Quick answer: office rent per sq ft Dubai asks range from roughly AED 130 to AED 500 per sq ft per year, depending on the district and the building. In our September 2026 listings JLT is the cheapest (median AED 148), Business Bay sits in the middle (AED 273, with a very wide range), and Downtown and Dubai Media City are the most expensive (AED 456 and AED 498). Independent data from Property Monitor, CBRE and Property Finder points the same way: JLT is the value district, Downtown is the premium one, and rents are rising across the city.
Written by Mazen Alzoubi, commercial real estate advisor at eXp Realty Dubai (RERA BRN 76380). Last updated 30 September 2026.
Key facts on office rent per sq ft Dubai
- Cheapest district in our listings: JLT, median AED 148 per sq ft per year.
- Widest range: Business Bay, from AED 144 to AED 796 per sq ft in the same district.
- City-wide trend: CBRE reported Dubai office rents up 13% year on year in Q2 2026, prime rents up 16%, with occupancy around 94%.
- Investor demand: Dubai commercial sales reached about AED 24 billion by mid-September 2026, with Business Bay accounting for about AED 10 billion.
Office rent per sq ft Dubai figures vary by building, floor and fit-out, so treat each number as a guide, not a quote.
Office rent per sq ft Dubai by area (September 2026)
These figures are our office rent per sq ft Dubai snapshot for September 2026, based on the offices we are marketing now.
This table comes from the offices we are marketing right now. Every figure is annual rent divided by the floor area shown on the listing. These are asking prices, not signed rents, and several areas have only a few offices, so read them as a real price map of what you can view this week rather than a city-wide average.
| Area | Listings | Median AED / sq ft / year | Range AED / sq ft / year | Sizes (sq ft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jumeirah Lake Towers (JLT) | 7 | 148 | 128 to 307 | 996 to 11,450 |
| Deira (Al Muteena) | 3 | 165 | 165 (one building) | 5,000 to 40,000 |
| Dubai Marina | 2 | 250 | 250 (one building) | 3,707 |
| Business Bay | 20 | 273 | 144 to 796 | 586 to 3,706 |
| Al Barsha Heights (TECOM) | 1 | 294 | 294 | 4,408 |
| Sheikh Zayed Road (Emaar Business Park) | 11 | 340 | 280 to 634 | 920 to 6,889 |
| Downtown Dubai | 10 | 456 | 330 to 622 | 3,250 to 7,244 |
| Dubai Media City | 3 | 498 | 458 to 516 | 1,593 to 3,788 |
Our office rent per sq ft Dubai prices vs the wider market
Here is how our office rent per sq ft Dubai figures sit against outside data.
We did not want to rely on our own listings alone, so we checked them against independent figures. Property Monitor data for May 2026, published by Engel & Völkers, puts average office rent at AED 135 per sq ft in JLT, AED 151 in Business Bay, AED 155 in Barsha Heights and AED 367 in Downtown Dubai. The same report gives a citywide average of AED 106 per sq ft, because it includes cheaper areas such as Deira (AED 87) and Al Quoz (AED 85).
Two things stand out. First, JLT lines up closely: our median of AED 148 is only slightly above the AED 135 market average, which tells us JLT asking prices are honest and the district is consistently the value option. Second, our Business Bay median (AED 273) is well above the AED 151 market average.
That gap is not a mistake. Our Business Bay stock leans towards Grade A, fitted and furnished offices in buildings such as Bay Square, The Burlington and The Opus, which price far above the district average that includes older, unfitted space. If you compare like for like, a basic unit in Westburry Tower 1 at about AED 144 to 147 per sq ft sits right on the market average.
Property Finder shows the same pattern on its office rental page: typical JLT offices at roughly AED 130,000 a year for about 1,046 sq ft (around AED 124 per sq ft), and Business Bay offices at up to AED 550,000 a year for about 1,356 sq ft. Averages differ between sources because each one measures something different, such as asking prices, registered contracts or a specific type of unit. That is why a single number never tells the whole story and why you should always compare a specific building.
What the latest market news says
The latest news on office rent per sq ft Dubai points in the same direction as our listings.
Rents are rising and space is tight. According to CBRE’s Q2 2026 UAE market review, Dubai office rents rose about 13% year on year, prime rents rose about 16%, and occupancy is around 94%. CBRE names DIFC, TECOM and DMCC as areas of strong demand and says pre-leasing is absorbing much of the upcoming supply before it completes. The JLL Q2 2026 UAE office report adds that Dubai rental contracts jumped 24.6% year on year.
Investors are moving just as fast. Gulf Business, citing The Real Estate Reports, reported in May 2026 that Dubai commercial sales were up 210% year on year, with office sales of AED 13.16 billion and average office deal size doubling to AED 6.41 million. Voice of Emirates reported on 22 September 2026 that commercial sales reached about AED 24 billion across roughly 4,600 deals from January to mid-September, with Business Bay alone near AED 10 billion and 3,115 deals. Earlier, Khaleej Times summarised Chestertons data from late 2025 showing Grade A occupancy near 95%.
