Al Barsha

What Al Barsha is like

Al Barsha is one of Dubai's bigger residential districts. It lies in the west of the city, with Sheikh Zayed Road (E11) along one side and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road (E311) along the other. Al Sufouh, Emirates Hills, Jumeirah Village Circle, Al Quoz and Dubai Hills are its neighbours.

The district is split into five parts. Al Barsha 1 sits next to Sheikh Zayed Road and is the busiest, with shops, schools and Mall of the Emirates. Al Barsha 2 and 3 are quieter streets of villas and family homes. Al Barsha South is still growing and includes Dubai Science Park. Barsha Heights is the high-rise business and hotel quarter.

Until the early 2000s this was mostly empty desert. Around 1,250 people lived here in 2000; by 2023 the figure was about 181,310. Much of that growth followed the opening of Mall of the Emirates in 2005. The name is usually translated as "plentiful" or "small grass", a reference to the trees that once grew here.

What to see and do

• Mall of the Emirates: a large shopping centre by Majid Al Futtaim with more than 700 shops, a VOX cinema with IMAX screens and the Magic Planet family entertainment centre.
• Ski Dubai: the slanted building on top of the mall hides a real-snow slope kept at about minus four degrees. You can ski or snowboard, take lessons, ride the chairlift, try a zipline or bobsled, and meet the resident king and gentoo penguins.
• Al Barsha Pond Park: a public park built around an artificial pond, with a running track, open lawns and sports facilities.
• History of Cinema Museum: a private collection near the E11 that traces moving images from shadow play and early optical toys to 20th-century film equipment.
• Gardens in Al Barsha South: Dubai Miracle Garden and Dubai Butterfly Garden sit south of the residential streets. See our attractions for tickets and opening months.

Getting there and around

The Red Line of the Dubai Metro runs along the western edge of the district. Mall of the Emirates station is the main stop and is next to the mall. InsuranceMarket.ae station, which was called Mashreq until it was renamed, is the other stop close to Al Barsha 1. From here the Red Line runs north to Business Bay and Downtown, and south to Dubai Marina and JLT.

RTA buses connect Al Barsha with Al Quoz, Jumeirah, Business Bay and Dubai Internet City, and feeder buses run from Mall of the Emirates station into the residential streets. Walking is easiest around Al Barsha 1 and the pond park; most residents of the villa areas drive.

Rome2Rio estimates the taxi ride from Dubai International Airport at about 23 minutes (roughly 27 km) with no traffic. Allow more time at rush hour on Sheikh Zayed Road.

Where to eat

Mall of the Emirates has a large choice of restaurants and cafés, including a chalet-style Italian restaurant overlooking the ski slope and a branch of the Taiwanese dumpling chain Din Tai Fung. Smaller community malls such as Al Barsha Mall, My City Centre Al Barsha and Galleria Mall Al Barsha serve residents with supermarkets and casual food outlets.

Practical tips

• Ski Dubai stays cold all year, so bring or hire warm layers even in summer.
• Look for the new station name InsuranceMarket.ae on metro maps; older signs may still say Mashreq.
• The Kempinski and Sheraton hotels are connected directly to Mall of the Emirates.
• Dubai Miracle Garden and Dubai Butterfly Garden are a short taxi ride south rather than a walk from the mall.
• For desert trips and city tours that pick up from Al Barsha hotels, browse our tours.