Quick answer: the Dubai office market in 2026 is still growing fast year on year, but it is cooling from its peak. Cavendish Maxwell counted AED 15.8 billion of office sales in January to June, rents near AED 189 per sq ft and prices near AED 2,012 per sq ft, both up about 15 percent. Transactions then fell 36 percent from the first to the second quarter, and September data shows deals continuing.
Written by Mazen Alzoubi, commercial real estate advisor at eXp Realty Dubai (RERA BRN 76380). Last updated 3 October 2026.
Key facts at a glance
- H1 2026 office sales: AED 15.8 billion across about 2,600 deals, up 38 percent in deal count (Cavendish Maxwell).
- Average rent: about AED 189 per sq ft per year, up roughly 14 to 15 percent year on year.
- Average sale price: about AED 2,012 per sq ft, up 14 to 15 percent.
- Momentum: Q2 transactions were 36 percent below Q1, so growth is moderating.
- Latest weekly data: AED 10.67 billion of total property transactions in the week of 7 to 11 September, including a AED 36.8 million office at Almas Tower, JLT.
- Most active area in the Dubai office market: Business Bay, 814 office transactions in H1.
What the latest data says about the Dubai office market
The newest complete dataset for the Dubai office market covers the first half of 2026. Property consultancy Cavendish Maxwell reported AED 15.8 billion of office sales in January to June, nearly triple the same period last year, across roughly 2,600 transactions, as reported by Khaleej Times. About 65 percent of those sales were off-plan. More than 220 deals were above AED 20 million, and 95 percent of those were off-plan.
Engel & Volkers, in its H1 2026 commercial report, counted 2,570 office transactions, up 35.3 percent. The two firms agree on the direction even though the counts differ slightly.
Earlier in the year, Gulf Business reported figures from The Real Estate Reports: AED 13.16 billion of office sales between 1 January and 19 May 2026, which was 82 percent of all commercial sales in that period. The same report showed ready offices at AED 2,266 per sq ft against AED 1,964 a year earlier, and off-plan offices at AED 4,349 per sq ft against AED 2,388.
Why Dubai office market reports quote different prices
Cavendish Maxwell shows AED 2,012 per sq ft, while The Real Estate Reports shows AED 2,266 for ready offices and AED 4,349 for off-plan. These are not contradictions. One is an all-stock average, the others split ready and off-plan, and the periods differ. When you price a specific office, compare it with the same building and the same status, not with a city average.
The Dubai office market is moderating, not collapsing
The most useful detail about the Dubai office market in the Cavendish Maxwell report is the quarterly split. Office transactions in the second quarter were 36 percent lower than in the first. Using the reported totals, that is roughly 1,600 deals in Q1 and about 1,000 in Q2 (our arithmetic, not a published figure). The firm’s commercial valuation head said year-on-year indicators stayed positive but quarterly trends point to moderation.
The wider property market shows a similar split between segments. Cavendish Maxwell figures cited by Edwards and Towers show August 2026 was the first year-on-year fall in average home prices since February 2021, down 1.7 percent to AED 1,636 per sq ft, while sales above AED 10 million rose from 149 in June to 193 in August. That is residential, not offices, but it shows a market where price levels and volumes move at different speeds.
September 2026: what recent deals show about the Dubai office market
Dubai Land Department data reported by The Week put total transactions at AED 10.67 billion in the five days from 7 to 11 September. Sales were AED 6.78 billion from 2,931 transactions. One of the highlighted deals was an office at Almas Tower in Jumeirah Lakes Towers, sold for AED 36.8 million. A single deal does not set a trend, but it confirms that large office purchases are still closing in the third quarter.
Third-quarter reports on the Dubai office market from the large consultancies are not out yet. The latest JLL UAE office update covers the second quarter and notes that Dubai rental contract registrations rose 24.6 percent year on year. That figure covers rental registrations generally, not offices only, so treat it as a sign of business confidence rather than an office rent number.
Where Dubai office market rents sit by district
The Dubai office market average of AED 189 per sq ft hides a wide spread. In our September 2026 listings the median asking rent is AED 148 in JLT, AED 273 in Business Bay, AED 456 in Downtown and AED 498 in Dubai Media City. Business Bay alone ranges from AED 144 to AED 796 depending on the tower and the fit-out. The full breakdown is in our office rent per sq ft by area guide.