What this means for a tenant: good offices in well-located towers are not staying on the market for long, so asking prices are firm and landlords ask for multiple cheques and quick decisions. What it means for an investor: demand for ready and off-plan offices is strong, but sales are concentrated in a few large projects, so the building and the developer matter more than the district name.
JLT: the lowest entry price
On office rent per sq ft Dubai wide, JLT has the lowest median in our listings at AED 148.
JLT is where we have the cheapest small offices. Furnished suites of about 1,000 to 1,250 sq ft are listed between AED 137,500 and AED 160,000 a year, for example in Tiffany Tower and Fortune Executive Tower. Larger floors cost more per sq ft: a 5,382 sq ft furnished unit in JBC 1 is listed at AED 307 per sq ft. Several JLT listings are DMCC-ready, which matters if you plan a free zone licence. See our guide to renting in JLT and our rent-versus-buy comparison.
Business Bay: the widest range
Business Bay shows the widest office rent per sq ft Dubai spread in our data, from AED 144 to AED 796.
With 20 offices, Business Bay is our largest pool. At the low end, Westburry Tower 1 offices are about AED 144 to 147 per sq ft. Mid-range Bay Square units cluster between AED 248 and AED 415. At the top, offices in The Opus are listed between AED 483 and AED 796. The same district can therefore cost three to five times as much depending on the tower. Start with our Business Bay office guide.
Sheikh Zayed Road and Downtown
Downtown (AED 456) and Dubai Media City (AED 498) set the top of the office rent per sq ft Dubai range in our listings.
Emaar Business Park offices on Sheikh Zayed Road are mostly between AED 280 and AED 365 per sq ft, with one small fully fitted unit at AED 634. Downtown listings are larger (3,250 to 7,244 sq ft) and sit between AED 330 and AED 622 per sq ft, with most around AED 450. Boulevard Plaza Tower 1 is an example of the Downtown end of the market, and it is consistent with Property Monitor’s AED 367 district average once you allow for Grade A fit-out.
How to read office rent per sq ft Dubai numbers
Use office rent per sq ft Dubai figures as a starting point, then check the specific building.
- Fit-out changes the price. Furnished and fitted offices usually ask more per sq ft than shell and core space.
- Size changes the rate. Small suites and very large floors are priced differently from mid-size units in the same tower.
- Asking is not final. Rent, payment terms (number of cheques) and inclusions are negotiated with the landlord.
- Check the building, not only the area. Two towers in the same district can differ sharply, as Business Bay shows.
- Look beyond base rent. Ask about service or chiller charges, parking, and whether the lease is registered on Ejari, because these change the real annual cost.
How we built this guide
Every office rent per sq ft Dubai figure above comes from our September 2026 listings or a dated outside source.
We calculated every figure from the price and floor area shown on our own live rental listings on 30 September 2026, then compared the results with Property Monitor, CBRE, JLL, Property Finder and news coverage from Gulf Business, Khaleej Times and Voice of Emirates. We did not use older data: a 2018 Bayut price table we found was excluded because it is out of date. We will refresh this article as listings and market reports change.
In short, office rent per sq ft Dubai prices depend most on the district, and JLT, Business Bay and Downtown sit at very different levels.
If you want a shortlist matched to your budget, ask us for current office rent per sq ft Dubai options by area.
Compare office rent per sq ft Dubai data across more than one source, and compare office rent per sq ft Dubai asking prices with registered rents where you can. Our guide to the cost of renting an office in Dubai adds the other costs on top of office rent per sq ft Dubai figures.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest area to rent an office in Dubai?
In our September 2026 listings, JLT has the lowest asking rent per sq ft, with a median of AED 148. Property Monitor’s average for JLT is AED 135 per sq ft. Deira and Al Quoz are cheaper on market averages but have older stock and fewer Grade A options.
How much is an office in Business Bay per sq ft?
Our Business Bay listings have a median of AED 273 per sq ft per year and range from AED 144 to AED 796. The market average reported by Property Monitor is about AED 151 per sq ft, so the tower and the fit-out decide where you land.
Are office rents in Dubai going up?
Yes. CBRE reported Dubai office rents up about 13% year on year in Q2 2026, with prime rents up about 16% and occupancy near 94%.
Are these prices the market average?
No. They are asking prices on offices we currently list, so they describe what is available now, not every office in Dubai. We show the independent market averages next to them so you can compare.
Can you show me offices in my budget?
Yes. Use the search on the office listings page to filter by size and budget, or contact Mazen directly.
Related reading: Cost of Renting an Office in Dubai, Best Areas to Rent an Office in Dubai and Dubai commercial office towers.