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.
Offices and retail units by the DLD registry, January–August 2026
How much an office in Dubai costs by the registry: in January–August 2026 the DLD registered 3,271 office sales — median AED 2,519,288 at 2,561 AED/sq.ft, typical size 1,087 sq.ft. 64% of deals were off-plan, and per square foot it runs 2.2× the ready stock: ready offices — median AED 1,988,000 and 1,754 AED/sq.ft, off-plan — AED 2,887,500 and 3,849 AED/sq.ft. The most liquid market is Business Bay: 1,009 deals, 3,916 AED/sq.ft, 53% off-plan. JLT (Jumeirah Lakes Towers) is third by volume and the most affordable of the large office markets (100+ deals): 413 deals, median AED 2,023,991, 1,650 AED/sq.ft, 96% ready stock. DLD zones with 50+ office sales:
| DLD zone | Deals | Median price | AED/sq.ft | Off-plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business Bay | 1,009 | AED 3,302,756 | 3,916 | 53% |
| TECOM Site A (Dubai Internet City) | 524 | AED 2,300,843 | 4,111 | 100% |
| JLT (Jumeirah Lakes Towers) | 413 | AED 2,023,991 | 1,650 | 4% |
| Downtown Jebel Ali | 204 | AED 1,723,315 | 1,999 | 100% |
| Barsha Heights (Tecom) | 101 | AED 3,100,000 | 2,020 | 13% |
| Majan | 100 | AED 1,751,929 | 1,680 | 100% |
| Dubai Maritime City (Madinat Dubai Almelaheyah) | 87 | AED 10,555,000 | 3,703 | 100% |
| Dubai Sports City | 85 | AED 893,760 | 2,319 | 94% |
| Horizon | 78 | AED 4,264,431 | 3,225 | 100% |
| Trade Centre 2 (Sheikh Zayed Road) | 77 | AED 22,285,000 | 4,775 | 100% |
| Arjan | 77 | AED 2,094,662 | 1,554 | 58% |
| Dubai Silicon Oasis | 76 | AED 1,056,000 | 1,049 | 0% |
| JVC (Jumeirah Village Circle) | 74 | AED 1,985,324 | 1,786 | 66% |
| International City (Phase 1) | 59 | AED 1,800,000 | 1,501 | 81% |
Retail units (Shop in the registry): 1,077 sales, median AED 2,859,555 at 3,020 AED/sq.ft, typical size 882 sq.ft, 60% off-plan; ready units — median AED 1,900,000 and 2,200 AED/sq.ft. In JLT — 43 deals, median AED 3,100,003 and 2,334 AED/sq.ft. Zones with 40+ sales:
| DLD zone | Deals | Median price | AED/sq.ft | Off-plan |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JVC (Jumeirah Village Circle) | 121 | AED 2,982,597 | 2,607 | 69% |
| International City (Phase 1) | 90 | AED 629,645 | 1,068 | 2% |
| Dubai South (Madinat Al Mataar) | 75 | AED 2,552,650 | 3,843 | 100% |
| Business Bay | 69 | AED 2,640,011 | 2,988 | 19% |
| Majan | 66 | AED 1,724,060 | 2,437 | 89% |
| Meydan One | 62 | AED 3,139,630 | 5,379 | 23% |
| Motor City | 56 | AED 4,336,150 | 4,374 | 88% |
| Arjan | 54 | AED 2,521,165 | 2,521 | 57% |
| JLT (Jumeirah Lakes Towers) | 43 | AED 3,100,003 | 2,334 | 23% |
| Jabal Ali First (Sobha Central) | 40 | AED 7,223,762 | 6,500 | 100% |
Method: registered sales (Sales) of Office and Shop units from AED 100k only — no mortgages or gifts, duplicate transaction numbers collapsed, AED/sq.ft on actual area. Zones are named as the DLD registers them, marketing name in brackets. Commercial plots (Land) are a separate topic — see land for sale.
Common questions
Can a foreigner buy commercial property in Dubai?
Yes — 100% freehold ownership is available in 60+ designated zones, including Business Bay, JLT, Dubai Marina, Downtown and Dubai Silicon Oasis, either personally or through a company. There are no annual taxes on ownership or rental income.
What yield does commercial property in Dubai give in 2026?
Offices in Business Bay gross 7–9%, DIFC Grade A 6.5–7.5%, and JLT offices and Al Quoz warehouses up to 10% — above residential, where villas on long lets average 3.5–5%.
How much does an office in Dubai cost?
Business Bay sells at AED 1,450–2,360 per sq.ft, JLT at a median of about AED 1,590, and Downtown averaged AED 5,130 per sq.ft in 2025 — up 29% year on year.
What taxes and fees apply to commercial property in Dubai?
DLD transfer fee 4% plus about 2% agency commission, and — unlike residential — 5% VAT on the price. On resale deals the buyer pays the VAT directly to the FTA via EmaraTax and needs the Payment Transaction Number before DLD will transfer the title; VAT-registered companies recover it as input tax. Commercial rents also carry 5% VAT.
How much does commercial property in JLT cost?
By the DLD registry, in January–August 2026 JLT (Jumeirah Lakes Towers) recorded 413 office sales: median AED 2,023,991, 1,650 AED/sq.ft, typical size 1,131 sq.ft, 96% ready stock. Retail units — 43 deals, median AED 3,100,003 and 2,334 AED/sq.ft. These are registered prices, not listings; the zone tables are above.
How much does a retail unit in Dubai cost by the DLD registry?
In January–August 2026 the DLD registered 1,077 retail unit (Shop) sales from AED 100k: median AED 2,859,555 at 3,020 AED/sq.ft, 60% off-plan. Ready units — median AED 1,900,000 and 2,200 AED/sq.ft. The most affordable zone with 40+ sales is International City (Phase 1): median AED 629,645, 1,068 AED/sq.ft.
Every way to buy in Dubai
Find commercial property in Dubai for your budget
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