Fifty Thousand Square Metres of Green and Not a Single Moving Bay in Sight
Masaar is beautiful. The tree-lined streets, the central green spine running through the entire community, the way the townhouse clusters are named after trees — Sendian (oak), Sarai (cypress), Haven. Arada clearly hired landscape architects before they hired anyone else. But when you show up with a 10-ton truck full of furniture, beauty doesn't help you find a place to park.
We've been moving families into Masaar since the first Sendian villas handed over, and the logistics have a learning curve. The community is in Sharjah, on University City Road near Sharjah Airport — about 25 minutes from Dubai via the E611 — and it's Arada's second master community after Aljada. But where Aljada is urban and mixed-use, Masaar is the opposite: low-rise, green, quiet, and spread out.
Arada's Move-In Permit: Similar to Aljada, Different Timing
If you've moved into Aljada before, the permit process will feel familiar. Arada community management requires a move-in permit submitted 72 hours in advance through their resident portal. You'll need your tenancy contract or title deed, your mover's trade license, and vehicle plate numbers.
Here's where it differs from Aljada: Masaar's permit windows are longer. You get a full-day slot (8 AM to 6 PM) rather than Aljada's half-day windows. That's good news for villa moves, which almost always run longer than apartment moves.
The community management office is located in the Masaar Sales Centre near the main entrance. If your permit application gets stuck — and they sometimes do during handover waves — showing up in person is faster than calling. The staff are helpful but stretched thin when 30 families are trying to move in the same week.
Getting Around Inside Masaar
The roads inside Masaar are new, well-paved, and designed with villa communities in mind — wide enough for trucks, with proper turning circles at each cluster entrance. No narrow lanes. No underground parking nightmares. Everything is ground-level or low-rise, which makes the physical move straightforward.
Each cluster (Sendian, Sarai, Haven) has its own entry point off the main community road. Sendian, the first phase, is closest to the main gate — about a 2-minute drive from entrance to villa. Haven, the furthest, takes closer to 5 minutes through the community. Not long, but with multiple truck trips, those minutes add up.
One tip: the central green spine has pedestrian crossings that aren't always obvious to truck drivers. Slow down. Families with kids use those paths constantly, and security will flag you if you're moving too fast.
Villa Sizes and What That Means for Your Move
Masaar offers 3-bedroom townhouses (starting around 2,100 sqft) up to 5-bedroom standalone villas (4,200+ sqft). The townhouses in Sendian are the most compact and straightforward to move into — two truck loads handle most 3-bed setups.
The standalone villas in Haven are a different story. Higher ceilings, larger living areas, and some come with a maid's room and driver's room that people tend to furnish as home offices or guest rooms. That's additional furniture volume most people underestimate.
Garden spaces are generous across all clusters. If you're bringing outdoor furniture, planters, or play equipment, measure your side gate. Most Masaar villas have a 1.2-metre side access gate — fine for dining chairs and small tables, tight for anything wider. We've carried patio sets over boundary walls more than once.
The Cost of Moving to Masaar
Moving to Masaar from within Sharjah is the budget-friendly scenario. A 3-bed townhouse move from a Sharjah apartment costs AED 2,200–2,800 with our villa moving service. That includes packing materials, furniture disassembly, transport, and reassembly.
Coming from Dubai? Add the inter-emirate distance. A 3-bed move from Dubai Marina to Masaar runs AED 3,200–4,000 — the E611 is smooth but it's still 45 minutes each way with a loaded truck. For 5-bed villas, expect AED 5,000–6,800 depending on origin and volume.
Sharjah movers exist, but be careful with the budget operators. We've cleaned up after a few — literally re-wrapped and re-packed items that arrived at Masaar damaged because the original crew used newspaper instead of proper packing material. The AED 500 you save on a cheap quote can cost you AED 3,000 in damaged furniture.
Why Masaar Over Other Villa Communities
So why are families choosing Masaar when Dubai has a dozen villa communities? Three reasons keep coming up.
Price. A 3-bedroom townhouse in Masaar rents for AED 75,000–100,000 per year. The equivalent in Dubai — say, Arabian Ranches or Dubai Hills — starts at AED 150,000. You're getting similar build quality at 30-40% less because it's Sharjah.
Green space. The 50,000 sqm central green spine isn't marketing fluff. It's a genuine park running through the entire community with cycling tracks, jogging paths, and play areas. Most Dubai villa communities have landscaped common areas. Masaar has something closer to a nature reserve.
Commute. And this surprises people: Masaar to DIFC via the E611 takes about 30-35 minutes outside rush hour. That's comparable to commuting from JVC or Dubai Hills during peak traffic. The road infrastructure on the Sharjah side has improved dramatically.
Setting Up After the Move
Utilities in Masaar run through SEWA (Sharjah Electricity and Water Authority). If you're coming from Dubai, your DEWA account won't transfer — you'll need a new SEWA registration. The process takes 2-3 business days and requires your tenancy contract, passport copy, and a AED 2,000 refundable deposit for villas.
Internet options are Etisalat or du, same as Dubai. Installation typically takes 3-5 days from application. Book your internet connection the day you sign your tenancy contract, not after you move in — the wait is the same either way, and you don't want to be without Wi-Fi in a villa that gets zero mobile signal indoors.
For groceries, the nearest Lulu Hypermarket is on University City Road, about 5 minutes from the community gate. There's a Sharjah Co-op coming to the retail section of Masaar, but it's not open yet as of early Q1.
Ready to move to Masaar? Our team serves Sharjah with no cross-emirate surcharge from our Dubai base. Get a free quote and we'll handle the Arada permit paperwork for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far is Masaar Sharjah from Dubai?
Masaar is located on University City Road near Sharjah Airport, approximately 25 minutes from Dubai via the E611 highway. The commute to DIFC takes 30-35 minutes outside rush hour, comparable to many Dubai communities during peak traffic times.
Do I need a move-in permit for Masaar Sharjah?
Yes. Arada community management requires a move-in permit submitted 72 hours before your move through the resident portal. You'll need your tenancy contract or title deed, your moving company's trade license, and vehicle plate numbers. Permits are full-day slots from 8 AM to 6 PM.
How much does it cost to move to Masaar from Dubai?
A 3-bedroom move from Dubai to Masaar costs AED 3,200–4,000 including packing, furniture disassembly, inter-emirate transport, and reassembly. Moves within Sharjah are cheaper at AED 2,200–2,800. Standalone 5-bedroom villas from Dubai run AED 5,000–6,800.
What are the villa rental prices in Masaar?
Three-bedroom townhouses in Masaar rent for AED 75,000–100,000 per year, while 5-bedroom standalone villas range from AED 130,000–170,000. That's roughly 30-40% less than comparable villa communities in Dubai like Arabian Ranches or Dubai Hills Estate.
