Naif is one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Dubai. It is located close to the Dubai-Sharjah border in the district of Deira. This makes it a highly sought-after area by potential tenants looking for rental apartments in Dubai. Lined with largely low-rise to mid-rise buildings, it is a busy residential cum commercial area. It has the second-highest density of population of all communities in Dubai. You will find many apartment buildings, commercial buildings, shops, and hotels here.
The area has two trendy landmarks- Naif Souk and Naif Museum. Naif Souk, the famous traditional market, is located here. Apart from this, Naif Museum is also situated here. Other famous destinations like Dubai Creek and Deira Corniche are a stone’s throw away.
Naif has a lot to offer to its residents. From a bustling marketplace, grocery stores, malls, and eateries to experiences, there is something for everyone. Living in Naif can be easy and comfortable. All essentials, like good schools, medical centres, and ATMs, are easily available. For those who seek public transport, look no further. Naif has Metro stations, bus stops, and taxis which are easily accessible.
The area is ideal for families and working professionals looking for a studio, one-bedroom, two-bedroom home or even a luxury villa here. Most of the properties in Naif, Dubai, are smaller apartments and luxury villas available at Al Mussalla road.
Commercial space is also available for rent here as the many hotel apartments.
Key Highlights of Naif, Dubai
What is Great Here!
Availability of Apartments and Commercial Spaces for Rent
Hub of Retail Shops, Markets, and Nightlife
Good Availability of Public Transport
Good Connectivity to the Area
Many Recreational Options like Museums, Parks, Markets
Numerous Amenities such as Eateries, Salons, Schools, Medical centres, and ATMs
What Needs Attention!
Densely Populated
Noisy
Traffic Congestion
Limited Street Parking though Paid Parking in Buildings is an Option
Real Estate Overview in Naif, Dubai
Naif is part of old Dubai. It is a well-established historical neighbourhood. In Naif, there are largely low-rise to mid-rise buildings. These house residential apartments, offices, and retail space.
This is a good area if you are a working professional or a family looking for pocket-friendly property to rent or buy. There are mainly studios, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom homes in Naif. Although you will find bigger apartments and villas, these are few and far between.
Many of these apartment buildings come with amenities such as maintenance personnel, security personnel, and service elevators.
The studio units, as the name suggests, offer open-plan housing. However, the larger studios can come with closed kitchens and balconies too. The one and two-bedroom apartments in Naif come with a balcony, built-in wardrobe, and closed kitchen.
Many rental shops and office spaces are also available here.
Rental Trends in Naif, Dubai
Dubai has more expensive housing compared to other Emirates. In Naif, you have the advantage of being strategically located and paying reasonable rent as compared to other areas like Bur-Dubai.
It makes the area highly sought-after by potential tenants. It is considered a great location to live in. Naif, Dubai is well developed, with all amenities easily accessible.
There is a healthy supply of properties available for rent here. Especially studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units. You will also find commercial rental shops and office spaces easily obtainable.
Deira district, in which Naif is located, is a well-developed historical region. Several properties are available for sale, from studio apartments to luxury villas. Naif, on the other hand, has mainly rental apartments and studios. While buying a property in Naif, you can look at Al Mussalla road or other nearby communities.
Public Transportation
Buying a house in Naif is a good choice for those people to whom public transportation is an important consideration. Living in Naif, you don’t have to worry about transport. It is easy to access public transport. It is well connected by the metro. Further taxis and buses are also easily available. There are several bus stations and taxi stand here which can be reached with ease. RTA-controlled Dubai bus service also has many routes here.
Baniyas Square Metro Station is the metro line that runs here. Apart from this, you can catch the metro from other stations within 10 minutes of driving distance from Naif. These include Al Rigga Metro Station, Salah Al Din Metro Station, Union Metro Station, and Gold Souq Metro Station
The following buses connect different parts of the city to Naif:
Bus Number
Destination
F01
Union Square Bus Station
17
Sabka
X64
Ras Al Khor
53
International City
C1
Airport
CO3
Al Karama
C04
Jaddaf
X13
Lulu Village
Amenities
Nurseries / Educational Institutes
Supermarkets
Healthcare Facilities
Places of Worship
Nurseries / Educational Institutes
There are many good pre-schools and schools in and near Naif. You will find schools following the curriculum of different boards here. This is to meet the needs of students coming from different countries. Indian, American, and British boards are some of the boards here. You can choose which school to enrol your child in per your preference and convenience.
Dubai English Speaking School is considered one of the best schools in Dubai, while Sabari Indian School is one of the best schools in this district. The private schools are listed below.
