Dubai Production City Area Guide: Studios for Rent, Location and Restaurants
Dubai Production City, still widely called IMPZ, is a freehold area of mid-rise flats off Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road. A studio rents for about AED 39,800 a year ($10,800 or £8,200) and a one-bedroom flat for about AED 60,500 ($16,500 or £12,400). There is no Metro station.
Dubai Production City began in July 2003 as the International Media Production Zone, a free zone for media production, printing and publishing companies. That old name, shortened to IMPZ, is still the one most flat adverts use. Today it is an area of mid-rise blocks where small flats rent for less than in most of Dubai.
About Dubai Production City
Dubai Production City is a free zone and freehold area in Me'aisem 1, in the south-west of Dubai. It sits on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road (E311), near where it crosses Al Khail Road (E44), between Dubai Sports City, Jumeirah Golf Estates and Jumeirah Village Triangle (JVT), about 27 km by road from Downtown Dubai. TECOM Group, part of Dubai Holding, runs it. IMPZ and Dubai Production City are the same place: IMPZ is the old name, and renters still use it, which is why so many people search for a "studio for rent in IMPZ". For other areas, see our Dubai area guides.
Thinking of renting a studio here, buying a flat or simply living here? This Dubai Production City area guide gives you what you need to decide: where it is, the buildings people ask about, what flats really rent and sell for, the mall, the shops, schools and roads, and who it suits.
*This guide was last updated on 16 October 2026, using Dubai Land Department records up to 15 October 2026. Dollar ($) and pound (£) amounts use AED 3.6725 to the US dollar and AED 4.8733 to the British pound (XE mid-market rate, 15 October 2026); your bank's rate will differ.
Dubai Production City Location and Map
Dubai Production City lies on the south side of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road. Its main buildings sit in three parts:
- North, by the main road: City Centre Me'aisem, Oakwood Residency and Qasr Sabah.
- East, along Al Fay Road: Lakeside Residence, The Crescent and Lago Vista.
- South, by the Jumeirah Golf Estates golf courses: Midtown and SOL Golf Views.
Its neighbours are Dubai Sports City, Jumeirah Golf Estates, JVT and Jumeirah Village Circle. Do not mix it up with Dubai Studio City, a different media free zone about 11 km away by road.
By road, it is about:
- 19 km to Dubai Marina.
- 27 km to Downtown Dubai.
- 36 km to Dubai International Airport.
The first map shows where Dubai Production City is in Dubai.
The second is a map of the area itself, with its main buildings.
Dubai Production City Highlights
Here is the short version, from the homes and the free zone to the schools, shops and the drive out.
Popular Buildings in Dubai Production City
These are the buildings people search for most, in that order. Adverts usually add "IMPZ" to the name, as in "Midtown IMPZ" or "Lakeside Tower IMPZ".
Each card shows the average for the last three months, or the last 12 months where only a few homes changed hands. The rent is what new tenants paid. Each card shows the sizes that the rent charts further down do not.
People also search for these:
- Ikarus Tower: one- and two-bedroom flats. A one-bedroom flat rented for about AED 56,000 a year in the last 12 months*.
- The OBS tower (By OBS Designer Residences): studios rent for far more than elsewhere here, about AED 74,100 a year in the last three months*.
- Afnan and Dania: two of the five districts of Midtown.
*This guide was last updated on 16 October 2026, using Dubai Land Department records up to 15 October 2026.
Rent in Dubai Production City
Every home for rent in Dubai Production City is a flat. A studio, the home most people rent here, costs about AED 39,800 a year ($10,800 · £8,200). Bigger flats cost more, and you can also rent a room or a bed space.
*This guide was last updated on 16 October 2026, using Dubai Land Department records up to 15 October 2026. Dollar ($) and pound (£) amounts use AED 3.6725 to the US dollar and AED 4.8733 to the British pound (XE mid-market rate, 15 October 2026); your bank's rate will differ.
Apartments for rent in Dubai Production City
If you are moving in, use the figures in the chart. A tenant who renews, which means one who already lives in the flat, usually pays less: about AED 51,000 a year on average for any flat here, against AED 57,100 for a new tenant. So do not expect the rent the last tenant paid.
The three-bedroom rent looks odd, because it is lower than the two-bedroom one. Most recent three-bedroom contracts were in one group of buildings, Domus Indigo, where many flats were let together in bulk. For a three-bedroom flat, ask what flats in that block last rented for.
There is plenty of choice: about 880 flats were up for rent when this guide was last updated*. Furnished flats are easy to find too, and some are let by the month, a few of them in the Aloft and Element hotel buildings. A monthly let costs far more than a yearly lease, so take one only for a short stay.
Most landlords ask for the year's rent in cheques. Ask how many cheques they accept: fewer cheques can get you a lower rent.
