The pool at the award-winning Royal Park residences in Jumeirah Park. Courtesy Metrical Developments
The pool at the award-winning Royal Park residences in Jumeirah Park. Courtesy Metrical Developments
The pool at the award-winning Royal Park residences in Jumeirah Park. Courtesy Metrical Developments
The pool at the award-winning Royal Park residences in Jumeirah Park. Courtesy Metrical Developments

Homes from the heart: an inside look at Metrical Developments' award-winning projects in Dubai


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It’s a relatively young player in the real estate market, but Metrical Developments has already grown into a household name – and an award-winning one.

The boutique developer, which launched in 2018, shot into the limelight after its Royal Park project in Jumeirah Park won a slew of local and international property awards, including five at the Arabian Property Awards 2020-2021.

At that ceremony, the high-end, luxury residential community was deemed the Best Residential Development Dubai, Best Residential Property Dubai, Best Architecture Single Residence Dubai, Best Residential Interior Show Home Dubai and Best Architecture Multiple Residence Dubai.

Furthermore, it went on to win international awards for Best Residential Interior Show Home Arabia and Best Architecture Multiple Residence Arabia.

A sneak peek at Royal Park makes its appeal amply clear: the gated and secure community is made up of three and four-bedroom town houses. The two-storey villas feature a kitchen fitted with Italian appliances, custom-created LED-lighting and a design that flows seamlessly from within, out on to the terrace.

The villas are also hooked up to a smart home integration system, which allows residents control of their environment – from the temperature of the AC and the water, to the curtains and security cameras – via a hybrid mobile app and across all smart devices. Metrical Developments uses Google Nest in all its properties, a technology that even sends a monthly energy savings report.

Night-time view of the Royal Park community in Jumeirah Park. Image: Metrical Developments
Night-time view of the Royal Park community in Jumeirah Park. Image: Metrical Developments

Thanks to these luxury fixtures, elegant layout and prime location, the Royal Park villas sold out in 2019, which is why Metrical Developments is looking to the future with two new projects: Haven Residences and the Royal Park South project, both in Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC).

Haven Residences features one and two-bedroom apartments, where one can expect more of the same premium features and fittings. “It has already been nominated for several international property awards in 2022 and is close to being sold out off the market,” says sales director Darryl Davie. “The Haven apartments are a true hotel-standard living concept and will see rental prices 15 to 20 per cent above market value, very much like our previous projects.”

Meanwhile, Royal Park South has been created to satisfy the current demand and wait list, following the success of Royal Park. “Our ‘build your dream home’ concept is a huge hit, as it allowed property owners to customise their property as it is being built,” says Davie. The JVC project will live up to Metrical's reputation for delivering world-class facilities, and include a gym and pool, plus the developer’s signature award-winning finishes.

Designs that are straight from the heart

“Homes from the heart” is the slogan behind this boutique developer, which prides itself on its transparency, attention to detail and on-time handover rates. That latter assurance is a motto the company takes seriously, too: it promises clients a rental return for every week the property is handed over late.

Metrical Developments co-founders Emad Mitry and Gaber Nehma Kenger. Image: Metrical Developments
Metrical Developments co-founders Emad Mitry and Gaber Nehma Kenger. Image: Metrical Developments

“When we say we are building homes from the heart, we mean exactly that. We are building homes that we would like to live in ourselves,” says Davie. “The term most used by Metrical clients prior to purchasing is: ‘What’s the catch?’.

“We make bold promises, which are game-changing in the Dubai market and actually deliver on those – from international award-winning interior design and architecture, to guaranteed handover dates, five-year warranties and an overall five-star client experience. Check out our Google reviews; they speak volumes.”

Co-founder Gaber Nehma Kenger adds: “We do things a little different, we always complete projects on time and we give the best quality that the market deserves.

“The truth is that when you use high-quality materials and suppliers, you can give a long-term warranty. This, in turn, gives our clients peace of mind and costs less in the future. You know you won’t run into problems six months down the line.”

Another factor that has led to Metrical’s success is what Davie terms its “end-to-end process”. Everything is done in-house, starting from project selection, designing, implementation, choice of materials, sales and, finally, the handover.

This thoroughness and attention to detail is possible because the company does not appoint contractors; it is the contractor, which also explains the other motto the team stand by: “If you want a job done properly, do it yourself.”

With the onset of the pandemic, the UAE market has seen a massive shift in paradigm towards buying and renting luxury homes. In this time, Davie cites an example that demonstrates the developer’s commitment to putting its clients first. Over the last year, Metrical Developments came forward to assist families whose financial circumstances had changed due to the pandemic by waving penalties and helping them resell their properties in sold-out projects – at a profit.

“Like I said, when we say we build homes from the heart, we mean it,” concludes Davie.

Other must-tries

Tomato and walnut salad

A lesson in simple, seasonal eating. Wedges of tomato, chunks of cucumber, thinly sliced red onion, coriander or parsley leaves, and perhaps some fresh dill are drizzled with a crushed walnut and garlic dressing. Do consider yourself warned: if you eat this salad in Georgia during the summer months, the tomatoes will be so ripe and flavourful that every tomato you eat from that day forth will taste lacklustre in comparison.

Badrijani nigvzit

A delicious vegetarian snack or starter. It consists of thinly sliced, fried then cooled aubergine smothered with a thick and creamy walnut sauce and folded or rolled. Take note, even though it seems like you should be able to pick these morsels up with your hands, they’re not as durable as they look. A knife and fork is the way to go.

Pkhali

This healthy little dish (a nice antidote to the khachapuri) is usually made with steamed then chopped cabbage, spinach, beetroot or green beans, combined with walnuts, garlic and herbs to make a vegetable pâté or paste. The mix is then often formed into rounds, chilled in the fridge and topped with pomegranate seeds before being served.

PROFILE OF INVYGO

Started: 2018

Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo

Based: Dubai

Sector: Transport

Size: 9 employees

Investment: $1,275,000

Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri

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Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni

Director: Amith Krishnan

Rating: 3.5/5

Strait of Hormuz

Fujairah is a crucial hub for fuel storage and is just outside the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route linking Middle East oil producers to markets in Asia, Europe, North America and beyond.

The strait is 33 km wide at its narrowest point, but the shipping lane is just three km wide in either direction. Almost a fifth of oil consumed across the world passes through the strait.

Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait, a move that would risk inviting geopolitical and economic turmoil.

Last month, Iran issued a new warning that it would block the strait, if it was prevented from using the waterway following a US decision to end exemptions from sanctions for major Iranian oil importers.

Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode

Directors: Raj & DK

Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon

Rating: 4/5

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home. 

MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg

Barcelona v Liverpool, Wednesday, 11pm (UAE).

Second leg

Liverpool v Barcelona, Tuesday, May 7, 11pm

Games on BeIN Sports

Tamkeen's offering
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-10: Tommy Fleetwood (ENG), Chris Paisley (ENG), Matt Wallace (ENG), Fabrizio Zanotti (PAR)

How has net migration to UK changed?

The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.

It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.

The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.

The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.