Dubai Islands hold 21 km of beachfront. Nakheel gave that figure in April 2026, within about 57 km of coastline across five islands. For comparison, the whole island group covers 18.6 sq km, so a large share of what is being built there sits close to the water. And the shoreline is still growing: in October 2026 Nakheel contracted a new 320 m beach on Island B.
- Dubai Islands have about 57 km of coastline, of which 21 km is beachfront (Nakheel, April 2026).
- Nakheel has contracted the upgrade of about 3 km of Island B's western shoreline and a new 320 m beach near Bay Villas, due in Q4 2027.
- Two beach resorts already operate on the islands, as reported: Hotel Riu Dubai with 800 keys and Centara Mirage Beach Resort with 607.
- BEYOND's SIØRA masterplan on Island B, home to HADO and SHIONE, has direct access to 6 km of open beaches.
For a buyer, beach length is the asset that cannot be added later in an established district. On Dubai Islands it is being added now, and the homes being sold today are the ones next to it.
Where the beaches are
The islands face the open Gulf on their outer shores and the Deira coast on their inner side. The beaches run along the outer edges, which is where the resorts and the beachfront communities sit.
Two resorts already operate on the sand. Hotel Riu Dubai opened on 10 December 2020 with 800 keys, and Centara Mirage Beach Resort Dubai opened on 14 October 2021 with 607 keys, as reported at their openings. Park Regis by Prince Dubai Islands followed in March 2024 with 159 rooms. These hotels are what a visitor sees on the islands today: open beaches, pools and restaurants in a district where most homes are still being built.
The new Island B shoreline
Island B is where the beach programme is moving fastest. In October 2026 Nakheel awarded Mar Marine and Building Contracting the marine works to upgrade about 3 km of Island B's western shoreline and to add 320 m of new beach near Bay Villas. Completion is due in Q4 2027, according to Nakheel's release and Khaleej Times coverage on 8 October 2026.
The shoreline contract sits next to a larger one. On 20 April 2026 Nakheel awarded Al Nasr Contracting AED 527M for Island B's infrastructure: roads, water, power, telecoms, drainage and district cooling links. Together, the two contracts show the master developer spending on the island's public shore and its services at the same time as private developers sell homes there.
That sequence works in a buyer's favour. Off-plan prices are set at launch, while the beach and roads are still being finished. A buyer who reserves before those works complete pays a price set before the finished shoreline is there to see.
SIØRA and 6 km of open beach
On Island B, BEYOND (part of OMNIYAT Group) unveiled SIØRA on 11 December 2025: a beachfront masterplan of 198,400 sqm, with 140,000 sqm of landscaped open space, or 70% of the site. The developer's documents give SIØRA direct access to 6 km of open beaches, with more than 10 km of jogging and cycling tracks and a green spine of over 400 m running through it.
SIØRA has two residential phases so far. HADO was the first, announced on 30 December 2025. SHIONE is the second, rising next to HADO, and takes its name from a Japanese expression for the sound of the tide. We compare them in SHIONE and HADO by BEYOND.
What beach access means for a home
Beach access shapes three things a buyer cares about.
The first is daily use. A home a few minutes' walk from the sand is used differently from one with a sea view across a road. Families swim before work, owners walk the shore in the evening, and guests come for the beach first.
The second is the buyer pool at resale. Dubai's beachfront supply is limited by geography: the coast only runs so far. New islands add to it once, and the homes built in that window are the ones that carry the address later.
The third is the type of home. Beachfront communities on Dubai Islands are being planned around outdoor life: SHIONE's podium, for example, has an elevated adults' infinity pool with a cascade, a kids' pool, a Zen garden and a meditation lawn, with the beach beyond. The home type sells the beach, so the amenities around it matter as much as the unit itself.
How the beaches compare with the rest of Dubai
Dubai's established beaches run along Jumeirah, Umm Suqeim, the Marina and Palm Jumeirah, where prices reflect decades of demand. Dubai Islands add new beachfront in the north of the city, about 19 minutes by car from Dubai International Airport on BEYOND's drive times.
The price evidence is on the DLD register. Dubai Islands apartments sold at a median AED 2,797 per sq ft from 1 January to 9 November 2026, across 3,481 sales, 99% of them off-plan (M&M analysis of DLD open data). Property Finder reports average sale prices on the islands up 16.9% year on year. Our Dubai Islands price analysis breaks the figures down by bedroom type and by project.
For the comparison with the other new coastline, read Dubai Islands vs Palm Jebel Ali. For the area overview, with projects and developers, see our Dubai Islands area guide.
One beachfront project to look at: SHIONE
SHIONE by BEYOND has 603 homes in two buildings on Island B's beachfront, from one-bedroom apartments to four-bedroom duplexes. The one-bedroom homes start from AED 2.75M on BEYOND's figures of 10 November 2026, and the payment plan is 50/50: half the price is paid on completion, which BEYOND anticipates in Q4 2030. The project is registered with the Dubai Land Department as project 4501, with escrow at Mashreq Bank.
Our SHIONE investment case sets out the homes, prices and payment plan, and the SHIONE project page has the floor plans and the registration form.
See the beach with an M&M advisor
An M&M advisor can take you along the Island B shore on a site visit, show you where each project meets the beach and walk you through the SHIONE case. Ask the team for a visit or for the case by email.
Figures are past data from the sources named. This article is general information and not tax, legal or financial advice; returns are not guaranteed.
How long are the beaches on Dubai Islands?
Nakheel, the master developer, gives Dubai Islands about 57 km of coastline including 21 km of beachfront, across five islands and 18.6 sq km of land (April 2026). In October 2026 Nakheel also contracted works to upgrade about 3 km of Island B's western shoreline and add 320 m of new beach near Bay Villas, due in Q4 2027.
Can you swim on the Dubai Islands beaches?
Yes. The islands already have beach resorts on the Gulf, as reported at their openings, including Hotel Riu Dubai, open since December 2020, and Centara Mirage Beach Resort Dubai, open since October 2021. Each hotel sets its own beach access for day visitors, so check with the hotel before you go.
Which Dubai Islands projects are on the beach?
On Island B, BEYOND's SIØRA masterplan has direct access to 6 km of open beaches according to the developer; its two residential phases are HADO and SHIONE. Nakheel's Bay Villas sit on Island B as well, beside the stretch where the new 320 m beach is being added. Our Dubai Islands area guide lists the other projects on the islands.
What is being built on the Island B shoreline?
Nakheel awarded Mar Marine and Building Contracting the marine works to upgrade about 3 km of Island B's western shoreline and to add 320 m of beach near Bay Villas, with completion due in Q4 2027 (Nakheel, October 2026). Separately, Nakheel awarded Al Nasr Contracting an AED 527M contract in April 2026 for Island B's roads, utilities and district cooling links.
Are Dubai Islands beaches better than Jumeirah Beach?
They serve a different buyer. Jumeirah's beaches sit in established neighbourhoods with mature prices. Dubai Islands add new beachfront in the north of the city, about 19 minutes by car from Dubai International Airport on the developer's figures, in a market where 99% of 2026 apartment sales were off-plan. A buyer there is buying beach access at the start of the island's life.
