Business fit
Confirm whether the premises and location suit the intended business activity and the relevant licensing arrangement.
COMMERCIAL GUIDE
Office space in the UAE
Choose an office around how your business works. For the UAE, compare team access, fit-out needs and total occupancy costs before deciding which space and terms suit your next stage.
Start with your budget and priorities. You do not need a property shortlist yet.
START WITH YOUR PLANS
What will your office need to support?
Start with what you want to achieve in the UAE. We use your situation to discuss areas, costs and practical requirements before narrowing a property brief.
YOUR PERSONAL BRIEF
Build the brief around the working day.
Start with your headcount, working pattern and the requirements of your business activity.
- Workstations, meeting rooms and privacy
- Transport, parking and visitor access
- Fitted space versus your own fit-out
BEFORE YOU CHOOSE
Compare the workplace, not only the address.
Use these criteria to compare offices in the UAE against your brief.
Space and fit-out
Check usable layout, meeting space, building systems and what is actually included in a fitted or shell-and-core unit.
Access and operations
Assess employee journeys, visitor reception, parking, lifts, connectivity and permitted operating hours.
Occupancy costs
Compare price or rent with fit-out, recurring charges, deposits, maintenance and the cost of future changes.
CHOOSE YOUR LOCATION
Place the office within your UAE operating plan.
Compare emirates based on staff, customers and the licensing arrangements you are considering. An office shortlist should follow that decision, with the relevant authority’s premises requirements checked locally.
- Compare onshore and free-zone arrangements with the appropriate setup adviser.
- Allow for inter-emirate travel where your team or clients are elsewhere.
Useful official resources
UAE Government · property ownership by emirateThe market behind your decision.
UAE context with location-specific examples. The transaction chart and Dubai-labelled figures refer to Dubai, not to every emirate or to this property type.
General information
- Local currency
- AED · UAE dirham
- Foreign ownership
- Designated freehold areas
- Non-resident buyers
- Passport accepted
Real estate costs
- Sale registration
- 4% combined
- Registration trustee
- About USD 545 / 1,089 + VAT
- Annual service charges
- Check the building
Taxes & regulation
- Commercial VAT
- 5%
- Individual property income
- May fall outside corporate tax
- Standard corporate tax
- 0% / 9%
Investment snapshot
- Annual market activity
- About USD 249.7bn
- New supply delivered
- 24,537 units
- Rental return
- Calculate for the specific property
Sources & details
General information
Local currency
UAEUSD figures use AED 3.6725 per USD from CBUAE for comparison. Bank conversion fees and spreads are not included.
Central Bank of the UAE — exchange ratesForeign ownership
DubaiDubai permits non-resident foreign buyers to acquire freehold property in designated areas. Check the exact plot and ownership rights; emirates have different rules.
UAE Government — expatriate property ownershipNon-resident buyers
Dubai · completed-property registrationDLD lists a valid passport for non-resident individuals in its sale-registration requirements. The required developer e-NOC and other transaction documents still apply.
Dubai Land Department — sale registrationReal estate costs
Sale registration
Dubai · completed-property transferDLD lists 2% for the seller and 2% for the buyer. Confirm the contractual allocation, extra document fees and service channel before budgeting. This is not a UAE-wide fee.
Dubai Land Department — sale registrationRegistration trustee
Dubai · trustee serviceDLD lists AED 2,000 below a sale value of AED 500,000, and AED 4,000 at or above it. USD equivalents are rounded at 3.6725 AED/USD; other registration channels can differ.
Dubai Land Department — sale registrationAnnual service charges
DubaiDLD’s Service Charge Index is searched by project, usage and year. Use the property’s approved charges rather than a generic cost per square foot.
Dubai Land Department — service chargesTaxes & regulation
Commercial VAT
UAE · commercial propertyCommercial property sales and leases are generally subject to the standard 5% VAT rate. Confirm the specific property classification and transaction treatment.