New Academy School
Dubai English Speaking School
Sabari Indian School
Amna Bint Wahab Secondary
Islamic Studies & Holy Quran School
The Elite English School
Little Flower English School
For higher education, AlWasl University is located close by.
Supermarkets
Supermarkets
In Naif, you can buy your groceries from numerous supermarkets here. There are also smaller shops conveniently located to meet diverse needs. These stores can be found in most apartment buildings. Dubai has some excellent home delivery facilities, as follows:
Al Madina Market
Malabar Supermarket
Al Riffa Grocery
Al Telal Al Hamraa Supermarket
Faaz Supermarket
Mahra Grocery
Tayyiba Grocery
Al Suwais Supermarket
Healthcare Facilities
Healthcare is given importance in Dubai. There are several hospitals, medical centres, and clinics in Naifa and Deira for any medical needs that may arise, as listed below:
Belhoul Specialty Hospital
Dubai Hospital
Al Kuwait Hospital
Aster Medical Centre
Marhaba Medical Centre
Al Taif Medical Centre
Clinicare
Canadian Specialist Hospital
AMC Homecare
Ali Medical Centre
Belhoul Specialty Hospital, Dubai Hospital, and Al Kuwait hospitals are the most renowned hospitals in the area.
Places of Worship
Islam is the official religion in Dubai. Having said that, Dubai allows people to practice their faith without fear. Equal treatment is given to people of all beliefs. There are several places of worship in and around Naif. These include mosques, temples, and churches. The temples are located in Bur Dubai at a distance of 15-20 minutes. The churches, too, are located at a distance of 15 minutes. These places of worship have been listed below.
Mosques
Ahmed Majid Al Ghurair
Bin Oquad
Al Khulafaa Al Rashideen
Muhammad Ibnu Mahiyya Mosque
Temples
Shri Krishna Temple
Shiva Temple
Shirdi Sai Baba Mandir
Churches
Mary’s Catholic Church
All Nations Tabernacle
Holy Trinity Church
Jesus is Lord Mission International
Additionally, the Guru Nanak Darbar Gurudwara, one of the world’s largest gurudwaras, is located half an hour away at Jebel Ali Village.
Best Hotels in Naif, Dubai
Naif sees a big footfall of tourists who come to get a taste of the old city. Naif Souk and Naif Museum are also big attractions here. This has created a high demand for hotels in the area. Naif has several hotels to meet different budgets. They have boutique hotels to high-end luxury hotels. Some of the hotels include:
Hyatt Place Dubai
Dorus Hotel
Naif View Hotel
Landmatrk Plaza Hotel
Phoenix Hotel
OYO 297 California Hotel
Lifestyle
Shopping Centres / Malls
Restaurants
Beaches Nearby
Leisure Activities Nearby
Shopping Centres / Malls
Dubai is synonymous with shopping malls. Naif is bustling with markets, shops, and retail outlets. Marketplaces here include the famous Naif Souk and Souk Sahiba.
Also, Al Naif Square is known for its nightlife and shopping. Baniyas Square is an excellent place to buy used furniture.
Apart from these markets, there are many good malls in the area. Al Ghurair Centre and Deira City Centre are the larger malls in the area.
Popular shopping centres and malls in and around the area include:
Al Musalla Tower Shopping Mall
Burj Nahar Mall
Reef Mall
Abraj Centre
Al Manal Centre
Al Salam Centre
Al Ghurair Centre
Deira City Centre
Restaurants
Naif has some very good and popular restaurants, bars, and cafes where visitors can relish their meals. Cuisines from across the world can be found here. You can enjoy a particular cuisine in its most authentic form due to the diversity of Dubai’s population. Popular restaurants and chains can be found in malls, streetside as well as in hotels.
Some of the popular restaurants and cafes of Naif have been listed below.
Afghan Kabab House
Al Dawaar Revolving Restaurant
Focus Bar
Awac Home Restaurant
Pak Lyari Restaurant
Ararat Restaurant
Fortune Café
Sidewalk Café
The Best Coffee House
DeliBite
Kings Bar & Grill
Al Barakah Turkish Restaurant
Beaches Nearby
There are no beaches in Naif itself; however, many beaches can be found close by at a distance of 10 -20 minutes. The beaches make for great recreational spots for individuals and families. These are clean and great for spending time at. Al Mamzar beach is the closest and is known as a picnic spot for water sports.
Al Mamzar Beach Park
Jumeirah Public Beach
North Beach
Leisure Activities Nearby
If you are looking for some places for leisure in Naif, you don’t have to travel far. Naif itself offers an array of recreational activities for individuals and families. Naif is famous for its Naif Souk and the Naif Museum. Tourists come in droves to visit these spots.
