Portavia & Co. · Abu Dhabi area guide

Zayed City

"Why buy near the airport, away from the water?" Because not every buyer is paying for a view. The real question is what you get for the money instead.

Developer render of Bloom Living; not an available property. Image: Bloom Holding.

Explore the setting

Locate Zayed City on Portavia’s interactive Abu Dhabi map, then use Map or Satellite to explore its surroundings.

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Zayed City is one of Abu Dhabi’s largest new urban areas, planned on the mainland between Mohammed Bin Zayed City and Zayed International Airport. For buyers, its best-known community is Bloom Living: Mediterranean-style villas, townhouses and apartments around a central lake. It is not an island and does not pretend to be one.

The area, briefly

Location: on the mainland near Zayed International Airport; separate from Madinat Zayed in Al Dhafra.
Ownership: Bloom Living is a freehold community; foreign buyers can own there.
Backed by: Bloom Holding, the developer of Bloom Living.
Make-up: Bloom Living is built in phases: Cordoba and Toledo (villas and townhouses), Casares (townhouses) and Granada (apartments in low-rise buildings) and later phases
Daily life: inside Bloom Living, a lake with walking and cycling trails, a lagoon pool club, gyms, parks and a town centre with shops, cafes and a clinic.
Status: the first phases have handed over since late 2024; Granada is due to complete in late 2026.

Schools and nurseries

Nearby

The British International School Abu Dhabi: British curriculum.
Australian School of Abu Dhabi: Australian curriculum.
Virginia International Private School: US curriculum.

Who it suits

Families who want a villa or townhouse with a garden at a lower entry point than the islands.
People working at the airport, on Yas, in Khalifa City or in Mohammed Bin Zayed City.
First buyers who want a newly built, gated community over a waterfront address.

Who it doesn’t suit

Buyers who want the beach, the water or a sea view.
Anyone who wants to walk to the city’s cultural and business districts. Daily life here is by car.
Buyers who expect a finished district around them. Bloom Living is lived in; much of the wider Zayed City is still being planned and built.

What the average hides

A lakeside villa in an early phase and an apartment in a later one share the Bloom Living name. They don’t share a buyer, or a tenant.

Questions before your shortlist

Zayed City or Madinat Zayed: is it the same place?

Not always. "Madinat Zayed" means Zayed City in Arabic, but it is also the name of a town in the Al Dhafra region, about two hours west of the capital. Bloom Living is in Zayed City, near Zayed International Airport. Check the map, not just the name.

Is Bloom Living finished?

Partly. Cordoba and Toledo have handed over, and families live there. Later phases, including the Granada apartments, are completing in stages. Check all the phases.

Bloom Living or Yas Island for a family villa?

Bloom Living offers more space for the money and a quieter, gated setting. Yas offers the beach, the mall and the theme parks, with a larger resale market.

Does the Abu Dhabi rent freeze apply in Zayed City?

ADREC announced a temporary 0% increase measure on 3 June 2026, referencing the last registered Tawtheeq rent. Confirm the current measure and applicable tenancy authority for the exact lease; ADGM has its own property framework.

When you are ready

Read Portavia’s published market context or discuss a specific home or phase.

Editorial review: 9 October 2026. School admissions, planned facilities, phase completion, access and ownership conditions must be confirmed for the exact property. This guide does not confirm available units, prices or returns.

Sources: Official reference 1

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