See homes for rent:
- Property Finder: apartments for rent in Dubai Production City, furnished apartments, monthly apartments
- Dubizzle: all homes for rent in Dubai Production City
Studios for rent in Dubai Production City
A studio is the home most people rent in IMPZ, and the cheapest are in the four Lakeside towers. Midtown studios cost more, because the blocks are newer and share a garden with pools. About 260 studios were up for rent when this guide was last updated*.
See homes for rent:
- Property Finder: studios for rent in Dubai Production City, monthly studios
One- and two-bedroom flats for rent in Dubai Production City
For a one-bedroom flat, Qasr Sabah is the cheapest building and Midtown the dearest. For two bedrooms, Centrium Towers and The Crescent cost much less than Midtown. The building cards above show what each one costs.
See homes for rent:
- Property Finder: one-bedroom flats, two-bedroom flats
Villas and townhouses for rent in Dubai Production City
Dubai Production City has no villas or townhouses: every building is a block of flats. For a house close by, look at Victory Heights in Dubai Sports City, at JVT, or at Jumeirah Golf Estates next door.
Rooms, partitions and bed spaces in Dubai Production City
You can rent a room or a bed space here. When this guide was last updated*, Dubizzle had 24 adverts in Dubai Production City: 14 bed spaces, 4 partitions and 6 private rooms.
Sharing a home is regulated. Dubai's shared housing law, Law No. 4 of 2026, came into force on 8 September 2026. Its four main rules:
- Permit first: a home can be used for shared housing only with a permit from Dubai Municipality.
- Approved areas only: more than 44 so far, such as Al Barsha 1, Al Rigga and Al Warqa 1. Dubai Production City is not among the examples named.
- No subletting: a tenant may not sublet any part of the home.
- Fines: AED 500 to AED 500,000, doubled for a repeat within a year.
Before you pay for a room, a partition or a bed space, ask whether the flat has a shared housing permit. Do not pay a deposit until you have seen the room.
See rooms for rent:
Property for Sale in Dubai Production City
A studio in Dubai Production City sells for about AED 610,000 ($170,000 · £130,000), and a three-bedroom flat for about AED 2 million. A flat here earns about 7.8% of its price in rent each year, well above the Dubai average for flats of 6.1%. Only a third of the flats sold in the last three months* were already built (206 of 619); the rest were bought off-plan, before they were finished.
*This guide was last updated on 16 October 2026, using Dubai Land Department records up to 15 October 2026. Dollar ($) and pound (£) amounts use AED 3.6725 to the US dollar and AED 4.8733 to the British pound (XE mid-market rate, 15 October 2026); your bank's rate will differ.
Apartments for sale in Dubai Production City
Price per sq ft is the price divided by the size of the home, so you can compare homes of different sizes. A new flat costs about half as much again for the same space. Finished flats sold for about AED 1,022 per sq ft, and off-plan flats for about AED 1,492.
Most off-plan sales were in new projects:
- Sera Gardens by Vision.
- Reef 996.
- Eira Residence.
- Park Five by Deyaar.
- Binghatti Elite.
About 1,450 flats were for sale when this guide was last updated*, and about 460 of them were studios.
A new flat earns less for each dirham you pay
The 7.8% yield is for flats here as a whole. An off-plan flat costs more per sq ft, earns no rent until it is handed over, and will look for tenants at the same time as the other new flats in its block. Work out the yield on the price you are quoted, and ask for the handover date in writing.
See homes for sale:
- Property Finder: apartments for sale in Dubai Production City, studios for sale
- Dubizzle: all homes for sale in Dubai Production City
Villas and townhouses for sale in Dubai Production City
You cannot buy a villa or a townhouse in Dubai Production City, because there are none. The nearest houses for sale are in Victory Heights in Dubai Sports City, in JVT and in Jumeirah Golf Estates.
Restaurants in Dubai Production City
Most places to eat in Dubai Production City are in City Centre Me'aisem, with pubs and an Indian restaurant at the Four Points by Sheraton hotel. It is enough for a coffee, a quick lunch or a pub dinner. For a big choice, you drive out.
Good to know:
- A drink with dinner: the pubs at Four Points by Sheraton are licensed.
- Late at night: McGettigan's stays open until 2 am from Monday to Saturday. Check the hours before you go.
- Midtown: its shopping street has restaurants and cafés, handy if you live in the south of the area.
City Centre Me'aisem in Dubai Production City
City Centre Me'aisem is the shopping mall inside Dubai Production City, at the corner of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road and Al Khail Road. Majid Al Futtaim opened it on 1 September 2015. It is a community mall, not a big day out, and for people who live here it is where the weekly shop, the clinic and the cinema are:
The mall has 48 shops and services, among them H&M, Daiso and Sun & Sand Sports. Hours change at Ramadan and on public holidays, so check the mall's website before you go. The bus stop "Dubai Production City, City Centre Me'aisem" is about a 5 to 6 minute walk away.
