Dubai Municipality announced on Sunday 1 November 2026 that owners of plots of 1,000 square metres or more in Al Satwa can build residential apartment buildings of ground plus eight floors (G+8), with a maximum floor area ratio (FAR) of 3.5. The qualifying area can be a single plot or two or more merged plots, and access lanes can be added to reach 1,000 square metres with approval.
Plots on internal roads, which were mainly designated for attached villas, can now hold residential apartments of ground plus two floors (G+2). Plots on external roads can have commercial space on the ground floor with two or three residential floors above, depending on planning checks for each plot.
The changes follow an assessment by Dubai Municipality and the service authorities of road, utility and traffic capacity in the area. Eng. Mansour Al Rais, Director of the Executive Planning Department at Dubai Municipality, is named in the announcement. Plot rules and applications are on the Build in Dubai platform at buildindubai.gov.ae.
| Plot type and location | Permitted height | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Internal roads | Ground + 2 floors (G+2) | Residential apartments |
| External roads | Ground + 2 or 3 floors | Commercial ground floor, residential above |
| Plots of 1,000 sq m or more (single or merged) | Ground + 8 floors (G+8), maximum FAR 3.5 | Residential apartments |
