC properties guide.

Send me your budget and preferred layout and I will shortlist units with their payment status and recent transfers. Book a consultation or message me on WhatsApp.

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