Supermarkets, Clinics, Mosques and Gyms in Dubai Production City
The big shop and the clinic are in City Centre Me'aisem. Smaller shops sit on the ground floors of the blocks.
Supermarkets in Dubai Production City
The Carrefour hypermarket in City Centre Me'aisem is the main supermarket. Smaller shops in the area:
- Swiss Mart: on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road.
- Carrefour: on Wildflower Street, next to Midtown.
- Danat Supermarket: near SOL Golf Views.
- Midtown's shopping street: convenience stores, pharmacies and a laundry.
For Spinneys, go to Jumeirah Golf Estates, about 6 km away by road.
Clinics in Dubai Production City
Mediclinic has a clinic in City Centre Me'aisem. Pharmacies:
- In the mall: Life Pharmacy, Boots and Super Care Pharmacy.
- In Midtown: pharmacies on the shopping street.
Hospitals nearby, by road:
- Mediclinic Parkview Hospital: Al Barsha South, about 13 km.
- NMC Royal Hospital: Dubai Investments Park, about 13.5 km.
Mosques in Dubai Production City
There are two mosques inside the area:
- One beside the ENOC petrol station on Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road.
- One on Al Fay Road, near the Lakeside towers.
Gyms in Dubai Production City
Most people here use the gym in their own building. We found no large public gym inside the area. Your options:
- Your building: Midtown, for example, has health clubs, sports courts and a jogging track for residents.
- Top Padel Club: in City Centre Me'aisem.
- Sun & Sand Sports: in the same mall, for kit.
Schools in Dubai Production City
There is no school inside Dubai Production City. None of the private schools in the KHDA directory is here. The nearest are in Dubai Sports City, about 9 km away by road, so plan a school run by car or school bus.
KHDA is the Dubai government office that inspects private schools. Its top ratings are Outstanding, Very good and Good. A new school has no rating until it has been inspected.
| Where | School | Curriculum | KHDA rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai Sports City (about 9 km) | Victory Heights Primary School (to Year 6) | British | Outstanding |
| Dubai Sports City | Royal Grammar School Guildford | British | Very good |
| Dubai Sports City (about 9 km) | Dwight School | IB | Good |
| Dubai Sports City | GEMS School of Research and Innovation | British | Not inspected yet |
| Jumeirah Park (about 10 km) | Dubai British School Jumeirah Park | British | Outstanding |
| Jumeirah Village Circle | Arcadia British School | British | Very good |
| Jumeirah Village Circle (about 11 km) | JSS International School | Indian | Very good |
| Al Barsha South (about 14 km) | GEMS Dubai American Academy | American and IB | Outstanding |
You can find every school's fees on the KHDA school directory. To compare family areas on schools, safety, space and cost, read our guide to the best areas to live in Dubai for families.
Nurseries in Dubai Production City
We found no licensed nursery inside Dubai Production City. Deyaar planned a daycare for Midtown, so ask at your building whether it is open. For any nursery, ask which ages it takes this year, and check that it is on KHDA's list of licensed early childhood centres.
Getting Around Dubai Production City
You get around Dubai Production City by car. Two of Dubai's main roads meet at its edge, by City Centre Me'aisem, and most trips start on one of them:
- Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road (E311) runs along the north side. It takes you towards Sharjah one way and Jebel Ali and Abu Dhabi the other, with exits for the city on the way.
- Al Khail Road (E44) starts by the mall and runs north towards Al Quoz and Business Bay.
- Al Fay Road runs along the east side, past the Lakeside towers, towards Jumeirah Golf Estates.
These are distances, not times. At school and office hours, allow extra time.
Metro stations near Dubai Production City
There is no Metro station in Dubai Production City: the nearest are about 13 km away by road. The stations to use:
- Discovery Gardens and Al Furjan: on the Red Line branch to Expo City, the closest by road.
- Jumeirah Golf Estates: looks closer on a map, about 3 km in a straight line, but the road to it is about 16 km.
Buses link the area to the Metro. These stop at City Centre Me'aisem:
- F38: to Jumeirah Golf Estates Metro station, through Dubai Production City.
- F34: to Dubai Internet City Metro station.
- J02: around Dubai Production City.
Bus routes change, so check them in the RTA's S'hail app. It also shows the stop nearest your building.
Parking in Dubai Production City
Ask how many parking spaces come with your flat before you sign.
- At home: ask where guests can park too. This matters if you have two cars or many visitors.
- At the mall: City Centre Me'aisem has its own car parks.
Is Dubai Production City a Good Place to Live?