Federal Tax Authority — real estate VATIndividual property income
UAE · natural personsThe natural-person real-estate investment exclusion applies when the activity is not conducted, or required to be conducted, through a licence. This is not a blanket exemption for every rental business or company. Home-country tax rules may also matter.
Federal Tax Authority — natural-person property investmentStandard corporate tax
UAE · standard regimeUnder the standard regime, 0% applies to taxable income up to AED 375,000 (about USD 102,110), and 9% above it. This is taxable income, not property value; special regimes and exceptions require separate assessment.
UAE Government — corporate taxInvestment snapshot
Annual market activity
Dubai · full year 2025Dubai reported AED 917bn in real-estate transactions in 2025, covering more than 270,000 transactions. This measures market activity, not price appreciation or an investor’s return.
Dubai Media Office — 2025 resultsNew supply delivered
Dubai · H1 2026DLD reported 104 completed projects delivering 24,537 units in H1 2026. Compare competing supply in the target neighbourhood when assessing a property.
Dubai Land Department — September 2026 updateRental return
Property-specific · calculation guideA gross yield estimate is annual rent divided by purchase price. A net assessment should also allow for service charges, vacancy, management and maintenance. No country-wide yield or resale period is assumed here.
Dubai Land Department — service chargesData & conversion
Official totals: AED 761bn in 2024 and AED 917bn in 2025. Converted at AED 3.6725 per USD and rounded to one decimal. These totals include different real-estate transaction types; they are not sales-only figures.
Central Bank of the UAE — exchange ratesHOW WE CAN HELP
Support that starts with you.
Choose the support that fits your plans, from understanding a market to finding a suitable property.
Ready to find the right property?
Property Finder
Turn your priorities, budget and preferred location into a focused search and a relevant shortlist.
Explore serviceDoes the investment add up?
Investment Advisory
Compare the purchase costs, potential rental income and ongoing expenses behind an investment decision.
Explore serviceWhere would you feel at home?
Relocation Consultation
Explore neighbourhoods, everyday life and housing options for your move abroad.
Explore serviceNeed clarity on the local market?
Local Expert Guidance
Work through local questions and coordinate the next steps with people who know the market.
Explore serviceTHE PROCESS
How it works.
Five steps, from your first questions to finding the right property.
Share your plans
Tell us your goals, preferred destination and budget.
Get local guidance
We discuss your priorities, explain the market and agree on the next steps.
Find suitable options
When you are ready, our local team helps build a focused shortlist.
View and compare
Visit in person or online, then compare the options with your adviser.
Move towards purchase
We coordinate checks, purchase and handover with local partners and specialists.
GOOD TO KNOW
Questions about offices in the UAE.
Start with the practical questions that matter for your search.
Should I buy or lease an office?
Compare your intended length of stay, capital priorities and flexibility needs. Prepare a full occupancy budget for each route rather than comparing only the asking price and rent.
What is the difference between fitted and shell-and-core space?
A fitted unit includes some level of interior work; shell-and-core space needs further preparation. The labels are not a specification: confirm exactly what is included and what your business must install.
Can any office be used for my company?
Check the business activity, licensing arrangement, building rules and premises requirements before committing. Treat suitability as a separate check from the office’s appearance.
How do I choose an emirate for a new UAE office?
Start with your activity, customers, staffing and operating model. Discuss the setup and premises requirements with the relevant authority or adviser before narrowing offices by size and budget.
How can I start looking for offices in the UAE?
Share your intended use, approximate budget, timing and location preferences. Tell us which emirates you are considering or which locations your plans depend on. Locaro can then coordinate a focused brief with local expertise.
How can Locaro help me get started?
Tell us your business activity, team size, budget and target move date. Include fit-out needs and whether you are considering leasing, buying or both. We can turn headcount, working patterns and growth plans into an office brief, so you compare operational fit alongside the cost and contract.