Portside Square: Ellington's Marina-Front Play in Mina Rashid
Portside Square is a residential development by Ellington located at Mina Rashid, one of Dubai's oldest maritime districts, now being repositioned as a waterfront address. The project offers apartments and penthouses, with construction underway since October 2025 and a December 2029 handover target.
Mina Rashid: Old Port, New Positioning
Mina Rashid sits south of Deira and east of Bur Dubai, within a short drive of the heritage core of old Dubai. It is not a polished master-planned community in the mode of Dubai Creek Harbour or Dubai Marina. It is a working port area in transition. That matters for how you read this project.
The upside: buyers entering at this stage get genuine waterfront proximity before the district is fully built out. The location is roughly 15 to 20 minutes from Downtown Dubai and about 10 minutes from Dubai International Airport. For an investor, that access profile is solid.
For an owner-occupier, the picture is more nuanced. Infrastructure around Mina Rashid is still developing. The draw is the marina lifestyle Ellington is building into the project itself, not the surrounding neighbourhood today.
What AED 1.1M to AED 10M Buys Here
The price range at Portside Square is wide: AED 1,148,000 at the low end, AED 9,979,000 at the high end. That spread reflects genuinely different products within the same building.
At the entry level, a studio of around 395 sq ft starts at AED 1.148M. One-bedroom apartments from 767 sq ft start around AED 2.224M. Two-bedroom units begin at AED 3.39M for roughly 1,172 sq ft, and three-bedrooms of 1,700 sq ft start at AED 5.1M.
The top of the range is the four-bedroom penthouse at 3,440 sq ft, priced at AED 9.979M. There is also a three-bedroom penthouse at 1,723 sq ft starting at AED 4.997M.
A buyer with AED 1.1M is looking at a small studio in a marina-facing building with a four-year wait. A buyer at AED 5M is getting a three-bedroom apartment or a compact penthouse. The penthouse buyer at AED 10M is acquiring something materially different: size, configuration, and likely the highest floors with direct water views.
Property Mix: Apartments and Penthouses
The project covers two property types. Apartments run from studios to three-bedroom units across multiple layout variants. The penthouse tier includes three and four-bedroom options for buyers who want larger floorplates at an elevated position.
Two-bedroom layouts come in several configurations, including study variants at 1,396 sq ft and 1,409 sq ft, which suit buyers who work from home or need a flexible room.
Facilities Built Around the Marina
| Category | Facilities |
|---|---|
| Water & Leisure | Private Marina Berths, Beach Access, Indoor Swimming Pool |
| Fitness | Gymnasium |
| Outdoor | Landscaped Gardens, Children's Play Area |
| Building | Security |
Private marina berths are the standout here. They are not standard in Dubai residential projects outside a handful of waterfront communities. Beach access rounds out the water lifestyle angle. The indoor pool and gym are expected at this price point.
The amenity set signals that Ellington is targeting residents who will actually use the marina setting, not just buyers drawn to a waterfront address on paper. A family profile fits the children's play area. An investor focused on rental yield will note that marina berths and beach access narrow the pool of comparable supply.
Getting In for 20%: The Payment Structure
| Stage | Amount |
|---|---|
| Down Payment | 20% |
| During Construction | 50% |
| On Handover | 30% |
A 20% down payment is at the standard end of the Dubai off-plan market. The 50% construction instalment is the heaviest obligation and will run across roughly three years until the December 2029 completion. The full 30% due at handover means the financial commitment closes at the key collection date.
Four Years Out: What the Timeline Means
Construction started in October 2025 and Portside Square targets completion in December 2029. That is just over four years from the construction start date. For an off-plan buyer today, that is a relatively long lock-in period.
The long horizon suits investors who want time for capital appreciation before the handover payment falls due, or end-users who are not yet ready to relocate and can plan around the 2029 date.