Living on Yas Island

Residents use Yas Beach, the waterfront walkways and Yas Links for weekends outdoors. The island has a good deal of retail and restaurants within a short drive of any property on it, so a car trip for groceries is short.

Getting around the island is easier than most of Abu Dhabi. Yas Express runs a free shuttle service across the island, and Abu Dhabi Link serves selected areas including Yas. Abu Dhabi has no metro, so for anything further you will drive.

Guides name SABIS International School and Yas American Academy among the closest schools, with other British, American and IB options nearby. School names and ratings change, and places fill early. Check the current rating on the Department of Education and Knowledge site and visit before you choose a property around a school.

Sources put the drive to central Abu Dhabi at roughly 15 to 20 minutes, and to Dubai at about an hour. Treat these as approximate. Event days at the circuit and the theme parks can add traffic, and the airport road is busy at rush hour.

If you work in Abu Dhabi city every day, test the drive at the time you would actually travel before you rent or buy.

Yas suits people who want leisure on the doorstep, a newer community and a quick route to the airport. It suits investors who want properties in a well known destination. It may suit you less if you want a quiet residential street, because events and visitors are part of island life.

Our team knows which buildings on Yas have the better layouts and which charge more in service fees. Ask us for the current listings, each with its ADREC Madhmoun permit number.

Visitors treat Yas as a day out. Residents can do the same without the journey: a morning at the beach, lunch at the mall, an afternoon at one of the parks or at Yas Links. Many residents mention that the island feels different on event days, when the circuit and the parks bring crowds.

Walk the building at the times you would be in. Listen for noise from events, check the parking, and ask where visitors park. Ask the community manager for the service charge and what it covers. Compare two buildings, not one.

Yas has both apartments and townhouse-style properties. Decide which you want before you view, so you do not spend a day on the wrong type.