Portside Square

Overview

Portside Square is a mixed-use waterfront development by Ellington Properties in Mina Rashid, the district that grew out of Dubai's first commercial port. The plan brings together three residential towers, named Portside Residences I, II and III, a separate office tower, a retail boulevard and a dedicated amenities pavilion. The residential towers use flowing balconies and curved, sculptural forms that take their cue from water and wind. The office tower is deliberately different: a bolder, more geometric shape that nods to the area's industrial harbour past.

Mina Rashid has a different feel from the newer parts of the Dubai real estate market. It is a working port that has turned into a marina, a cruise destination and a residential waterfront, and the master plan leans on that maritime story rather than hiding it. Portside Square is under construction, with completion scheduled for December 2029. Homes run from studios to three-bedroom apartments, with four-bedroom penthouses at the top of the range, and the launch price starts at AED 2,350,000. Freehold ownership is available to eligible buyers.

For anyone shortlisting off-plan projects Dubai has under way close to the older city districts, the main draw here is the pairing of a marina setting with short drives to the business centres.

Location and connectivity

The towers sit beside the Mina Rashid Marina and within a minute or two of the QE2 hotel, with marina promenades, waterfront dining and the cruise terminals around them. The bigger advantage is the road network. Sheikh Zayed Road is close, and from there the airport, the Trade Centre and DIFC are all short trips. The owner's published drive times, all by car and all dependent on traffic, are:

• QE2 hotel: approximately 1 minute
• Mina Rashid Marina: approximately 2 minutes
• Sheikh Zayed Road: approximately 6 minutes
• Dubai Mall and Burj Khalifa: approximately 10 minutes
• Dubai World Trade Centre: approximately 10 minutes
• Dubai International Airport (DXB): approximately 10 minutes
• DIFC: approximately 14 minutes
• Mall of the Emirates: approximately 18 minutes
• Dubai Islands and Palm Jumeirah: approximately 20 minutes each
• Dubai Marina: approximately 25 minutes
• Al Maktoum International Airport: approximately 40 minutes

That combination is why Mina Rashid apartments appeal to people who want a view of the water without a long commute. For buyers comparing waterfront properties Dubai has in the pipeline, Portside Square makes its case on access: the marina on one side and Downtown roughly ten minutes away on the other.

The residences

Interiors are planned around daylight and views, with floor-to-ceiling glazing, generous balconies and a material palette of refined finishes and curved forms drawn from the meeting of sea and shore. Depending on the tower and floor, homes look over the marina, the Dubai skyline or the Arabian Gulf. The developer's published sizes are:

• Studios: 395 to 453 sq ft
• 1 bedroom: 767 to 914 sq ft
• 2 bedroom: 1,172 to 1,377 sq ft
• 2 bedroom plus study: 1,370 to 1,533 sq ft
• 3 bedroom: 1,723 to 1,874 sq ft
• 4 bedroom penthouse: from 3,440 sq ft

Among apartments for sale in Dubai at the off-plan stage, the spread here is wide, from a 395 sq ft studio to a three-bedroom home of up to 1,874 sq ft. Studios and one-bedroom units suit a compact city base or a first rental unit. The two-bedroom plus study gives you a home office without stepping up to three bedrooms. If your search is for a penthouse for sale Dubai families can use as a full-size main home, the four-bedroom format starting at 3,440 sq ft is the one to ask about.

The plan also includes commercial space: retail units of 888 to 940 sq ft and a food and beverage unit from 3,895 sq ft. These are separate from the residential stock, and details are available on request.

Amenities

Facilities are spread across the landscaped podium and the amenities pavilion. Grouped the way residents are likely to use them:

Wellness and fitness

• Resort-style leisure pool and a kids' pool
• Hot and cold plunge pools
• Steam rooms, sauna and aromatherapy rooms
• Yoga and Pilates studios, plus aqua cycling
• Outdoor fitness area and running track

Lifestyle and work

• Lobby lounges and a clubhouse
• Cinema lounge and games room
• Co-working pods
• Landscaped gardens, outdoor seating and an amphitheatre lawn
• Sun loungers and cabanas
• Retail boulevard

Family

• Indoor and outdoor children's play areas
• Nursing room
• Flexible event lawn and community gathering spaces

The co-working pods, together with an office tower on the same site, make Portside Square practical for people who split their week between home and the office.

About the developer

Ellington Properties is a boutique Dubai developer known for a design-led approach, careful architecture and close attention to detail in its finishes. The company concentrates on refined residential communities rather than high-volume stock. Buyers who follow Ellington projects will recognise the focus on interiors and amenity design. At Portside Square that approach is applied to a larger mixed-use site, where homes share the address with an office tower, a retail boulevard and a standalone amenities pavilion.

Pricing and payment plan

The launch price starts at AED 2,350,000. Prices for each unit type are not published on this page, so ask for the current availability sheet before you compare layouts or weigh them against other properties for sale in Dubai. The payment plan Dubai buyers are offered here has three stages:

• 20% on booking
• 50% during construction
• 30% on handover

As a worked example on the launch price only, 20% on booking would be AED 470,000, the construction instalments would total AED 1,175,000 and the handover payment would be AED 705,000. The exact dates of the construction instalments are set out in the sale and purchase agreement. Keeping 30% back until handover means a meaningful share of the price is paid only once the home is complete.

Buyer's guide for this project

Buying off-plan works differently from buying a finished home. Check these points before you commit:

• DLD fee: the Dubai Land Department charges 4% of the purchase price. On the launch price that would be AED 94,000.
• Escrow: off-plan payments in Dubai go into a project escrow account regulated by RERA. Confirm the escrow account details in your contract and pay only into that account.
• Registration: make sure the purchase is registered with the Dubai Land Department after booking.
• Unit details: confirm the tower, floor, view and size, and whether the stated size includes the balcony.
• Handover terms: read the completion clause and what the contract says about delays.
• Resale before handover: if you may sell before completion, ask about the developer's conditions for that.

Mahboob Estate is a real estate agency Dubai buyers use for exactly this kind of review. We go through the floor plans, the agreement and the payment dates with you before you sign.

Who it suits

Portside Square suits professionals who work around DIFC, Downtown or the Trade Centre and want a home with a marina outlook. For Dubai property investment close to established business districts, the studios and one-bedroom units are the smallest units in the project and the lowest entry point by size. Families have the three-bedroom apartments and the penthouses, along with the kids' pool, play areas and nursing room.

It is less suited to buyers who need to move in soon. Handover is scheduled for December 2029, so anyone who needs a home now should look at completed stock instead.

FAQ

When is handover at Portside Square?

Completion is scheduled for December 2029, which is the fourth quarter of that year.

What is the starting price and payment plan?

The launch price starts at AED 2,350,000, payable 20% on booking, 50% during construction and 30% on handover.

Can foreign buyers buy property in Dubai at Portside Square?

Yes. Portside Square offers freehold ownership to eligible buyers, and we can confirm your eligibility before you reserve a unit.

Which unit types are available?

Studios, one, two and three-bedroom apartments, two-bedroom plus study layouts and four-bedroom penthouses, with retail and food and beverage units in the commercial part of the plan.

What makes the development different from a single residential tower?

It is a mixed-use plan of three residential towers, an office tower, a retail boulevard and an amenities pavilion, so work, shopping and leisure facilities share the same waterfront address.