Over 70 years have passed since Israel's first Prime Minister, David Ben-Gurion, declared the need to "make the desert bloom" by settling and developing the Negev. A process that has been some years in the making now seems to be bearing fruit, with Dimona – the capital of the Eastern Negev – becoming a prime destination for young couples working in and around the larger city of Beersheba and finding in Dimona a surprisingly attractive residential area where they can benefit from tax breaks.
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In the meantime, Beersheba is living up to its name as the capital of the Negev, with the development of the Gav-Yam hi-tech park and the arrival of many companies renting floor and office space. In parallel, the city continues to foster its synergetic relationship with the academic world, most prominently the Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.
The city's satellite towns are becoming prime locations, with many buyers and renters working in the hi-tech and technology fields, including young couples with families, moving into the area.
Furthermore, the IDF is currently in the process of transferring its elite technological units to the Negev, turning it into Israel's cyber capital. This boosts demand, making the area more attractive than ever.
The widespread development of the Negev poses new challenges – a major one being finding suitable housing solutions. Due to high demand, prices in Beersheba have skyrocketed in recent years, making the city less convenient for young couples. This situation requires thinking outside the box to find new solutions in nearby locations.
A destination in high demand
Dimona, which has never before been of interest for young couples as a residential hub – suffering, on the contrary, from the migration of its younger population to the country's center or to Beersheba – has now become a destination in high demand.
Due to its designation as a peripheral town, Dimona enjoys exemptions from various taxes of up to 16%, with a maximum benefit of NIS192,600 per year (as of 2020). This is a significant benefit compared to nearby cities, such as Beersheba. The younger residents of Meitar and Omer have consequently been discovering that it is much cheaper to live in Dimona and continue working in the south of the country while paying much less.
This major advantage, in addition to Dimona's relative proximity to Beersheba – a half-hour's drive on a 4-lane highway – has been attracting more and more young couples who are seriously considering raising their family there. In addition, Mayor Benny Biton, in cooperation with Minister of Transportation Miri Regev, has been advancing a plan to transfer the railway station to the city's center, allowing commuters to reach Tel Aviv in less than 90 minutes.
"The momentum here is huge," says Biton. "Some new neighborhoods have already been built, while others are under construction. Today's Dimona is totally different, it has some of the smartest neighborhoods in the country. For example, the Shahar neighborhood and the Bne Beitcha project in the Har Nof neighborhood. These are neighborhoods that are on par with any neighborhood in the center of the country, whether its in Savion, Ra'anana, or Kfar Saba. Seeing is believing, so come see the capital of the Eastern Negev rise to new heights."
A new neighborhood
Dimona's potential was identified by Asia Cyrus, the company constructing the city's major project: the new Shahar neighborhood. As part of the project's second stage, 500 housing units have already been built. Half are included in the government's Buyer's Price Program; the other half will be sold on the open market.
The variety of apartments and prices is broad and impressive, with 3-, 4-, and 5-room apartments ranging between 90 and 165 sq.m. Prices begin at NIS580,000. All the apartments include a balcony and a parking space, and some include storerooms. This is one of the most attractive locations in Israel today, with an amazingly low price of NIS6,364 per square meter, including VAT and linkage to indices.
The Shahar neighborhood is a kind of autonomous area inside Dimona, with its own well-planned, high-quality infrastructure. The neighborhood is situated in an excellent location, on the northern hills, and is spread out over about 800 dunams.
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The careful planning ensures residents will enjoy a healthy, clean, and green environment. The neighborhood includes large public spaces with playgrounds, shaded parks, bike lanes, fountains, pedestrian lanes, public facilities, a community center, kindergartens, and synagogues.
The project is one of the last opportunities for young couples in Israel to buy an apartment at a fair price, as a home or for investment purposes as part of the Buyer's Price Program.
The right move
"At first, the idea of living in Dimona and buying a house there sounded irrelevant," recalls Avishai Cohen, who bought an apartment in the project with his wife. "It's like that square on the Monopoly board where you'd rather not end up. But the more we looked into it and realized that we need a residential solution that would be convenient financially and in terms of accessibility to workplaces, all the question marks became exclamation points. We see the investment here in infrastructure and realize that raising a family in the city is the right move for us, with the development of educational facilities here and all the family-centered activities."
"Israel's future is in the Negev, that's clear to anyone who has eyes in his head," emphasizes Avi Tam, CEO of Asia Cyrus. "Many young couples are moving here and will move to the area in the coming years, and Dimona is the best, most profitable option for them. High-quality homes combined with tax benefits for those living in the city make it the perfect solution for those planning to work and raise a family in the Negev. Dimona offers a rare combination of Zionist settlement ideals and financial profitability. We are proud to be the leaders of Dimona's transformation into the most attractive residential destination of Israel's number one growth engine."
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