Etihad Plaza in Khalifa City: Shops, Rent & Rules
Etihad Plaza has 789 apartments, but they sit under a long-term lease to Etihad Airways that runs to 2034. That makes the residential side staff housing rather than an open rental address.
What anyone can use is the retail level: 22 outlets across 10,005 m² of leasable space, with a Waitrose supermarket, Mugg & Bean and Dishdash among the tenants. It sits on Al Mireef Street in Khalifa City, a short drive from Zayed International Airport.
If you searched the name to find an apartment, the sections below cover rents in the surrounding buildings, the current rent freeze, fees and the steps to lease.
Etihad Plaza overview
| Detail | Value |
|---|---|
| Location | Al Mireef Street, SE45, Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi |
| Owner | Aldar Properties |
| Retail | 22 outlets, 10,005 m² gross leasable area |
| Anchor tenants | Waitrose, Mugg & Bean, Dishdash |
| Apartments | 789 units, 1 to 4 bedrooms, leased to Etihad Airways until 2034 |
| Zayed International Airport | About 10 minutes by car |
| Central Abu Dhabi | 20 to 25 minutes by car |
| Aldar contact line | 800 25327 (800-ALDAR) |
Who can rent the apartments
Aldar leases the 789 apartments, from one to four bedrooms, to Etihad Airways as a single block, and the airline houses its employees in them. Anyone outside the airline’s staff rents in a neighbouring building instead.
Listings that use the Etihad Plaza name mostly say “near Etihad Plaza” and describe low-rise buildings or villa annexes in Khalifa City A. Those are rented directly from the owner or through a registered agent, and the rents in the next section come from that stock.
Rents near Etihad Plaza
Apartments around the plaza rent for AED 36,000 to AED 90,000 a year, depending on size.
| Unit | Typical size | Annual asking rent |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | 360 to 700 sq ft | AED 36,000 to 44,000 |
| 1 bedroom | 450 to 1,200 sq ft | AED 48,000 to 57,000 |
| 2 bedrooms | 1,100 to 2,000 sq ft | AED 68,000 to 90,000 |
A one-bedroom with pool and garden access reaches AED 85,000, so the top of each range belongs to furnished or amenity-heavy units.
The trade-off is space against convenience. You get more floor area per dirham than on Abu Dhabi island, and ground-floor annexes often come with a private entrance and their own parking. Public transport is limited, though, so a car is close to essential, and morning traffic slows the run to the island.
The retail level covers groceries, coffee, casual meals and a spa:
- Waitrose is the supermarket for daily groceries.
- Mugg & Bean serves breakfast and coffee, and has been part of the plaza for years.
- Dishdash covers casual Middle Eastern dining.
- Spinneys Cafe adds another coffee stop.
- Royal Siam Spa offers massage treatments on the mezzanine floor, on the Al Mireef Street side.
With 22 outlets the plaza is a neighbourhood centre, so it handles daily needs rather than offering a mall’s cinema or fashion floors.
Etihad Plaza is on Al Mireef Street, which links to Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Street (E10), the Abu Dhabi to Al Ain Road (E22) and the Abu Dhabi to Dubai Highway (E11).
| Destination | Drive time |
|---|---|
| Zayed International Airport (formerly Abu Dhabi International) | About 10 minutes |
| Masdar City | About 10 minutes |
| Yas Island | 15 to 20 minutes |
| Central Abu Dhabi | 20 to 25 minutes |
| Dubai | About 1 hour |
Most visitors drive. Public transport in Khalifa City is limited, so a taxi or private car is the practical way in.
Abu Dhabi has frozen rent increases at 0% since 2 June 2026. Renewals must keep the rent in the last registered Tawtheeq contract, and a unit that was rented before can only be re-let at that same figure. The freeze is not retroactive, so an increase registered before 2 June stands, and ADGM communities are exempt.
- The is calculated on the rental value or the rental index, whichever is higher, and added to your monthly water and electricity bill across 12 months.
- Landlords register the lease in the Tawtheeq system, and registration is required to connect water and electricity.
- Agents can charge a commission of up to 5% of the annual rent.
- Rent can be paid in one payment or in several, as agreed with the landlord.
On a one-bedroom at AED 56,000 a year, the 5% municipality fee comes to AED 2,800 (about AED 233 a month on your bill) and a full 5% agent commission adds another AED 2,800. Budget roughly AED 5,600 on top of the first year’s rent before any furniture or utility deposits.
Landlords and agents ask for four things
- A copy of your passport
- A valid UAE residence visa
- Your Emirates ID
- Post-dated cheques covering the agreed lease period
- Ask the landlord or agent for the last registered Tawtheeq rent. Under the freeze, a unit that was rented before cannot be offered above that figure.
- Shortlist units on a property portal or through a registered agent, then view them. The Department of Municipalities and Transport also runs an official vacant-property search.
- Agree the lease start date and the number of cheques, then hand over your passport copy, visa and Emirates ID.
- The landlord registers the contract in Tawtheeq, which is required before your ADDC water and electricity account can be opened.
- Budget for the municipality fee on your monthly bills, and keep the cheque account funded on each date.
The 789 apartments are leased to Etihad Airways until 2034 and house its employees. Anyone else rents in a nearby Khalifa City A building.
Aldar Properties owns it. Aldar took full ownership from Etihad Airways in an AED 1.2 billion deal in 2019 that also covered Etihad Airways Centre, after the two companies held it in a 50-50 joint venture.
Final thoughts
- For groceries or coffee, drive to Al Mireef Street in Khalifa City and use the Waitrose and cafe cluster.
- For an apartment, pull the last Tawtheeq rent first, then add the 5% municipality fee and any agent commission to your budget.
- For retail enquiries about the plaza, call Aldar on 800 25327.