Naif Souk is a famous, Arab-style marketplace that is popular among bargain hunters for Middle Eastern goods. You can find clothes, hardware, souvenirs, and many other shops here.
While the Naif Museum showcases police paraphernalia. It was the first police station in Dubai, giving you a glimpse into the city’s past.
Aside from this, you can spend a leisurely day at one of the parks. Naif Park, Burj Nahar Park, Baniyas Square Park, and Al Muteena Park are some of the nearby parks.
You could also catch up on some personal time at one of the area’s various gyms, salons, or spas.
The distance from Naif to Dubai International Airport is 10 minutes (6.17 km) via Al Maktoum road.
The distance from the nearest Metro at Baniyas Square Station is 5 minutes (1.2 km)
The nearest beach, Al Mamzar, is 19 minutes away (8.6 km)
Whereas the distance to the popular Jumeirah Beach is 20 minutes (9.5 km) away via Al Khaleej (D92).
Dubai Marina, which is the city's centre, is a 30- to 40-minute drive away, approximately 31 km.
The closest distance to the major connecting road D89 is 2 minutes (1 km)
Naif, Dubai
Ratings and Reviews
Nadia
The Area has Fantastic Connectivity
It is very close to the metro and the RTA bus line. I find it very convenient to travel from here. It is so easy to hail a taxi, which is a problem sometimes in other areas. However, it gets too noisy sometimes
Asmita
In this Area, we love the Amenities
Everything is close by, and they deliver with just a phone call. The house is small but centrally airconditioned, and we get Wi-Fi connectivity. I live in this fully furnished studio flat which I rent at a very reasonable rate. Still, it does tend to get a bit noisy.”
Salil
I love living in the main part of Naif
This is the hub for shopping and retail. Though it is a busy area, there are no issues with getting transportation. Traffic is my only concern, though. I have lived here for the last three years and am pretty happy in this locality.
Sami
Many Affordable Houses
I am a bachelor, and I find it to be a great place to live in. I like the hustle-bustle. I can find food anytime easily since I don’t cook. The metro is within walking distance. There is a gym next door, and the park is a great place to visit over the weekend.
Zoya
My Office and Home are Here
I like that I don’t need to commute for work. The schools are good. My daughter goes to one here. There is a park here where we go for relaxing. I find everything I need here. I have a comfortable fully furnished two BHK (bedroom-hall-kitchen). The only problem is there is too much traffic here
Yes, you can buy freehold property in Naif. However, since it is a well-developed area, you will find it difficult to find such properties. You will find largely rental studios and apartments here.
What are the top attractions in Naif, Dubai?
The top attractions in Naif are Naif Museum and Naif Souk. Baniyas Square is famous too for its used furniture market.
How to get to Naif in Dubai by bus and metro? Which is the nearest metro station?
Baniyas Square Metro Station is the closest station within the region. Apart from this, there are many bus stops in this area. Buses 01, 13A, 13D, 53, 91A, C1, C18, C3, and X13 all go to Naif from different parts of the city
Which are the best communities to live in Naif, Dubai?
Naif Dubai is a sub-community of Deira. It has largely low-rise to mid-rise apartments for rent. The apartments are budget-friendly. They range from studio to two-bedroom units.
What are the best hotels and restaurants in Naif?
Naif has several hotels to meet all budgets. Some of the hotels include Hyatt Place Dubai and Dorus Hotel. The top restaurants are Ararat Restaurant, Afghan Kebab House Away Home Restaurant, and Pak Lyari Dubai
Which are the famous malls and supermarkets in Naif?
Al Ghurair Centre and Deira City Centre are the larger malls in the area. There are many convenience stores to meet your daily needs. Al Telal Al Hamraa Supermarket and Malabar Supermarket are some of the supermarkets here.
What are the best schools in Naif, Dubai?
There are many good pre-schools and schools in Naif. Dubai English Speaking School and Sabari Indian School are some of the best schools in this district.
Which are the best hospitals and clinics in Naif, Dubai?
Belhoul Specialty Hospital, Dubai Hospital, and Al Kuwait hospitals are some of the best hospitals in the area. Apart from this, there are many hospitals and medical centres in the vicinity.
Which are the famous places of worship in Naif, Dubai?
Guru Nanak Darbar Gurudwara, one of the world’s largest gurudwaras, is located half an hour away at Jebel Ali Village. The Ahmed Majid Al Ghurair is a popular mosque here.
What are the pros and cons of living in Naif, Dubai?
Living in Naif, Dubai, has many advantages. It is well-connected and has very good public transportation service. The area is rife with shopping, restaurants, nightlife, and all amenities. There are many good schools, hospitals, ATMs, and places of worship here. However, on the downside, the area can get congested and noisy.
