‘Dubái’ micro-apartments arrive in Catarroja

Levante-EMV reported on May 16 that investor Quique Escrivá is promoting a development of 300 small apartments in Catarroja, a municipality south of Valencia, with prices starting at 99,000 euros. The newspaper described the homes as “pisos tipo Dubái” — Dubai-style flats — and said the units would measure about 30 square meters. The project arrives as housing prices in Valencia have pushed more buyers toward outlying municipalities, according to Levante-EMV’s housing coverage. ### Why is Catarroja the place this is happening? Catarroja has already been part of local housing discussions in 2026 because the municipality is pursuing other residential projects tied to reconstruction and affordability. Levante-EMV reported on February 26 that the town council presented a Plan de Actuación Integral with nine million euros in investment and included 40 affordable rental homes among its proposals. That places the Escrivá project in a town where housing supply and post-flood rebuilding are already active policy issues. (levante-emv.com) The municipality also sits in L’Horta Sud, one of the areas around Valencia where buyers often look when prices in the city center rise. Levante-EMV said in its broader economy coverage that new-home prices in Valencia have climbed enough to push purchasers toward the periphery. ### Who is Quique Escrivá, and why is his name attached to mini-flats? Quique Escrivá has been publicly associated with small-format housing projects before this Catarroja plan. (levante-emv.com) La Sexta reported in October 2024 that Escrivá said he had converted five commercial premises into 10 mini-apartments of about 30 square meters. The broadcaster said he described the model as a repeatable investment business built around small units and renovation. (levante-emv.com) El Español reported in November 2025 that Escrivá, then 47, owned 20 mini-apartments and was converting a 200,000-euro chalet into nine homes of between 25 and 40 square meters in Valencia. That report said the units would rent for roughly 350 to 500 euros a month, and it presented the project as part of Escrivá’s focus on compact housing. (lasexta.com) PSI Levante, the company site tied to Escrivá, says he helps clients invest in property in Spain and abroad and identifies him as the person behind the firm. A separate speaker profile on the Crea Tu Patrimonio Inmobiliario site describes him as founder of PSI Levante and co-founder of Crea Tu Patrimonio Inmobiliario. ### What does “Dubái” mean in this project? Levante-EMV’s headline used the phrase “pisos tipo ‘Dubái’,” but the available indexed material does not spell out a technical standard, legal category or design code behind that label. (elespanol.com) The term appears to be branding attached to very small newly built units rather than a formal housing classification. That is an inference based on the newspaper headline and on Escrivá’s public profile, which links him to property channels focused on Spain, Dubai and Paraguay. (psilevante.com) PSI Levante’s site says it runs a Dubai opportunities channel alongside its Spain and Paraguay offerings. That does not verify the design details of the Catarroja apartments, but it does show that Dubai is already part of the commercial language around Escrivá’s business. ### How small and how cheap are these homes? Levante-EMV said the apartments would be about 30 square meters and start at 99,000 euros. (levante-emv.com) That works out to a headline entry price far below many new-build listings closer to Valencia’s center, though the report available through search snippets does not specify finishes, communal areas, parking, financing terms or whether taxes are included. (psilevante.com) Current listings in Catarroja show that 99,000 euros is not unheard of for resale housing in the town, but those homes are generally larger and older stock rather than newly built micro-units. Idealista and Yaencontre listings indexed this week show asking prices in Catarroja beginning around 89,000 euros for resale properties. ### What is still not verified about the development? (levante-emv.com) Levante-EMV’s indexed headlines establish the core claim: 300 homes, about 30 square meters, starting at 99,000 euros, in Catarroja, with Escrivá named as the investor. But the accessible source material does not confirm the development company, exact site, construction timetable, licensing status, architectural team or sales launch date. (yaencontre.com) The next concrete step is likely to come through local planning filings, a formal sales launch or a fuller project presentation naming the parcel, permits and delivery schedule. As of May 17, the publicly accessible reporting that could be verified here names Catarroja, 300 units and a starting price of 99,000 euros, with Quique Escrivá tied to the plan. (levante-emv.com)