Districtمصفح
Mussafah
Industrial zone and the Shabiya residential blocks: the cheapest flats in Abu Dhabi, dense, workaday and well placed for industrial employers; not for families seeking green space.
cheapestindustrialdense
6.6
1BR rentReport
AED 40k/yr
Bayut annual / quarterly market reports · 2025-06
Sale priceEstimate
AED 550/sqft
Editorial estimate · 2025-06
Price trend (YoY)Estimate
+5%
Editorial estimate · 2025-06
Commute to hubEditorial
25 min
Where to Live editorial assessment · 2025-10
Top-rated schoolsOfficial
1
ADEK Irtiqa'a school ratings · 2025
PopulationEstimate
200,000
Editorial estimate · 2024
All data
Estimate 7Report 3Official 6Editorial 10— hover a row for the note; the methodology page explains each kind.
People & place
| Population | 200,000 | Estimate | Editorial estimate · 2024 |
| Area | 60 km² | Estimate | Editorial estimate · 2023 |
| Ownership | Leasehold | Official | Abu Dhabi Law No. 13 of 2019 (investment zones) · 2025 |
Renting
| Studio rent | AED 25k/yr | Report | Bayut annual / quarterly market reports · 2025-06 |
| 1BR rent | AED 40k/yr | Report | Bayut annual / quarterly market reports · 2025-06 |
| 2BR rent | AED 55k/yr | Report | Bayut annual / quarterly market reports · 2025-06 |
| Cost of living | AED 3,300/mo | Estimate | Editorial estimate · 2025-09 |
Buying
| Sale price | AED 550/sqft | Estimate | Editorial estimate · 2025-06 |
| Price trend (YoY) | +5% | Estimate | Editorial estimate · 2025-06 |
| Gross yield | 8% | Estimate | Editorial estimate · 2025-06 |
| Service charge | AED 6/sqft | Estimate | Editorial estimate · 2025 |
Getting around
| Metro / tram | No | Official | RTA Dubai Metro / Tram network · 2025 |
| Commute to hub | 25 min | Editorial | Where to Live editorial assessment · 2025-10 |
| Traffic | 3/5 | Editorial | Where to Live editorial assessment · 2025-10 |
| Jobs access | 4/5 | Editorial | Where to Live editorial assessment · 2025-10 |
| Walkability | 3/5 | Editorial | Where to Live editorial assessment · 2025-10 |
Schools & health
| Schools nearby | 15 | Official | ADEK Irtiqa'a school ratings · 2025 |
| Top-rated schools | 1 | Official | ADEK Irtiqa'a school ratings · 2025 |
| Hospitals | 4 | Official | Department of Health Abu Dhabi facility list · 2025 |
Environment
| Beach | 0/5 | Editorial | Where to Live editorial assessment · 2025-10 |
| Parks | 1/5 | Editorial | Where to Live editorial assessment · 2025-10 |
| Noise | 4/5 | Editorial | Where to Live editorial assessment · 2025-10 |
| Density | 5/5 | Editorial | Where to Live editorial assessment · 2025-10 |
| Safety | 4/5 | Editorial | Where to Live editorial assessment · 2025-10 |
| August high | 42 °C | Official | National Center of Meteorology climate normals · 2024 |
| Humidity | 4/5 | Editorial | Where to Live editorial assessment · 2025-10 |
Pros & cons
- +Cheapest rents in the capital
- +Close to industrial and port jobs
- +Many budget schools (Indian, Pakistani curricula)
- −Industrial traffic, dust and noise
- −No parks or beach
- −Heavy truck traffic on access roads
Residents say
Chosen for price and proximity to work; Shabiya 9–12 are the newer, better blocks.
Expat communities: Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Filipino, Egyptian (editorial, largest first)