Business Bay Area Guide: Prices, Rents and What It's Like to Live There
Business Bay suits professionals who want an apartment beside Downtown and close to DIFC, at lower median prices than Downtown for studio to three-bedroom homes. It is a district of apartment, office and hotel towers along the Dubai Water Canal, where over the latest twelve months the median one-bedroom apartment sold for AED 2,000,000, from 2,485 sales, and rented for a median AED 85,000 a year, from 7,929 contracts. Every tower has its own service charge budget, so compare buildings rather than the district median.
Prices at a glance
| Bedrooms | Median sale price |
|---|---|
| Studio | AED 1,150,000 |
| One bedroom | AED 2,000,000 |
| Two bedrooms | AED 3,020,000 |
| Three bedrooms | AED 4,750,000 |
| Four bedrooms | AED 7,620,000 |
| Five bedrooms | AED 29,710,000 |
| Bedrooms | Median annual rent |
|---|---|
| Studio | AED 65,000 |
| One bedroom | AED 85,000 |
| Two bedrooms | AED 125,000 |
| Three bedrooms | AED 172,000 |
| Four bedrooms | AED 300,000 |
| Five bedrooms | — |
| Bedrooms | Median gross yield |
|---|---|
| Studio | 5.7% |
| One bedroom | 4.2% |
| Two bedrooms | 4.1% |
| Three bedrooms | 3.6% |
| Four bedrooms | 3.9% |
| Five bedrooms | 5.6% |
Source: BrickDXB analysis of DLD registered sales and Ejari contracts, twelve months, Business Bay. Data as of .
All three tables show medians, not averages, for apartments in Business Bay, from BrickDXB's analysis of DLD open data over the twelve months to its latest update. Sample sizes, by bedroom type: sale medians and gross yields rest on registered sales (studio 1,156 sales, one-bedroom 2,485 sales, two-bedroom 1,437 sales, three-bedroom 366 sales, four-bedroom 62 sales and five-bedroom 5 sales), and rent medians rest on Ejari contracts (studio 4,512 contracts, one-bedroom 7,929 contracts, two-bedroom 4,882 contracts, three-bedroom 1,431 contracts and four-bedroom 119 contracts). A bedroom type with no figure has no published median in the source, and gross yield is median rent divided by median price, before costs. BrickDXB also publishes a six-bedroom median, left out because the template stops at five bedrooms.
Service charges
| Building | Usage | Rate | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zada Tower | Residential | AED 25.52 per sq ft, budget year 2026, excludes arrears | Total rate in the DLD Service Charge Index for this budget year; it excludes arrears. |
| Reva Residences | Residential | AED 27.28 per sq ft, budget year 2026, excludes arrears | Total rate in the DLD Service Charge Index for this budget year; it excludes arrears. |
| Prive by DAMAC | Residential | AED 28.23 per sq ft, budget year 2026, excludes arrears | Total rate in the DLD Service Charge Index for this budget year; it excludes arrears. DLD's entry covers Prive by Damac Tower A only. |
| Elite Business Bay Residence | Residential | AED 15.07 per sq ft, budget year 2025, excludes arrears | Total rate in the DLD Service Charge Index for this budget year; it excludes arrears. |
| DAMAC Towers by Paramount | Residential | AED 30.6 per sq ft, budget year 2026, excludes arrears | Total rate in the DLD Service Charge Index for this budget year; it excludes arrears. DLD's entry covers Tower A only. |
Source: DLD Service Charge Index. Data as of .
Figures are the total rate per square foot in the DLD Service Charge Index for the budget year shown, and they exclude arrears. Ask us to check the DLD-approved service charge for any other building.
Off-plan projects in Business Bay
- Binghatti Skyhall, Binghatti: studio and one-bedroom apartments. From AED 985,000.
- Binghatti Aquarise, Binghatti: studio to four-bedroom apartments. From AED 999,999.
- Binghatti Skyrise, Binghatti: studio to three-bedroom apartments. From AED 1,050,000.
- One by Binghatti, Binghatti: studio to four-bedroom apartments. From AED 2,000,000.
- Bugatti Residences by Binghatti, Binghatti: three- to five-bedroom residences. From AED 36,600,000.
Source: developers' own project pages. Prices as of .
These are the Business Bay projects on Binghatti's projects page with no registered transactions in BrickDXB's building list, which suggests they are not yet completed. Many other developers are building in Business Bay, so this is one developer's list, not a complete one. Handover quarters are not shown because the developers' pages we used do not state them; ask for the completion date in the sale and purchase agreement and check the project's registration in the DLD Project Status Enquiry.
