JBR (Jumeirah Beach Residence)

What JBR is like

Jumeirah Beach Residence is a line of 40 towers built along about 1.7 km of the Gulf coast, between Dubai Marina and the sea. Thirty-five of the towers are residential and five are hotels. Dubai Properties launched the project in 2002 and it was completed in 2010. The towers are grouped into six clusters named Shams, Amwaj, Rimal, Bahar, Sadaf and Murjan, which is useful to know when you are looking for an address.

At street and plaza level is The Walk, a 1.7 km strip of shops and restaurants that opened officially in August 2008. Between The Walk and the sand is The Beach, an open-air complex by Meraas with four plazas and around seventy shops, restaurants and entertainment venues. The result is one of the busiest stretches of seafront in the city, especially on cooler evenings and weekends.

JBR is a large residential community as well as a holiday spot. The towers hold 6,917 apartments, from studios to penthouses, with room for about 15,000 people, and the whole project cost around AED 6 billion. That means you share the beach and The Walk with residents, particularly in the evenings and at weekends. Five of the towers are hotels, all set along the same strip behind the beach.

What to see and do

• The beach: a long stretch of sand in front of the towers, with views across to Bluewaters Island.
• The Walk: the promenade behind the beach, good for an evening stroll and people-watching.
• The Beach complex: shops, cafés and restaurants spread across four plazas right by the sand.
• Bluewaters Island and Ain Dubai: a pedestrian bridge links JBR to Bluewaters, home to Ain Dubai, a 250 m observation wheel. The wheel has had long closures, including from March 2022 until it reopened on 26 December 2024, and a precautionary shutdown in spring 2026. Check that it is running before you go.
• Dubai Marina: walk inland between the towers to reach the marina promenade. See our Dubai Marina guide.

For tickets to sights across the city, see our attractions.

Getting there and around

The Dubai Tram has two stops here: Jumeirah Beach Residence 1 and Jumeirah Beach Residence 2. There is no metro station inside JBR itself. To reach the Red Line, ride the tram to the Jumeirah Lakes Towers stop (for DMCC station) or the Dubai Marina stop (for Sobha Realty station). Both metro stations were renamed in recent years; older maps show them as Jumeirah Lakes Towers and Dubai Marina.

Heading the other way, the tram continues to the Palm Jumeirah stop, where you can change to the Palm Monorail.

By road, JBR is about 33 km from Dubai International Airport. Rome2Rio estimates about 25 minutes by taxi with no traffic; peak-hour traffic on Sheikh Zayed Road can add much more.

Where to eat

JBR has a large choice within a few minutes' walk. The Walk has restaurants and cafés at ground and plaza level, and The Beach adds more outlets directly beside the sand, many with outdoor seating. Bluewaters Island, across the footbridge, has further restaurants. The Marina promenade is a short walk inland.

Practical tips

• Note which tower cluster your hotel or restaurant is in (Shams, Amwaj, Rimal, Bahar, Sadaf or Murjan); it makes finding it much easier.
• The seafront is busiest on weekend evenings. Come earlier in the day for a quieter beach.
• Use the tram for trips to the Marina, the Palm monorail and the metro.
• Check Ain Dubai's operating status before planning a visit.
• Compare hotels at JBR if you want to stay by the beach.