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Downtown & central

Business Bay

A skyscraper district south of Downtown, laid out along the Dubai Creek extension and the Dubai Water Canal. It mixes offices, hotels and residential towers, with a canal promenade, rooftop bars and a steady flow of new launches. Rents sit below Downtown for a similar central address.

  • Business
  • Waterfront
  • Apartments
  • On the metro
  • Nightlife
  • Dining
  • New-build
  • Off-plan
Illustration of Business Bay
Illustration
Studio rent
AED 79,000per year
1-bed rent
AED 111,000per year
2-bed rent
AED 153,000per year
Apartment price
AED 2,466per sq ft
1-bed apartment
AED 1.73Maverage asking
Gross yield
6.92%published

Averages published by Property Finder area insights, September 2026. How they are measured.

Living in Business Bay

Why people choose it

  • Central location next to Downtown and Sheikh Zayed Road
  • Canal promenade for walking, running and cycling
  • Wide choice of towers, from studios to branded residences

Worth knowing

  • Heavy rush-hour traffic on Al Khail and the internal roads
  • Ongoing tower construction and cranes across several plots
Character
Canal-side high-rise business district
Master developer
Dubai Properties
Since
2003
Freehold
Yes, freehold for foreign buyers
Homes
Apartments
Metro
Business Bay
Getting around
Red Line at Business Bay station (opened 2010); Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road; water taxi stops on the canal
Beach
Not within walking distance
Schools
—

Rent or buy

Business Bay in numbers

Renting

A good fit for young professionals who want to be near Downtown and DIFC for less, accepting traffic and construction around many towers.

StudioAED 79,000
1 bedroomAED 111,000
2 bedroomsAED 153,000
Send me homes to rent

Buying

The deepest apartment market in central Dubai, with a large off-plan pipeline from many developers, so compare building quality and handover records closely.

Apartments, per sq ftAED 2,466
1-bed apartmentAED 1,725,000
Gross yield6.92%
How these figures are measured
  • Rents: Property Finder area insights, average asking rent per year by bedroom (listing data) source
  • Prices: Property Finder area insights: 1BR = average asking price (listings); apt_psf = average DLD sale price per sq ft over the past 12 months, all residential sales (district is almost entirely apartments) source
  • Yield: Property Finder area insights, rental yield on DLD transactions (past 12 months) source

Asking figures reflect advertised listings, not signed contracts; transaction figures are Dubai Land Department records. Freehold: Yes, freehold for foreign buyers.

Out and about

Things to do in Business Bay

Plenty of hotels within a short ride of Burj Khalifa, plus canal-side dining and the La Perle show.

  • Dubai Water Canal promenadepromenade

    Waterside path for walks, runs and bike rides

  • La Perle by Dragoneshow

    Resident aqua-acrobatic show at Al Habtoor City

  • Bay Squaredining

    Low-rise plaza of cafés, shops and offices

  • JW Marriott Marquishotel

    Twin hotel towers packed with restaurants and bars

Visiting, or just moved in? We can arrange a short stay or a tour around Business Bay.

Addresses people ask about

Notable buildings & projects

  • Executive Towers
  • Peninsula
  • Damac Towers by Paramount
  • Bugatti Residences By Binghatti
  • SLS Dubai Hotel & Residences

Names only, for orientation: not an offer. Ask us for what is available in each.

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Your request in Business Bay

Renting, buying, selling or letting in Business Bay, or a stay, a tour or a move: tell us what you need.

What do you need?

Free, no obligation. District Dubai is a guide, not a broker: property requests go to RERA-accredited brokers; other requests to licensed operators.

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A local expert will reply within one working day, usually much sooner.

District desk

One request, the right local expertRenting, buying, selling, short stays, tours or a move: we route it to someone who knows the district.

Hours
Sun–Fri, 9:00–19:00 (UAE)
Languages
English, French, Arabic, Russian

FAQ

Business Bay: common questions

Average asking rents per year in Business Bay: studio AED 79,000, one-bedroom AED 111,000, two-bedroom AED 153,000 (Property Finder area insights, September 2026). Actual rents depend on the building, view, floor and furnishing.

Yes, freehold for foreign buyers. Foreign buyers can own homes here outright and register them with the Dubai Land Department.

Yes: Business Bay station. Red Line at Business Bay station (opened 2010); Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Khail Road; water taxi stops on the canal

Central location next to Downtown and Sheikh Zayed Road. Canal promenade for walking, running and cycling. Wide choice of towers, from studios to branded residences. On the other hand: heavy rush-hour traffic on al khail and the internal roads. ongoing tower construction and cranes across several plots.

Dubai Water Canal promenade (waterside path for walks, runs and bike rides); La Perle by Dragone (resident aqua-acrobatic show at al habtoor city); Bay Square (low-rise plaza of cafés, shops and offices); JW Marriott Marquis (twin hotel towers packed with restaurants and bars).

Ask an expert