Zaafaran 2, Downtown Dubai
Zaafaran 2 is a block of one-bedroom and two-bedroom homes in Zaafaran, one of the six clusters that make up Old Town in Downtown Dubai. Old Town has six of them. It is a pedestrianised, low-rise quarter of four- to seven-storey buildings in traditional Arabic-inspired style, and its other clusters include Yansoon and Reehan. That scale sets the tone for a stay here. The lifts are short and the corridors are short, and the front door is never far from the street.
Developer
Emaar Properties
Units
1BR & 2BR only
Area
Zaafaran, Old Town, Downtown Dubai
On this page
- Emaar's low-rise corner of the district
- Pool and gym
- The front desk and the laundry
- One bedroom or two
- From arrivals to Old Town
- The metro bridge and the bus
- The Boulevard on your doorstep
- Burj Khalifa and the lake
- An afternoon at the mall and the souk
- Dinner on the Boulevard
- Parks are the missing piece
- A month in a one-bedroom
- A night at Dubai Opera
- Mosques and the mall's prayer rooms
- A doctor and a nursery
- How the district began
- If you own here
- Sources
- Frequently Asked Questions
Emaar's low-rise corner of the district
Emaar Properties developed Zaafaran 2. Emaar is also the master developer of Downtown Dubai, a 500-acre district that holds the Opera District and Burj Plaza. The cluster sits inside a district of tall towers, yet its own scale stays low. You get the Boulevard and the mall within the district and a quieter block waiting when you return.
Pool and gym
The building has a swimming pool and a gym, and landscaped gardens sit around them. You can swim before the day warms up, or work through a gym session without leaving the building, and then walk the gardens while the air is still mild. The block is small, which keeps the pool easy to plan around. For a stay of a week or more, having a pool and a gym under one roof stops the days from depending on a taxi. It also gives the afternoon a shape when the heat makes the Boulevard feel far away.
The front desk and the laundry
A reception desk serves the building. Security and CCTV cover it. Together they mean there is always somewhere to ask a question and somewhere to leave a parcel. Your stay does not depend on a stranger's schedule. A laundry service is part of the building, which matters most on a stay of two weeks or longer, when a suitcase runs out of clean clothes before the trip does. Maintenance services are provided, and parking is available if you arrive by car.
One bedroom or two
Studios and one-bedroom apartments in Downtown suit single professionals, while larger units suit small families or couples. Zaafaran 2 sits in the middle of that range. For a weekend, a one-bedroom keeps everything within reach. Stay for a week and the two-bedroom starts to earn its space, because one of you can work behind a closed door while the other sleeps late. By the third week, the laundry service and the pool matter as much as the floor plan does. Five or six travellers want a bigger layout than this building lists. If that is you, look at Burj Vista or The Lofts West Tower, which each have their own guide.
From arrivals to Old Town
Dubai International Airport (DXB) is the only airport you need. Expect one taxi leg from arrivals, since Downtown has direct access to Sheikh Zayed Road and Financial Centre Road. Taxis are plentiful in the district, including pink-roofed cabs for women and families. Because Old Town is pedestrianised, the car may stop at the edge of the cluster and the last stretch to the door is on foot.
The metro bridge and the bus
Burj Khalifa / Dubai Mall is the last of three consecutive Red Line stations through Downtown, after Emirates Towers and Financial Centre. A covered, air-conditioned Metro Link Bridge leads from the station to Dubai Mall in about a 10 to 15-minute walk.
The Boulevard on your doorstep
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard is lined with restaurants and cafes. Hotels and residential buildings sit among them, and pedestrian pavements run its length. Statues and sculptures line Downtown's walkways, so even the short walk to dinner passes something to look at.
Burj Khalifa and the lake
Burj Khalifa stands 828 metres. At the Top is its ticketed observation experience, with decks on the 124th and 148th floors for anyone who wants the whole city laid out below the glass. At water level, the Dubai Fountain Lake Ride takes you across Burj Lake in a traditional abra boat during fountain shows. Both sit within the district, so you need no car.
An afternoon at the mall and the souk
Souk Al Bahar has over 100 shops plus restaurants and cafes. It sits next to the Dubai Fountain and connects to The Dubai Mall by a bridge, so a rainy or very hot afternoon can move from the souk into the mall without a step outdoors, and The Dubai Mall adds more than 1,200 retail outlets of its own.
Dinner on the Boulevard
Leila is a Lebanese restaurant. It occupies Clarens Tower 2 on the Boulevard. Al Hallab Bab El Bahr serves coastal Lebanese food at 29 Boulevard.
Parks are the missing piece
Downtown has fewer large parks and open green spaces than suburban areas such as Arabian Ranches or Dubai Hills. Burj Park sits beside Burj Khalifa and Burj Lake and works as a starting point for a walk or light jog, with a quieter setting than the shops and restaurants. Burj Park opened in 2010. If you need a lawn to run a child across every morning, weigh that before booking.
A month in a one-bedroom
Stay a month and the visit turns into a routine, and the building is built for one. The gym covers the weekday mornings. The laundry service handles the weekly wash, and the reception desk is there when a delivery arrives. Carrefour Market has a store in Downtown. So does Almaya. The Pavilion is a gallery and cafe on the Boulevard. It works as a place to meet friends or get some work done on the wifi when a one-bedroom starts to feel small. Weekends belong to the district: the fountain and the mall are both within it.
A night at Dubai Opera
Dubai Opera is dhow-shaped. The hall sits on Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard and switches between theatre and concert-hall layouts for up to 2,000 people. A ticket turns an ordinary evening into a plan.
Mosques and the mall's prayer rooms
Sheikha Abdullah Salem Mosque and Al Ghafoor Mosque serve Downtown Dubai, and The Dubai Mall has prayer rooms inside.
A doctor and a nursery
Mediclinic Dubai Mall opens daily at 8am. It offers family medicine and imaging, which suits a child with a fever on a Friday. Downtown has several nurseries that follow the British Early Years Foundation Stage framework and take children from a few months old, which helps if you are relocating with a toddler and need childcare close to home.
How the district began
Downtown Dubai is an Emaar development of about two square kilometres on the land once called Umm Al Tarif. The main avenue was called Emaar Boulevard until it was renamed Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Boulevard in December 2012.
If you own here
An apartment qualifies for a holiday home permit only if its title deed is classed Residential, and a developer NOC is required where applicable. Royale Stays manages homes for owners from a management fee of 15%, covering furnishing, photography, pricing, check-in, guest communication and maintenance. The district-wide picture is in our notes on managing a Downtown Dubai home.
Sources
Sources: propsearch.ae, Emaar Communities, betterhomes, Bayut, Roads and Transport Authority, Emaar blog, Wikipedia, Property Finder blog, Bayut area guide, Gulf News, Mediclinic Middle East, Propsearch.
Questions