Mina Al Arab is where I take people who tell me they want calm. Here is what it is like to live between the lagoons and the mangroves, what is still being built, and what homes cost.
Mina Al Arab is a freehold waterfront community by RAK Properties, between Al Hamra and Ras Al Khaimah city, spread across lagoons, beaches and protected mangroves. It suits people who want water and nature close by, with townhouses, villas and apartments, and two resorts on its islands.
The community covers about 400 hectares with roughly 18 km of waterfront. Flamingos and herons feed in the mangroves, and the older neighborhoods such as The Lagoons and Flamingo Villas have had years to settle. RAK Properties now often calls the destination simply "Mina".
Drive times are approximate and depend on traffic.
Alana's view
In Mina Al Arab the best hour of the day is the last one, when the light goes soft over the mangroves.
Late in the afternoon the wind drops and the lagoon goes still. If you are lucky, you see flamingos standing in the shallows; in the cooler months, a kayak tour gives you the best chance to see them up close.
Daily life here is slower than in Al Hamra. Neighbors walk dogs along the water, children ride bikes on quiet streets, and the evening plan is often just a walk to the beach.
I always drive buyers past the building sites too. Hayat Island and Raha Island are still growing, and I would rather you hear that from me than from a cement mixer.
Ask me to show you Mina Al ArabMina Al Arab still costs less per square foot than Al Marjan Island, and the gap between older and newer buildings is wide. These figures give you the range.
Ask me for current prices| Home | Typical asking price | Typical yearly rent |
|---|---|---|
| Studio apartment | About AED 790,000 | About AED 27,000 |
| 1 bedroom apartment | About AED 1,380,000 to 1,500,000 | About AED 43,000 to 52,000 |
| 2 bedroom apartment | About AED 2,300,000 to 2,500,000 | About AED 74,000 |
| 3 bedroom townhouse or villa | About AED 2,300,000 to 3,200,000 | About AED 115,000 |
Asking prices from dubizzle (September 2026) and Bayut (January 2026); rents from dubizzle and current Property Finder listings (October 2026). Not financial advice.
Alana's picks
Picked by me from current Hunt and Harris listings. Each one opens with every photo and detail.
Mina Al Arab
Alana's pick: a home she would show you herself
AED 52,000 a year
Gateway Residences 2, Mina Al Arab
Brand new, on the fifth floor, with the lagoon below your window. Two bathrooms in a one bedroom is rare, and so is 907 sq ft of space. The pool, the gym and a play area for children are right downstairs.
Mina Al Arab
I see new homes in Mina Al Arab every week. Tell me what you need and I will send you the ones that fit.
Tell me what you needQuiet streets, water on several sides and birds instead of traffic.
Townhouses with gardens, parks and beaches, with Al Hamra's school and mall ten minutes away.
Settled neighborhoods such as Flamingo Villas and The Lagoons, ready to move into.
New homes on Hayat Island and Raha Island, next to the resorts.
Want a school and a supermarket inside your village? Look at Al Hamra. Want a beach apartment you can rent to holiday guests? Look at Al Marjan Island.
Questions people ask me
The questions I hear most from buyers, tenants and owners. If yours isn't here, ask me directly.
Ask me on WhatsAppYes. Flamingos and herons feed in Mina Al Arab's mangroves and lagoons, and you are most likely to see them in the cooler months, from November to April, early in the morning or late in the afternoon. Guided kayak tours leave from the Anantara and the InterContinental.
Yes, if you want space and quiet more than a school at the end of the street. Mina Al Arab has townhouses with gardens, parks, beaches and a nursery, but no school of its own; families usually drive to Al Hamra, about 10 minutes away, for school and the big supermarket.
A three bedroom townhouse or villa in Mina Al Arab usually asks between about AED 2.3 and 3.2 million and rents for about AED 115,000 a year. Apartments range from about AED 790,000 for a studio to about AED 2.5 million for a two bedroom, with the newer islands at the top of that range.
Both are quiet, freehold and close to each other, about 10 minutes apart. Al Hamra is older and more complete, with a golf course, a marina, a mall and a primary school. Mina Al Arab is greener and closer to nature, with mangroves and lagoons, and is still growing on its new islands.
Yes. RAK Properties is building more than 5,000 homes on Hayat Island and Raha Island. The older neighborhoods, such as The Lagoons and Flamingo Villas, are finished and settled, so where you buy decides how much building work you live with.
Yes. Mina Al Arab is a freehold area, so foreign nationals can buy and own a home outright, whether or not they live in the UAE. A home worth at least AED 2 million can also qualify its owner for the UAE's 10 year Golden Visa.
Dubai airport (DXB) is about an hour by car from Mina Al Arab, longer at rush hour. Ras Al Khaimah city centre is about 20 minutes away and Al Hamra about 10.
