Write-up featured in Property Weekly Neighbourhood Guide - GulfNews on 28 June 2020 Sobha Hartland is part of the Mohammad Bin Rashid City (MBR City), the largest mixed-use and freehold area in Dubai, has stunning golf courses, the world’s largest man-made lagoon, parks and community centres all in easy proximity.

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JUNE 28, 2020
Property Weekly Neighbourhood Guide
JUNE 28, 2020
Property Weekly Neighbourhood Guide
W
hile it has been a chal-
lenging period for all,
Jyotsna Hegde, Presi-
dent of Sobha Group, says the cri-
sis has reinforced the importance
of innovative thinking and the
need to be solution driven. Here
she talks about the company’s
plans and what it has in store for
homebuyers.
The land for Sobha was
purchased in 2011. Now, almost
10 years later, how do you see
Sobha Hartland?
We launched Sobha Hartland
in 2014. From a vacant land plot
10 years ago to over 8 million sq
ft of luxurious living in the heart
of Dubai, we hope to bring a well-
recognised and sought-after com-
munity to the city. Our chairman
PNC Menon always had a very
clear vision: to redefine the art of
living through exquisite crafts-
manship, immense attention to
detail, and unwavering commit-
ment to quality.
While the global Covid-19 pan-
demic has impacted industries
across countries, it is heartening to
see companies and organisations
striving to navigate these chal-
lenges and continue on their tra-
jectories to success. Over the past
few months, we have prioritised
the safety, health and well-being
of our staff as we continued to ful-
fil our promise to our customers.
Today, we are proud to say that we
have managed this challenging pe-
riod with minimal disruption to our
construction operations and are on
track to achieving our targets for
2020. This crisis has reinforced the
importance of innovative thinking
and the need to be solution driven,
values that are ingrained in the
Sobha culture, and we remain op-
timistic towards Dubai’s real estate
sector, which continues to show
resilience and attracts buyers from
around the globe.
What measures have you taken
to bolster buyer confidence in
this market?
Although a pandemic may
seem like the most uncertain of
times for large investments, it has,
in fact, never been more an ideal
time to explore real estate invest-
ments. The ecosystem around real
estate in Dubai continues to be at-
tractive, and recently the govern-
ment made mortgages more lu-
crative, where you can finance up
to 80 per cent of your unit (85 per
cent if you are an Emirati).
Additionally, the Dubai Land
Department (DLD) has further
simplified its processes, adding
more convenience to new and old
homeowners. Additionally, this
past year properties in Dubai saw
ROI averaging an attractive 6-7
per cent, which is one of the high-
est worldwide.
With this context in mind, I
strongly advise prudent research
for buyers and finding value for
moneyandchoosingqualityabove
all — this is especially important
as a home is a long-term invest-
ment. Over the past few months,
we have been offering the oppor-
tunity for customers to take a tour
of our homes through our Virtual
Property walk-throughs, which
proved to be an effective means
during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Now our sales offices are also
open in line with social distanc-
ing and safety measures and buy-
ers can visit the Sobha Hartland
destination and our residences to
experience it firsthand.
How are you incentivising
brokers to sell more?
We are always working closely
and collaborative with our chan-
nel partners and have so far seen
positive results through our long-
term relationships with them.
What value adds are there when
purchasing a unit in Hartland?
Buyers can benefit from a
number of added values the com-
munity has to offer. For one, Sobha
Hartland is strategically located in
the heart of the city, a few min-
utes away from key attractions,
while at the same time offering a
green, serene haven. The commu-
nity is equipped with a number of
amenities from gyms, cycling and
walking tracks, yoga spaces and a
community centre.
How do you differentiate
yourself in this market?
At Sobha Realty, we have al-
ways prided ourselves on timely
handovers, without compromis-
ing on quality. Sobha Hartland
offers more than just a home. We
have created a community sur-
rounded by lush greenery, vast
landscapes, world-class amenities
and a unique living environment
in the heart of the city.
For a family with kids, what does
Hartland have to offer?
In addition to the reduction
on school fees at two of the most
renowned educational institutes
in Dubai, the community offers a
haven for families and a place for
children to explore outdoor living
and immerse themselves in na-
ture. The vast green spaces within
Sobha Hartland are a perfect place
for families and children to enjoy,
along with our amenities, includ-
ing a cycling track, play areas and
much more.
Additionally, Sobha Hartland
is located five minutes away from
Dubai Mall and the Ras Al Khor
wildlife reserve, and as such offers
an accessible location to many of
Dubai’s attractions.
There is a need for space and
social distancing with the
pandemic. How does Sobha
Hartland cater to this?
A trend that has been noticed
in the UAE real estate market is
how more buyers are looking to
purchase town houses and villas
with a plot of open space, such as
a garden or backyard. This in large
can be in correlation to the events
of the last few months where the
value people place on their home
and space has increased. Our
Sobha Hartland community of-
fers apartment high-rises as well
as a vast selection of villas and
town houses, therefore, buyers
have the option of choosing the
units and layouts most convenient
to them. Many of our apartments
are also equipped with a separate
study, which we see as a develop-
ing trend and will be beneficial
for those working from home. As
a developer, we are intuitive about
our design and focus on maxim-
ising living spaces to ensure resi-
dents enjoy the utmost levels of
comfort and convenience.
