Cricket Tower, Dubai Sports City
Cricket Tower is a 15-storey Falak Properties building in Dubai Sports City, and the name suits the neighbours. Dubai International Cricket Stadium seats 25,000 and lights the ground with floodlights mounted around its round roof. It opened in 2009. Concerts and festivals use the ground too, so the district has a second life beyond cricket. The International Cricket Council has its headquarters in the area, and the ICC Academy runs two full-sized grounds and training facilities. So you are booking a flat in a district built around games, and that sets the mood of a stay. It is a practical address for anyone who follows the sport more than the skyline.
Developer
Falak Properties
Storeys
15
Unit mix
Studio, 1 & 2-bedroom apartments
On this page
- Rugby Park and the running track
- The academy next to the ground
- Golf and padel before breakfast
- What the tower gives you back
- Stepping off the plane
- Buses and the nearest Red Line station
- Mornings on the way out
- When the stadium district was drawn up
- Errands with no mall on the doorstep
- Clinics, and where the hospital is
- Three kinds of week here
- Paths and a garden day out
- Schools and a nursery for a longer stay
- Breakfast, then a terrace by the course
- Who should look elsewhere
- If you own here
- Sources
- Frequently Asked Questions
Rugby Park and the running track
Rugby Park seats 5,000. ISD Dubai Sports City adds football and athletics venues, with courts for tennis and padel, and table tennis as well. Fit Republik is a large indoor gym. The Sports Village has an Olympic running track, which a runner will want to see before packing a second pair of shoes. If you travel for a tournament or a coaching camp, the training grounds sit in the same district as your bed.
The academy next to the ground
The ICC Academy is the only training complex in the world with South Asian, English and Australian practice turf. A visiting junior side can rehearse three kinds of pitch without leaving the district, which is why a cricket family might choose this address over a beach one.
Golf and padel before breakfast
The Els Club has two padel courts opposite its driving range, open from 6:00am to 11:00pm and booked through the Playtomic app. The CH3 Performance Golf Academy coaches golfers of every level on that range, so a beginner and a regular player can book the same academy. A six o'clock game beats the heat.
What the tower gives you back
The apartments come as studios, with one bedroom or two, which suits a solo traveller or a pair, and a small family fits too. Inside the building you will find a pool and a gym, and a play area for children. After training you can swim without a car. Parking for residents comes with the tower, which matters in a district laid out for drivers. At 15 storeys it is a mid-rise block, so it suits a stay about the district rather than the view.
A reception desk serves residents. Security and CCTV cover the building, and maintenance services are provided on site. So a late return from the stadium ends at a building with a desk and cameras, and a repair is handled within the same walls.
Stepping off the plane
A taxi from Dubai International Airport (DXB) reaches the district in one leg. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road (E311) runs beside it and gives direct access, so you do not change vehicles on the way.
Buses and the nearest Red Line station
Dubai Sports City has no metro station of its own, so the Red Line is a road trip away. Dubai Internet City is the nearest station. Bus stops line Golf Course Drive and other main roads, and routes F34, F38 and J02 serve the community, which gives you a cheap way into town and a slower one.
Mornings on the way out
Al Khail Road and Hessa Street carry trips across Dubai. The district has only two entry and exit points. You will want to leave a little earlier on a weekday morning, because everyone else is leaving through the same pair of gates.
When the stadium district was drawn up
The community covers roughly 50 million square feet in Dubailand and was planned around sports venues and academies as well as homes, with building starting in 2004. The Els Club golf course was the first facility completed and opened in January 2008. The homes came into a place whose purpose was already fixed.
Errands with no mall on the doorstep
Big Value and Almaya are local supermarkets in and around the district, and Grandiose is another. Carrefour and Spinneys branches sit close by. There is no mall inside it. The closest are City Centre Me'aisem in Dubai Production City and First Avenue Mall in Motor City, so a mall afternoon means a short car or taxi hop out.
Clinics, and where the hospital is
Aster Clinic and Saudi German Clinic are the two medical facilities named inside the district. NMC Specialty Hospital is the nearest hospital. Healthcare inside the community is limited, and Medcare Medical Centre in nearby Motor City is the other name to know when something needs more than a clinic.
Three kinds of week here
A coach or a touring player on a short block of fixtures needs little more than a studio and a gym downstairs. Parking in the tower keeps a hired car off the street. A couple on a break can take a one-bedroom and spend the days at the Els Club. The layout works well for families. A two-bedroom gives the children their own room, and the pool and the play area downstairs absorb the hour between school and supper. The tower carries the quiet hours, and the district carries the loud ones.
Paths and a garden day out
Cycling and jogging tracks run beside the gyms and shops, with walking paths and parks between them. An early run or ride starts close to the door and finishes before the sun is high. Miracle Garden and Global Village are within reach for a rest day away from the pitches. Both need a car or taxi, and a taxi back keeps the evening simple.
Schools and a nursery for a longer stay
Dwight School Dubai is American and teaches the IB curriculum. The Wonder Years Nursery teaches the British Early Years Foundation Stage to children aged 6 months to 4 years. For a family planning a term rather than a week, both are inside the community.
Breakfast, then a terrace by the course
Copper Kettle and Pulcinella are among the cafe and restaurant names listed for the district, which gives a first breakfast a starting point. In the evening 261 Bar and Restaurant overlooks the Els Club course, with indoor seating and a terrace where pets are welcome. The Big Easy Bar and Grill at the same club serves grilled meats and wines in a setting inspired by South Africa's Western Cape.
Who should look elsewhere
Cricket Tower suits you if you came for the games and want a base that is quiet between them. It suits you less if you want a metro station or the beach on foot, because the district is built for cars and sport. An evening out on foot is a small affair too, since the dinner names cluster around the golf course rather than along a street. The neighbourhood is also busy on match days and weekends. New projects and construction activity can cause temporary noise and disruption in parts of it, and the more established sections are quieter. If you want a different size of block, Golf Tower and Hamza Tower are also in the district, as is Elite 1 Sports Residence.
If you own here
If you own here, Royale Stays manages homes for owners at a management fee from 15%. The service covers furnishing and photography. It also covers pricing and check-in, plus guest communications and maintenance coordination.
For the wider picture, read our guide to Dubai Sports City for owners.
Sources
Sources: Wikipedia, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai Sports City, Bayut area guide, betterhomes, The Els Club Dubai, Property Finder, Gulf News, Bayut, Propsearch.
Questions