In the Dubai office market, asking rents are what landlords advertise, not what is registered. Earlier consultancy research gives useful context: Chestertons data reported in November 2025 put average office rents near AED 190 per sq ft, up 22 percent, with Grade A occupancy around 95 percent and citywide occupancy near 92 percent. The same research expected office completions to rise from 0.89 million sq ft in 2025 to 2.3 million in 2026 and 4.1 million in 2027, although much of that space may already be pre-leased. That date is older than the other sources here, so we use it only for supply context.
A rough yield check, and its limits
Dividing the average rent of AED 189 by the average price of AED 2,012 gives a gross figure of about 9.4 percent. This is our own rough calculation and it should not be used to value a single office. It mixes averages for different buildings, ignores service charges, vacancy and fit-out, and the price average includes off-plan units that do not yet earn rent. For comparison, Chestertons estimated gross yields of 7 to 8 percent on Grade A assets in its November 2025 research. Always calculate yield from the actual rent and the actual service charge of the unit.
What this means for tenants in the Dubai office market
- Budget by district first. A move from JLT to Business Bay roughly doubles the median asking rent in our data.
- Expect to negotiate on secondary buildings, and less on prime Grade A towers, where occupancy is reported near 95 percent.
- Check the lease type. Our guide to gross vs triple net leases explains what is included.
- Start with the live inventory: browse offices for rent in Dubai or read about offices in Business Bay.
What this means for investors in the Dubai office market
- Off-plan dominates. With about 65 percent of H1 sales off-plan, most new money is buying future stock. See buying off-plan office space and the current off-plan offices.
- Price per sq ft needs context. Compare ready and off-plan separately, and compare within one tower. Our commercial office towers page lists the buildings we track.
- A moderating Dubai office market is a reason to be selective. Read our is it worth buying an office in Dubai guide and the wider Dubai commercial real estate market overview.
- Not everything is advertised. Some offices are only available through off-market listings.
The Dubai office market rewards tenants and buyers who compare like with like, building by building. If you want a shortlist matched to your budget and use, contact us and we will send options from the current inventory.
Also read: Barsha Heights offices: 2026 rents and best towers, with asking vs recorded rent and a cost calculator.
For the neighbouring TECOM districts, read our guide to Dubai Media City offices.
How we built this guide
For this Dubai office market review we combined our own September 2026 listing medians with outside sources, each dated above: Cavendish Maxwell (via Khaleej Times, H1 2026), The Real Estate Reports (via Gulf Business, May 2026), Engel & Volkers (H1 2026 report), JLL (Q2 2026), Dubai Land Department weekly data (via The Week, 12 September 2026), Cavendish Maxwell residential figures (via Edwards and Towers, 18 September 2026) and Chestertons (via Khaleej Times, November 2025). Figures labelled as our arithmetic are our own calculations. We will update this article when the third-quarter reports are published.
Frequently asked questions
How much is office rent in Dubai in 2026?
Cavendish Maxwell puts the city-wide average at about AED 189 per sq ft per year in the first half of 2026, up roughly 14 to 15 percent year on year. In our September 2026 listings the medians run from AED 148 in JLT to AED 498 in Dubai Media City, so the district matters more than the average.
Is the Dubai office market slowing down?
Year on year the numbers are still strong, but Cavendish Maxwell reports that office transactions fell 36 percent from the first quarter to the second quarter of 2026 and describes the momentum as moderating. Third-quarter reports have not been published yet, so the trend is not confirmed either way.
Is it a good time to buy an office in Dubai?
It depends on the building, the price and your holding period. Sales prices rose about 14 to 15 percent year on year to AED 2,012 per sq ft and about 65 percent of H1 sales were off-plan, so check the handover date, service charges and tenant demand for that specific tower before you commit. This is general information, not financial advice.
Which area has the most office sales in Dubai?
Business Bay led the first half of 2026 with 814 office transactions, followed by Al Sufouh 1 with 498, according to Cavendish Maxwell data reported by Khaleej Times.
Why do reports show different office sales figures?
Each firm counts a different period and a different set of transactions. Cavendish Maxwell reports AED 15.8 billion for January to June, The Real Estate Reports counted AED 13.16 billion for 1 January to 19 May, and Engel & Volkers counted 2,570 transactions against Cavendish Maxwell 2,600. Compare trends, not single numbers.
Related: DIFC vs Downtown offices compared on rent and licence.