Popular buildings
| Building | Home type | Median price | Median annual rent | Gross yield | Registered sales (twenty-four months) | Rent contracts (twenty-four months) | Sample |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al Habtoor City | two-bedroom apartment | AED 2,500,000 | AED 150,000 | 6% | 186 sales | 1,548 contracts | median price from 94 sales and median rent from 769 contracts for this home type |
| Prive by DAMAC | studio | AED 1,040,000 | AED 72,000 | 6.9% | 195 sales | 1,251 contracts | median price from 146 sales and median rent from 928 contracts for this home type |
| DAMAC Towers by Paramount | one-bedroom apartment | AED 1,470,000 | AED 105,000 | 7.1% | 247 sales | 953 contracts | median price from 131 sales and median rent from 508 contracts for this home type |
| Aykon City 2 | two-bedroom apartment | AED 1,540,000 | AED 105,000 | 6.8% | 194 sales | 940 contracts | median price from 109 sales and median rent from 521 contracts for this home type |
| Zada Tower | one-bedroom apartment | AED 1,000,000 | AED 75,000 | 7.5% | 146 sales | 914 contracts | median price from 146 sales and median rent from 914 contracts for this home type |
| Merano Tower | one-bedroom apartment | AED 1,060,000 | AED 75,000 | 7.1% | 99 sales | 854 contracts | median price from 61 sales and median rent from 591 contracts for this home type |
| Elite Business Bay Residence | studio | AED 750,000 | AED 58,000 | 7.7% | 79 sales | 808 contracts | median price from 45 sales and median rent from 545 contracts for this home type |
| Reva Residences | one-bedroom apartment | AED 1,000,000 | AED 75,000 | 7.5% | 105 sales | 779 contracts | median price from 79 sales and median rent from 619 contracts for this home type |
Source: BrickDXB building pages, DLD-registered sales and Ejari rent contracts over the last twenty-four months; data as of .
Buildings are ranked by registered transactions, meaning DLD-registered sales plus Ejari rent contracts over the last twenty-four months, as published on each building's BrickDXB page. Each row shows the median price, median rent and gross yield for the building's most-sold home type, with its own sample sizes; these medians, yields and samples also cover those twenty-four months, unlike the twelve-month area tables, and the source line gives the end date. This is a ranking of activity, not a list of every building or a recommendation.
Living in Business Bay
Schools
We have not verified a school inside the district, so families usually look at schools in neighbouring communities. Shortlist by curriculum, then check fees, current inspection ratings and the drive from your tower in the KHDA directory.
Healthcare
Ask us to check hospitals and clinics near a specific building. Whatever you choose, confirm that your insurance network covers it and time the drive at the hours you would travel.
Parks
The canal promenades are the main open space, and Dubai Holding describes the district as a mix of corporate towers, homes, shops and hotels along the Dubai Water Canal. Ask us to check parks and play areas near a specific building.
Transport
RTA's network map shows Business Bay station on the Red Line, next to Burj Khalifa/Dubai Mall station, along Sheikh Zayed Road; check the walk from the tower you are considering. By car, the district's position beside Sheikh Zayed Road keeps Downtown and DIFC close; time the drive at the hours you would travel.
Commute times
We have no verified drive times from Business Bay to landmarks, so this list is empty.
Similar areas
Frequently asked questions
Is Business Bay freehold?
Business Bay is marketed to all nationalities, but the DLD land area Business Bay is not named in the original freehold regulation, so the designating instrument is to be confirmed. Check the exact unit in the DLD Property Status Enquiry before you sign or pay.
How much does a one-bedroom apartment cost in Business Bay?
The median registered sale price was AED 2,000,000, or a median AED 2,417/sq ft, from 2,485 sales of one-bedroom apartments (5,520 sales across all home types) over the latest twelve months. Individual towers can sit well above or below the median.
What is the rent for a one-bedroom in Business Bay?
The median Ejari rent was AED 85,000 a year, from 7,929 contracts (18,883 contracts across all home types). The median for new leases was AED 90,000 and the median on renewals was AED 83,000; renewals are often lower, partly because renewal increases are capped by the RERA rental index.
What rental yield do Business Bay apartments make?
Median gross yields ranged from 3.6% for a three-bedroom to 5.7% for a studio, with a one-bedroom at 4.2%; the five-bedroom figure rests on only 5 sales. These are historical gross figures before service charges, vacancy and fees, not a forecast or a promise of return.
Have prices in Business Bay gone up?
Not over the latest year: the median sale price per square foot was 0.6% lower than in the previous twelve months, according to BrickDXB's analysis of DLD registered sales, which is close to flat. Building and view matter more than the district trend.
Which towers are most traded in Business Bay?
By registered sales plus rent contracts over two years, Al Habtoor City led with 186 sales and 1,548 contracts, followed by Prive by DAMAC and DAMAC Towers by Paramount. The popular buildings table gives each tower's medians and sample sizes.
Which off-plan projects are in Business Bay?
Binghatti lists Skyhall from AED 985,000 up to Bugatti Residences from AED 36,600,000, with no handover quarter on its page. Other developers are active too, so check each project's registration and escrow account with the DLD.
What are service charges in Business Bay?
Each jointly owned building has its own DLD-approved budget, and the spread between towers is wide. Ask the seller for the latest statement, or ask us to check the approved figure for the building.