Despitethepandemic,Sobhais
ontracktoachieve2020targets
Upclose:
SobhaHartland
inDubai’s
MBRCity
S
obha Hartland is part of
the Mohammad Bin Rashid
City (MBR City), the larg-
est mixed-use and free-
hold area in Dubai with stunning
golf courses, the world’s largest
man-made lagoon, parks and
community centres all in easy
proximity. The community ben-
efits from MBR City’s strategic lo-
cation and excellent connectivity.
Jason Hayes, founder and CEO of
LuxuryProperty.com, says, “MBR
City is perfectly located within
the growing new heart of Dubai.
It is roughly 4km from Downtown
Dubai, 8km from the Jumeirah
coastline and about 14km from
Dubai International Airport. Some
of Dubai’s most popular attrac-
tions are located very close at
hand, including the stunning trio
of the Burj Khalifa, Dubai Mall and
Dubai Opera. There is no shortage
of options to entertain yourself
and the whole family.”
Apart from Sobha Hartland,
MBR City contains several popular
developments offering premium
residential choices like District
One and Dubai Hills.
Sobha Hartland
Sobha Hartland is a luxury
freehold community developed by
Sobha Realty and spread across 8
million sq ft with 30 per cent of its
space a dedicated green cover, fea-
turing over 300 species of trees and
plants. A family-friendly commu-
nity, housing choices here range
from one-bedroom apartments to
six-bedroom ultra-luxury villas.
“Sobha Hartland features con-
temporary villas and low-rise
apartments,” says Hayes. “It is one
of the only residential communi-
ties that have villas situated directly
alongside the Dubai Canal, appro-
priately known as the Canal Villas.”
The place has an abundance of
parks and open landscaped spac-
es (about 2.6 million sq ft). “The
community has two international
schools – Hartland International
School and North London Colle-
giate School. It is also in the process
of developing the Hartland Mall.”
The different projects within
Sobha Hartland include:
■■ Gardenia Villas — four-bed-
room family homes starting
at Dh8.1 million
■■ Forest Villas — four- and
five-bedroom houses sur-
rounded by mature greenery,
starting at Dh11.39 million
■■ Canal Villas — six-bedroom
luxury homes starting at
Dh34.6 million
■■ Hartland Townhouses
(Garden Houses) — four-
bedroom, three-storey town
houses from Dh5.1 million
■■ Hartland Greens – one-,
two- and three-bedroom
apartments in six low-rise
buildings, from Dh1.3 million
■■ One Park Avenue — two-,
three- and four-bedroom
apartments starting at
Dh1.54 million
■■ Sobha Creek Vistas — one-
and two-bedroom flats
enjoying views over Dubai
Creek and Dubai Canal,
price from Dh820,000
■■ Creek Vistas Reserve — se-
lection of premium one- and
two-bedroom apartments
within the Creek Vistas pro-
ject, from Dh876,000
District One
The 45-million-sq-ft Dis-
trict One offers upscale four- to
six-bedroom independent villas.
“For those seeking more gran-
deur, the community offers mas-
sive seven- and eight-bedroom
mansions,” says Anjana Mahna,
senior global property consult-
ant — client rep. division at Gulf
Sotheby’s International Realty.
Future offerings include low to
mid-rise apartments featuring
one-bedders to four-bedroom
penthouses.
Dubai Hills Estate
Built around an 18-hole
championship golf course, the
high-end community offers one-
to seven-bedroom options with
choices of living in apartments,
town houses or villas. The place
has abundant green areas, walk-
ways and playgrounds and large
open areas. Residents will also
find luxury retail centres, com-
mercial centre, hotels, schools,
restaurants and health care fa-
cilities, all located nearby.
SOBHA
HARTLAND
■■ Sobha Hartland
is a luxury free-hold
community developed
by Sobha Realty
■■ The development is
spread across 8 million
sq ft
■■ It is located within
Mohammad Bin Rashid
Al Maktoum (MBR) City
■■ Five minutes away
from Burj Khalifa
■■ Five minutes away
from Dubai Mall
■■ 20 minutes to Dubai
International Airport
■■ 20 munities away from
Palm Jumeirah
■■ The mixed-use
development is home
two international
schools
■■ Sobha
Hartland’s
housing
choices range
from one-
bedders to
six-bedroom
luxury villas
Esha Nag
Property Weekly Editor
Hina Navin
Special to Property Weekly
Burj Al Arab
Sheikh Zayed Road
Downtown
Dubai
■■ Sobha
Creek Vistas
flats offer
great views
of Dubai’s
skyline as
well as the
Dubai Creek
Dubai Mall
Dubai CreekDubai Canal
Ras Al Khor Road
Meydan One Mall
Meydan Racecourse
Metro Line
SOBHA HARTLAND
Supplied
Jyotsna Hegde
President, Sobha Group