Emaar Properties has begun selling new “lateral” apartments taking up either half or a whole floor of a new 77-storey tower at the Opera District in Downtown Dubai.

The Il Primo apartments have gone on sale at a marketing suite within the famous Harrods Department store in London, with the smallest units of around 4,979 sq ft being sold for £3.5 million (Dh17m) each.

The tower will have 119 apartments in total, and the biggest will be up to 10,842 sq ft in size, with a balcony terrace of 708 sq ft. The smaller, 4,979 sq ft properties will have 279 sq ft balconies.

The Il Primo Tower will also have a podium containing amenities including a gym, cigar lounge, a library, cinema and spa. Apartments will have full-height glazing offering views of the new Opera House, Burj Khalifa and Downtown Dubai.

Ahmad Al Matrooshi, the managing director of Emaar Properties, said: “Il Primo is situated in the centre of Dubai’s new cultural hub. The exceptional views of Dubai Opera, The Dubai Fountain and Burj Khalifa are spectacular. This, combined with the generous apartment sizes, will make Il Primo the most covetable address in Dubai.”

Emaar said that prices will average at around £500 per sq ft, compared with between £1,500-£3,000 per sq ft for prime central London property. It is selling the apartments from a 2,000 sq ft marketing suite on the second floor of Harrods, which has scale models of The Opera District, as well as its Dubai Hills Estate and Dubai Creek Harbour masterplanned communities. The suite will be open until mid-August. More info

By Michael Fahy  www.thenational.ae