Thirty Amenities? What Dubai Buyers Should Know Before Paying the Service Charge

By Fahd Dawood, Founder & CEO, FD Global Properties

The developer says the building has thirty amenities.

Golf simulator. Paddle court. Rooftop cinema. Private dining room. Sounds incredible, right?

Here’s the question nobody is asking — who pays to maintain all of that?

You do. Every single month. Through your service charges.

And here’s what’s even worse — I have yet to see a single building in Dubai successfully deliver thirty amenities, and then actually have those thirty amenities functioning, well-maintained, and used by residents on a daily basis.

Not one.

In Dubai, almost every freehold property comes with two things: a pool and a gym. That’s the absolute floor. The minimum.

From there, you step up to what I’d call the proper basics — sauna, steam room, proper changing facilities. Pool deck with actual space — not ten sunbeds for two hundred residents.

If a building has these done well? Honestly, that’s already a comfortable, liveable building. For most buyers and most renters, that’s enough.

Beyond this level, you enter the lifestyle tier. Squash courts. Business lounge. Yoga studio. These are genuinely useful amenities — but only if the building is managed well enough to keep them functional.

I’ve seen squash courts in Dubai buildings that are locked ninety percent of the time. I’ve seen billiards tables that haven’t been re-felted in three years.

The amenity existing and the amenity being usable are two completely different things.

So when you’re evaluating that thirty-amenity pitch — remember this:

Every single one of those amenities costs money to operate and maintain every single year. That cost gets built into your annual service charge. Whether you use them or not.

My honest advice? Be skeptical of the thirty-amenity pitch. The basics done properly will beat the luxury list delivered poorly, every single time.

Know what tier you’re buying in. Know what you’re paying for in your service charge. And be honest about what you’ll actually use.

This article is general market commentary from FD Global Properties and is not financial, legal or investment advice. Property values, rules and market conditions in Dubai change; speak to a licensed advisor about your own situation before you decide.