Forty-nine homeowners have taken possession of new properties in the US$1.36 billion (AED5 b) Al Zahia mixed-use gated community development in Sharjah. According to the developers, fifty-one homes have been completed, including two show homes, and another 197 units will be built by Q2 2016.

Developed by Majid Al Futtaim and owned by the government company Sharjah Holding, the community is expected to be fully completed in 2019 providing homes for over 12,000 residents and spanning a total area of 1,300,000 square metres.

Al Zahia community is conveniently situated close to Sharjah University City and Sharjah International Airport, with access to road links to Dubai and the Northern Emirates. The development will include a City Centre shopping mall, landscaped parks, mosques and other community amenities.

Properties in Al Zahia are being offered for sale to UAE citizens, GCC nationals and other Arab nationals with UAE residence visas. The development offers 3, 4 and 5-bedroom townhouses and villas, plus 1 and 2 -bedroom apartments and studio apartments. The community also provides boutique villas for business use.

A number of large-scale communities are currently under development in Sharjah. Tilal City, a AED 2 billion (US$0.5b) residential real estate development was launched in November last year, offering Sharjah properties for sale to non-Arab nationals for the first time.