Al Raha Beach

Al Raha Beach is the mainland alternative to buying on an island. It was built as a line of self-contained precincts along the channel that faces Yas, each one a cluster of mid-rise apartment buildings with its own promenade, pool decks and, in places, berths. The stock is overwhelmingly apartments, and the tenants are people working along the airport and Yas corridor who want water frontage without Saadiyat pricing. The compromises follow from that layout. The precincts are gated and do not connect well on foot, so walking from one to the next is rarely the natural route and the retail available to you is largely whatever sits inside your own. It runs alongside the main Abu Dhabi to Dubai road, which is what makes the commute quick and also means some blocks live with the highway. Anything beyond your precinct — schools, a mall, a hospital — is a drive.