Commercial property for sale in Dubai
Offices in Business Bay at AED 1,450–2,360 per sq.ft, JLT at a median of ~AED 1,590, Downtown Grade A averaging AED 5,130 (+29% in 2025). Retail units from AED 585k, warehouses from AED 9M. Gross yields run 7–10% — above residential. 100% freehold for foreigners in 60+ zones.
What commercial property costs in Dubai
Transaction data 2025 — H1 2026. 1 USD ≈ AED 3.67. Sources: DLD, Gulf News, CRC, Bayut.
How much do offices, retail and warehouses cost?
Purchase benchmarks by segment. Fitted offices up to 2,000 sq.ft trade 15–20% above shell-and-core; LEED-certified buildings command a ~12% rent premium.
| Segment | Location | Purchase (AED) | Yield / rent benchmark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office | Business Bay | 1,450–2,360 /sq.ft | 7–9% gross; rent ~AED 151/sq.ft |
| Office | JLT | median ~1,590 /sq.ft | Up to 10% gross |
| Office, Grade A | Downtown / DIFC | avg 5,130 /sq.ft (+29% y/y) | 6.5–7.5% gross |
| Retail unit | Malls & high streets | 585,000–7,900,000 per unit | Rent AED 60–180k/yr |
| Warehouse | JAFZA | 9,000,000–45,000,000 | Rent AED 40–55/sq.ft |
| Warehouse | DIP / Al Furjan | from 14,500,000 | Rent AED 40–75/sq.ft |
Al Quoz is Dubai’s priciest warehouse rental market — AED 65–120/sq.ft/yr and yields up to 10%. A 1,000 sq.ft office costs ≈ AED 113–118k/yr all-in to occupy (rent + service + utilities + VAT). Sources: DLD, Gulf News, CRC, Bayut.
Why investors are switching from apartments to offices
Commercial out-earns residential across the board: Business Bay offices gross 7–9%, DIFC Grade A 6.5–7.5%, JLT offices and Al Quoz warehouses up to 10% — against 3.5–5% on villas held for long lets. The driver is a genuine Grade A shortage: DIFC vacancy is near zero, fitted offices up to 2,000 sq.ft trade 15–20% above shell-and-core, and LEED-certified towers charge ~12% more rent.
Supply is coming — around 24.2M sq.ft of new offices are announced through 2030 across Business Bay, Meydan, DIFC and JLT — but with a catch for buyers: Business Bay builds to sell, while DIFC largely builds to rent, keeping investable Grade A stock scarce. Compare with residential returns in our rental yield guide.
Can foreigners buy? Freehold zones and structures
Yes — foreigners own commercial property 100% freehold in 60+ designated zones, including Business Bay, JLT, Dubai Marina, Downtown and Dubai Silicon Oasis. DIFC runs its own legal system and property registrar. You can buy personally or through a company — a free-zone entity (e.g. DMCC), an offshore vehicle (JAFZA Offshore, RAK ICC) or a mainland company.
One-off costs: the 4% DLD transfer fee plus admin and trustee fees and ~2% agency commission. There are no annual taxes on ownership or rental income for individuals — the real difference from residential is VAT, below.
How the 5% VAT works when you buy commercial property
Unlike residential (exempt; first supply of a new build zero-rated for 3 years), commercial property is subject to 5% VAT — on both sales and rents. The mechanics on a resale purchase trip up unprepared buyers: the buyer pays the 5% VAT directly to the Federal Tax Authority through the EmaraTax portal and receives a Payment Transaction Number (PTN). Without that number the DLD trustee office will not transfer the title — so the VAT payment has to be sequenced into the deal before registration, not after.
The good news: if you buy through a VAT-registered company, the 5% is recoverable as input tax in your next return — for most corporate buyers it is a cash-flow item, not a cost. We structure this step into every commercial deal we run.
Renting to a business: Ejari and the RERA index
Every commercial lease must be registered in Ejari — an unregistered contract is not recognised, and a valid Ejari is a condition for issuing and renewing the tenant’s trade license with DET. Registration needs the contract, the title deed, both parties’ trade licenses and Emirates ID / passports.
Rent rises are capped by the RERA Rental Index, which covers commercial units too (select “commercial” in the DLD calculator): 0/5/10/15/20% bands, a maximum of 20% when the current rent sits more than 40% below market, and 90 days’ written notice. Disputes go to the Rental Dispute Centre. Tenant-side overview — in our renting in Dubai guide.
Estimate your yield
Gross estimate from typical 2026 yields; service charges and 5% VAT on rent are on top.
Common questions
Can a foreigner buy commercial property in Dubai?
What yield does commercial property in Dubai give in 2026?
How much does an office in Dubai cost?
What taxes and fees apply to commercial property in Dubai?
Find commercial property in Dubai for your budget
Tell us the segment — office, retail or warehouse — and your budget, and we’ll send matching units with real yield numbers, plus walk you through the VAT and Ejari steps. Free, and we reply within an hour.