Dubai Production City is a good place to live for single people and couples who drive and want a lower rent for a small flat. It does not suit a family that wants a house, a school nearby or a Metro station on foot.
A studio here rents for about the same as in Dubai Sports City next door, and about AED 4,000 to AED 5,000 a year less than in JVT or Arjan.
The good
- A studio costs less to rent than in JVT or Arjan.
- There are thousands of flats, so you can change building without leaving the area.
- City Centre Me'aisem has a Carrefour, a clinic and a cinema.
- Two main roads meet at the corner of the area.
- Flats earn a high yield for their owners.
The not so good
- There is no Metro station, so without a car every trip needs a bus or a taxi.
- There is no school inside the area.
- Many new blocks are still being built, which means building work and more flats coming.
- Downtown Dubai is about 27 km away, a long drive at rush hour.
- Most of the shops and restaurants are in one mall.
Three bills to ask about before you sign:
- Chiller: some buildings charge a separate bill for the air conditioning, and we could not confirm which. Ask the agent: "Is the air conditioning in the DEWA bill, or is there a separate chiller bill?"
- DEWA: you pay DEWA, the water and electricity bill, yourself. Ask to see last summer's bills for the flat.
- Service charges: owners pay a yearly charge to run the building. If you are buying, ask the seller for the latest bill, and read our guide to service charges in Dubai.
If you are buying, the yield here is well above the Dubai average for flats. The main risk is new supply: two in three flats sold here are not built yet, and they will all look for tenants as they are handed over. To compare areas, read our guide to rental yield by area in Dubai. Before you make an offer, use our guide on how to check property value in Dubai.
FAQs
What is the full form of IMPZ?
IMPZ stands for International Media Production Zone. It is the old name of Dubai Production City, which TECOM Group set up in 2003 for media production companies. Both names are still used for the same place.
How much is a studio for rent in IMPZ?
New tenants paid about AED 39,800 a year for a studio in Dubai Production City, about AED 3,300 a month. The cheapest studios are in the Lakeside towers (about AED 33,800) and the dearest in Midtown (about AED 45,700). Most landlords ask for the rent in cheques, not monthly.
Is Dubai Production City a free zone?
Yes. It is a business free zone for media, printing, publishing and packaging companies, run by TECOM Group. The free zone rules are for companies licensed there. Renting a flat works the same way as anywhere else in Dubai, with a contract registered through Ejari.
Is Dubai Production City freehold?
Yes. People of any nationality can buy flats in Dubai Production City. The Dubai Land Department does not publish its list by community name, so check that the title deed of the flat you want says "freehold".
What is the nearest Metro station to Dubai Production City?
There is no station inside the area. The nearest by road are Discovery Gardens and Al Furjan on the Red Line, about 13 km away. Bus F38 links City Centre Me'aisem with Jumeirah Golf Estates station, and F34 with Dubai Internet City station.
Sources and method45 sources from 18 publishers · last checked 20 October 2026
Official
- RTA Mohammed bin Rashid issues Law regulating the management and occupancy of shared housing in DubaiDubai Municipality issues Planning and Building Requirements Guide for shared housingnew bus route from Jumeirah Golf Estates Metro Station to Dubai Sports City
- Knowledge and Human Development Authority Schools directory
Reporting and other sources
- About this guide: rents, prices, yields, listings, buildings, the mall, shops, schools and distances were checked on 16 October 2026, and the restaurants, hotels, bus routes and building developers on 20 October 2026. It is general information, not financial, legal or tax advice.
- Property Finder rental transactions in Dubai Production City (IMPZ)sale transactions in Dubai Production City (IMPZ)Dubai Sports CityJumeirah Village TriangleArjanall flats sold in Dubaiapartments for rent in Dubai Production Cityapartments for saleSOL Golf ViewsLakeside ResidenceQasr SabahCentrium TowersThe CrescentLago VistaOakwood Residency
- Bayut The CrescentSOL Golf ViewsComplete list of freehold areas in Dubai
- Bayut ETA Star launches The Centrium
- Bayut Oakwood Residency
- Dubizzle rooms for rent in Dubai Production CityArea overview: Dubai Production City (IMPZ)
- Wikipedia Dubai Production CityCity Centre Me'aisem
- Dubai Production City Our communityFAQs
- Deyaar Deyaar on track to hand over the third and fourth phases of its Midtown projectJannat Midtown
- City Centre Me'aisem plan your visitstore directorydining directoryentertainment
- Wikipedia City Centre Me'aisem opens
- Marriott dining at Four Points by Sheraton Production City
- Marriott Dubai Production City
- Jumeirah Golf Estates Crafty Foxdining
- XE GBP to AED mid-market rate
- OpenStreetMap map dataroad routing
