The Al Reem Island Guide: What Resident Families Actually Use It For

Ask anyone who moved to Abu Dhabi in the last decade where they lived first and there is a good chance the answer is Reem. It is the capital’s default landing pad for expats: a forest of waterfront towers ten minutes from the office, with a mega-mall, a big park and three well-known international schools all within a short drive of each other.

It also has a reputation. Bridge traffic, cranes on the skyline and a parking hunt that can test a marriage. Both sides of that story are true. Here is what Al Reem Island is actually like once you have signed the lease, and what resident families really use it for.

Where Al Reem Island actually is

Al Reem Island sits just off the northeast coast of Abu Dhabi island, right next door to Al Maryah Island. It covers around 8.8 square kilometres and was home to roughly 60,000 people at the 2024 census, a number that keeps climbing as new towers hand over. Since April 2023 the island has also fallen under Abu Dhabi Global Market’s jurisdiction, so Reem and Maryah now work as one financial district.

Reem is not one neighbourhood but a string of them, each built by a different master developer. The names you will see on listings:

• Shams Abu Dhabi – the busiest pocket, home to Sun and Sky Towers, The Gate towers and Shams Boutik. Walkable by Reem standards.
• City of Lights and Marina Square – two of the most-listed rental areas, popular with young professionals and couples.
• Najmat Abu Dhabi – where Reem Mall and GEMS World Academy sit, with newer towers growing around them.
• Tamouh – home to Reem Central Park and Nord Anglia International School.
• Makers District and Reem Hills – the newer, lower-density corners, with design-led apartments at Pixel and villas at Reem Hills.

Reem Mall: the island’s big day out

Reem Mall opened in 2023 and changed the island overnight. Before it, residents crossed a bridge for anything bigger than a supermarket run. Now there are more than 400 stores and around 85 places to eat under one roof, anchored by a Carrefour on the ground floor for the weekly shop, plus Decathlon, Jashanmal, Sharaf DG, Virgin Megastore and Homecentre.

The headline act is Snow Abu Dhabi, the capital’s indoor snow park, with rides, slides and a proper sub-zero chill that feels faintly ridiculous in August and absolutely glorious because of it. Families use it for birthdays (it runs a free birthday offer in the snow at times) and for summer camps when the heat is doing its worst. VOX Cinemas sits on the same level, and younger kids gravitate to Tinker Lab, Titter Totter and Cube Challenge.

Location and access: Reem Mall, Najmat Abu Dhabi, Al Reem Island. Open daily from 10am, with late closing on busy nights – check reemmall.ae for the day’s hours. Contact 800 70 70 70. Carrefour (Ground Floor) 800 73232. Snow Abu Dhabi (Level 2) 600 599 905. VOX Cinemas (Level 2) 600 599 905.

WOW Abu Dhabi Expert Tip: Book Snow Abu Dhabi online before you leave the house. Weekend and school-holiday slots go quickly, and Reem Mall regularly runs discounted Snow Abu Dhabi offers on its website that you will not get at the counter. Pair it with a late lunch at The Lodge upstairs and the kids can watch everyone else fall over while they eat.

Where to eat on Reem

Reem is not the island you cross town for a blowout dinner – that is Al Maryah’s job, one bridge over. It is where you eat on a Tuesday when nobody wants to cook, and for that it is very well stocked. Most of the reliable options sit inside Reem Mall:

• Eataly – Italian market, cafe and restaurant, good for pasta and grabbing deli bits on the way out. Reem Mall, Ground Floor. Contact: 02 691 0581.
• Jamie’s Italian – one of the newest arrivals, family-friendly and easy. Reem Mall, Level 2. Contact via Reem Mall on 800 70 70 70.
• Art of Dum – biryani and slow-cooked Indian, another 2026 opening. Reem Mall, Level 1 (Centrepoint lobby). Contact: 02 674 8293.
• Wagamama – ramen and katsu that keeps teenagers quiet. Reem Mall, Level 2. Contact: 02 557 9375.
• Levanturk – Turkish and Levantine grills and mezze. Reem Mall, Level 2. Contact: 02 643 4399.
• Ocean Basket – relaxed seafood platters for the whole table. Reem Mall, Level 2. Contact: 02 677 4116.
• The Lodge – chalet-style dining overlooking Snow Abu Dhabi, walk-in only. Reem Mall, Level 3. Contact: 02 447 7462.
• Nando’s – the Shams Abu Dhabi default for a quick peri-peri dinner. Shams Boutik, Ground Floor. Contact: 600 542525.

Coffee people should know that EL&N has a branch at Reem Mall too, and the Starbucks at Shams Boutik opens at 6.30am, which makes it the unofficial school-run debrief spot. When you want the skyline-view special occasion, drive four minutes to the Galleria waterfront – our Al Maryah Island guide has the full dinner line-up.

Shams Boutik: the everyday errand stop

If Reem Mall is the big day out, Shams Boutik is the place you nip into in your gym kit. The community mall attached to Sun and Sky Towers has around 80 outlets, with a Waitrose as its anchor, pharmacies, a Burjeel clinic, Action Zone for the kids and the Nando’s and Starbucks above. For residents of Shams it means milk, prescriptions and a haircut without ever moving the car.

Location and access: Shams Boutik, Sun and Sky Towers, Shams Abu Dhabi, Al Reem Island. Open early until late daily. Contact 800 25327 (800 ALDAR).

Reem Central Park and the outdoors

Reem Central Park is the island’s back garden, and on a cool evening it is where half of Tamouh ends up. The park spreads over roughly a million square feet with lawns, playgrounds, a skate park, basketball and football courts, a climbing wall, fountains and a canal walk, plus a sandy beach walk looking out towards the mangroves. Entry is free, and a small strip of cafes including Huff + Puff means nobody has to leave when someone gets hungry.

