Dubai office market research 2026: rents, prices, occupancy, sales and supply in one place

Dubai's office market entered late 2026 almost full and still selling fast. The Dubai Land Department's study, approved on 10 November 2026, records office occupancy of 94 per cent. Office sales reached AED 20.16 billion across 3,695 transactions in the first nine months of the year, and the average office sold for AED 2,012 per square foot in the first half, up 15 per cent in a year, according to Cavendish Maxwell.

This research gathers the latest figures from the Land Department and five consultancies in one place, explains why they differ, and sets out what they mean for an investor. For the buying process, costs and finance, see our guide to buying an office in Dubai.

Dubai office market at a glance

How full are Dubai's offices?

Very full. The Land Department's study puts office occupancy at 94 per cent, and CBRE's third quarter review puts it at about 95 per cent. At the top of the market there is almost nothing to rent: JLL put Grade A vacancy at 4.2 per cent and prime availability at 0.7 per cent in the second quarter of 2026.

Citywide vacancy moves as new buildings open. JLL recorded 7.3 per cent in the first quarter, after new deliveries, and 6.1 per cent in the second, on an inventory of about 101.1 million square feet.

What do Dubai offices cost?

Cavendish Maxwell put the average sale price at AED 2,012 per square foot in the first half of 2026, up 15 per cent in a year. Location drives a wide spread: Knight Frank put Downtown Dubai at AED 5,130 per square foot in the second half of 2025, up 29 per cent, and counted 167 office deals above AED 10 million in 2025, more than double 2024.

What are office rents in Dubai?

The averages differ because each firm tracks a different set of buildings and deals. Use one series consistently rather than mixing them.

Rent growth has been strongest below the prime tier. JLL recorded Grade B rents up 23.4 per cent in a year in the first quarter, against 19.0 per cent for Grade A and 17.2 per cent for prime.

What yield does a Dubai office give?

On Cavendish Maxwell's first half averages, AED 189 of rent on AED 2,012 of price gives a rough gross yield of about 9.4 per cent. That is before service charges, vacancy between tenants, agency fees and finance, and it blends very different buildings. A specific office can sit well above or below it, so underwrite the actual lease, the service charge and the tenant.

Who is buying, and where?

Office sales reached AED 20.16 billion across 3,695 transactions from January to September 2026, per Land Department data analysed by Al Masdar Al Akari. Off plan made up 2,363 deals and AED 16.13 billion, about 80 per cent of the value.

Demand comes mostly from finance and technology. Knight Frank found banking and finance took 32.5 per cent of new office requirements in the second half of 2025, and technology 23.1 per cent.

How much new office space is coming?

Most of the new space is strata, sold floor by floor or unit by unit to investors, rather than whole buildings held by one landlord. That matters for an investor: strata buildings compete for the same tenants, and service quality varies with the owners' association.

What does it mean for an investor in 2026?

1. Occupancy is the strongest support. At 94 to 95 per cent, a well located office lets quickly today.
2. Rent growth has paused at the top. Savills recorded flat rents in the second and third quarters of 2026. Buy on today's rent, not on last year's growth.
3. The 2028 wave is the risk. About 20 million square feet is due by 2030, much of it strata. Prefer buildings with a defensible edge: Grade A specification, transport, a strong owner or a whole floor.
4. Finance is bank by bank. The Central Bank's mortgage regulation, Circular 31/2013, covers residential property, so office loans follow each bank's policy. Emirates Islamic publishes up to 70 per cent finance over up to 15 years on completed commercial units.
5. Costs. The Land Department charges 4 per cent of the price on a sale, split 2 and 2 between seller and buyer unless agreed otherwise.

Castilion's view

Dubai offices still pay: high occupancy and a gross yield in the region of 9 per cent are hard to find in other global cities. But the easy phase of rent growth has paused, and the supply wave is visible. We advise buying quality and position, whole floors where possible, in districts with transport and Grade A stock, and pricing every purchase on the current lease.

For a new Grade A option on Sheikh Zayed Road, see Christian A. Rockefeller Business Tower, where expressions of interest are open. For every commercial asset class, see commercial property for sale in Dubai.

This research is general information, not financial advice. Figures are those published by the sources named, on the dates given, and differ by method.