Location and access: Reem Central Park, Tamouh, Al Reem Island. Free entry, open from early morning until late evening. Contact 800 25327 (800 ALDAR).

WOW Abu Dhabi Expert Tip: Between October and April, Reem Central Park is at its best on Friday and Saturday mornings before 10am, when the playgrounds are shaded and the courts are free. From May to September save it for after sunset – the play equipment turns into a griddle by mid-morning.

What Reem does not have is a public swimming beach. Residents who want sand drive 15 minutes to Saadiyat, and the new bridges have made that trip noticeably shorter – our Saadiyat Island guide covers where to go once you get there. For a free walk closer to home, the Al Maryah promenade is one bridge away.

Schools and nurseries on Reem

This is the big reason families stay on Reem after the first lease runs out. Three well-known international schools sit on the island:

• Repton Abu Dhabi – British curriculum, split across the Rose Campus (Foundation, Nursery to Year 1) and the Fry Campus (Year 2 to Year 13). Rose Campus +971 2 507 4800, Fry Campus +971 2 508 1900, admissions 800 737866.
• Nord Anglia International School Abu Dhabi – English National Curriculum from FS1 to Year 13, opened in 2023. Tamouh, Al Reem Island. Contact: +971 2 699 3333.
• GEMS World Academy Abu Dhabi – the full IB continuum (PYP, MYP, DP and CP) plus EYFS. Najmat Abu Dhabi, Al Reem Island. Contact: +971 2 659 5959.

For the little ones, Blossom Nursery Al Reem takes babies from 45 days to four-year-olds at Al Wifaq Tower in Shams Abu Dhabi (800 6877379), and there are several more nurseries dotted through the towers. Older students have Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi on the island too (+971 2 656 9330).

Healthcare

Reem Hospital, a multi-specialty and rehabilitation hospital opposite Sorbonne University, is the main facility on the island (800 7444). Burjeel Day Surgery Center sits in the Gate Tower near Shams Boutik (800 55), and Mediclinic runs a primary care clinic inside Reem Mall, open 9am to 9pm daily (800 2000). Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi is next door on Al Maryah Island (800 8 2223).

Living on Al Reem Island: what it costs

Reem is almost entirely apartments, and the range is wide – from older towers in Shams and Marina Square to brand-new stock around Reem Mall and Makers District. At the time of writing, average asking rents sit at roughly AED 69,000 a year for a studio, AED 93,000 for a one-bedroom, AED 129,000 for a two-bedroom and AED 168,000 for a three-bedroom, with asking rents dipping slightly over the past six months. Newer buildings and sea views push well above those averages, so treat them as a starting point and check current listings before you negotiate. Our look at Abu Dhabi rent rises explains how the wider market has moved.

The honest trade-offs are the ones residents raise most often: rush-hour queues at the bridges, construction noise as new towers keep rising, and visitor parking that is tight around the older buildings. On the plus side are the water views, the schools, the park, a very pet-friendly population and a commute to ADGM or downtown that people in Khalifa City would happily trade a kidney for. If you are new to the city, our guide to moving to Abu Dhabi covers the paperwork side.

WOW Abu Dhabi Expert Tip: Before you sign, drive your actual commute from the building you are viewing on a weekday between 7.30am and 8.30am. Two towers a few hundred metres apart can feed onto very different bridges, and that difference can be 20 minutes a day. Ask the agent how many parking bays come with the unit and where your guests will park, too.

Getting around

Driving is how most residents get about, and it has improved a lot. The Umm Yifeenah Bridge, opened in 2023, links Reem to Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Street and is the first phase of the Mid-Island Parkway due for completion in 2028. In March 2026, two new marine bridges opened between Reem and the Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Highway (E12), cutting peak journeys towards Saadiyat, Yas and the Dubai road by up to 15 minutes and adding around 2km of walking and cycling track.

There are no Darb toll gates on Reem’s own bridges, so running between Reem, Maryah and downtown is toll-free. Head to the mainland over one of the gated bridges at peak times and the usual charge applies – our Darb toll guide has the current gates and fees, and our Mawaqif parking guide explains how paid parking works across the city. Several bus routes connect Reem to Marina Mall and the city centre, but routes change, so check the Darbi app or our guide to using public transport in Abu Dhabi.

What is coming next

Reem is nowhere near finished. Modon’s Reem Hills is handing over its first villas this year, with apartments to follow in 2027 and plans for schools, healthcare, parkland and a retail avenue. Tara Park, also by Modon, launched its final phase in April 2026 with more than 800 apartments linked directly to Reem Mall. The branded Radisson Residences Al Reem Island is adding another waterfront tower to the skyline.

Next door, the North Maryah expansion plans three new bridges, one of them to Reem, which should make the two islands feel even more like one neighbourhood. If you are weighing Reem against other areas, our guides to Yas Island and Al Bateen and Breakwater cover the other places families shortlist most.

The Vibe Check

• Reem Mall: huge, bright and packed with things to do, just drop a pin where you parked because this place is big enough to lose a whole family in.
• Snow Abu Dhabi: the kids will talk about it for weeks, so book ahead, because the weekend slots disappear faster than a snowman in the car park.
• Reem Central Park: green, free and full of families on cool evenings, just go early or late in summer unless you enjoy slides hot enough to toast a sandwich.
• Living here: sea views, great schools and a ten-minute commute, as long as you make peace with the bridge queue at 8am and the crane that has become part of your morning view.

Frequently asked questions

Opening hours, prices, rents and contact details are correct at the time of writing and can change. Always check with the venue before you go.

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